[imagesource: YouTube / Carte Blanche]

If you can’t take your pet away with you, the next best thing is to get a pet sitter who will look after them in their home environment.

You trust that the pet sitter(s) you employ will look after your pet with as much love and attention as you would, but that’s not always the case.

In March, a hound called Hector was left under pet sitter supervision, and owner Mel Colbert felt compelled to view CCTV footage after the dog urinated on the carpet, which he had never done before.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA then became involved, and a case of animal cruelty was opened at the Hermanus police station against Nazeem Salies and Natasha Koekemoer.

Now Carte Blanche is on the case, in a segment this past Sunday:

In an unregulated industry that is not formalised around professional standards, the SPCA intervened and launched an investigation.

Carte Blanche examines how the precedent has challenged how an industry is set up and previews what a possible conviction in the ensuing court case might mean for the accused and other pet sitters.

You don’t need to be a pet owner to be enraged by what occurred, but yoh, this really is blood-boiling stuff, and the Hermanus community united behind justice for Hector.

Take it away, Carte Blanche:

[source:carteblanche]