The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has vowed to lay criminal charges against a TikTok user who allegedly forced alcohol, suspected to be beer, down the mouth of a fish.
In the viral video, the TikTok user named Lethabo_Sebapo is seen holding the fish in one hand while pouring the beverage into the fish's mouth while laughing.
The NSPCA said the compilation of a docket is in the final stages. “The publisher, who describes himself on TikTok as 'fun, entrepreneur, CEO and innovative', will face criminal charges under the Animals Protection Act,” the NSPCA said. “We hope this prosecution will serve as a deterrent, discouraging people not only from publishing acts of animal cruelty as a form of entertainment but also from committing them.”
They have tracked down and contacted the person and he has admitted to the act, saying it was “fun”. The welfare organisation raised concern about an increasing number of people who use social media to depict animal cruelty.
“The NSPCA is heartened by the widespread condemnation of the person's actions, which reflects the compassion many South Africans feel for animals including fish, who are often overlooked in their capacity for sentience and suffering.”
