Sky’s agonising final days — police dog’s death triggers scrutiny of SAPS animal care

• This story and images may trigger sensitive readers.

For five years, Sky, a Belgian Shepherd trained to detect arson accelerants, faithfully served the South African Police Service. Yet that loyalty counted for nothing in her final days, when she was allegedly locked in a small, windowless kennel for 18 hours a day.

Sky was euthanised on Wednesday, 9 September, after suffering severe injuries while confined at the SAPS Veterinary Hospital in Roodeplaat, Pretoria.

On Thursday, Ian Cameron, the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, told Daily Maverick that Sky’s case was “unfortunately not an isolated incident”.

What is known is that Sky was allegedly left unattended from Sunday afternoon, 6 September, until she was discovered catastrophically injured on Monday morning.

Cameron said information provided to him indicates that, during August, SAPS members asked Colonel Gert Corbett to seek permission from Brigadier Sidney Kekana to temporarily place Sky in a suitable home while a formal application was processed. The request was allegedly never escalated to Kekana.

Bloodied kennel

Sky’s kennel offers a glimpse of what the Belgian Shepherd endured in her final hours. There are claw marks and a trail of blood inside the enclosure – indicating an injured dog trying to force her way through the kennel grill.

Cameron said he intended to expose what had happened to other police dogs and police horses.

“This is not just about Sky, but a deeper institutional rot and crisis. Sky’s death raises grave questions about the supervision, management and welfare of every animal entrusted to SAPS. All veterinary records, postmortem findings, biological samples, CCTV footage, kennel registers, duty rosters, inspection records and internal communications must be preserved,” he said.

Cameron has launched a four-pronged push for answers:

• On Tuesday, 8 September, he opened a criminal case at Paarl Police Station relating to possible violations of the Animals Protection Act.

• He approached the acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, calling for an internal investigation and appropriate action. Dimpane has ordered a senior officer to investigate the incident.

• He referred the matter to the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) Special Projects Unit and the South African Veterinary Council.

• On Thursday, 10 September, Cameron asked the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to consider an independent investigation under Section 28(1)(h) of the Ipid Act into the conduct of SAPS members and officials in connection with the alleged suffering, fatal injuries and subsequent euthanasia of Sky, identified as SAPS service dog B8118.

Early warning signs

A SAPS veterinary certificate dated 28 August 2026 records Sky’s severe kennel stress, persistent escape attempts and a history of injuries.

Sky had first been treated at Roodeplaat Veterinary Hospital in March 2026 for wounds to her face, legs, jaw and teeth. During her admission, vets observed repeated, compulsive attempts to escape from her kennel, causing further injuries.

She was diagnosed with separation anxiety and severe kennel stress and treated with fluoxetine, an antidepressant. Her prognosis was recorded as poor in the SAPS environment, with the certificate warning that continued use by the SAPS would compromise her welfare.

The certificate raises a critical question for the investigation: if Sky’s distress, repeated escape attempts and resulting injuries had already been identified and medically documented, why did she remain in the kennel?

By the time of her final injuries in September, the warning signs had been on record for months.

NSPCA steps in

The NSPCA said its Special Projects Unit was on site on Thursday morning to begin investigating the circumstances surrounding Sky’s condition and would conduct an inspection of the entire facility.

“We’ve seen the photos and they’re hard to look at,” said the NSPCA. The matter will be assessed in terms of the Animals Protection Act.

The investigation adds another layer to growing questions over the treatment and welfare of SAPS service dogs, particularly those that become injured or are no longer able to perform their duties. 

SAPS confirms Sky’s death

The SAPS on Wednesday, 9 September, confirmed Sky’s death, saying she was euthanised after sustaining severe injuries. The SAPS said the injuries had become “simply unbearable” and that the decision to euthanise Sky was made on humane grounds, with her welfare and dignity at the forefront.

Yet the circumstances of Sky’s death sit uneasily alongside the SAPS’s long-stated policy on animal care. As far back as February 2007, the police service said its dogs and horses were “invaluable assets” in preventing and combating crime, and that the health and wellbeing of its animals fell under the SAPS Veterinary Service, whose core business was animal welfare.

National Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Sky was a valued member of the SAPS family, whose K9 units serve alongside police officers with “courage, loyalty and dedication”, assisting investigations, protecting communities and, in some cases, putting their lives at risk in the service of others.

“Sky will be deeply missed by those who cared for her, worked with her and formed a bond with her. We recognise the pain that her handlers and the broader SAPS K9 community are experiencing at this difficult time,” said Mathe.

However, she added: “We remain mindful that there are serious questions surrounding the circumstances that led to Sky sustaining these injuries. An internal investigation is continuing, and we will allow the process to take its course.” DM