SPCA investigates after woman throws dog from 3rd floor at OR Tambo Airport

The SPCA has launched an investigation after a woman allegedly threw her dog from the third-floor balcony of OR Tambo International Airport on Friday morning.

The dog sustained severe injuries and had to be euthanised, according to the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA).

Grace de Lange, Chief Operations Officer of the SPCA, described the horrific incident, which occurred while much of the country was looking forward to the weekend.

“At approximately 11am, Senior Inspector Arno de Klerk received an urgent call from the state vet, asking if the NSPCA was aware of a horrific incident that had occurred at OR Tambo Airport in the early hours of that morning,” she said.

De Lange explained that the woman, a French national, had been travelling from France to Brazil and had a ticket for her dog as an extra “passenger.”

The pair arrived in South Africa on Wednesday. “At approximately 3:30am on Friday, video footage from the Airport Company South Africa (ACSA) shows the woman strolling through the Atrium at OR Tambo International Airport, with her small black dog running freely. As the dog reached her, the woman picked it up and callously threw it over the balcony railing,” de Lange claimed.

She continued, saying the dog did not die immediately but was left severely injured. “The dog, severely injured and bleeding from the mouth, lay on the ground, barely alive but still clinging to life.”

Airport officials quickly alerted the Kempton Park SPCA, and inspectors arrived to take the dog into their care. At a nearby veterinary hospital, it was confirmed that the dog had suffered extensive internal injuries and had to be euthanised to end its suffering.

Following the incident, authorities halted the woman’s flight to Brazil for further investigation. “A check of the passenger manifest revealed that the elderly woman was not listed as having boarded the flight, meaning she was still within the airport,” said de Lange.

The NSPCA has confirmed that a case will be opened with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

“The NSPCA is both shocked and appalled by this incident. There is an alert out for the woman responsible for this horrific act, and we will not rest until she is brought to justice,” de Lange stated.

“The NSPCA remains steadfast in its commitment to hold accountable anyone involved in animal cruelty, regardless of their nationality or age.”

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