Microwaved cat: R14 500 reward
2005-05-24 23:01
Durban - The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has made no progress in its investigation into the microwaving of a live cat at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pinetown at the weekend.
SPCA inspector Roland Fivaz said on Tuesday: "Until we have a witness who comes forward and says 'I saw this', we are stuck."
He said students who lived in the university's Pinewood residence for men where it happened were warned they could be charged with obstruction of justice if they failed to hand in reports of where they were the night the cat was killed.
However, by Tuesday only 30 of the 49 students had done so.
Fivaz said a meeting would be held at the campus on Wednesday.
Tango the cat was cooked alive in the microwave oven and was found by owner Nareen Rambharren, chief of security services on the campus, when he was alerted by one of the security guards who was looking for a box.
Four anonymous tip-offs
A cleaner had discovered the dead cat in a microwave oven in the communal kitchen.
According to Fivaz the SPCA received four anonymous tip-offs a day after the incident.
He said Tango had been buried already and "we had to get the cat's body out of the ground, take photos and send the body to a vet for diagnosis."
He said the SPCA had a reward of R14 500 from two companies and two individuals for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the crime.
- SAPA