The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Fiji has confirmed that the death of a dog named Fi in Labasa is now under active police investigation.
According to SPCA, Fi’s owner has lodged the necessary reports, and the alleged perpetrator has been taken in for questioning.
The dog was hacked to death with a knife.
“We thank the Fiji Police Force for taking this matter seriously and for their efforts in pursuing it further. We are also grateful to the public for helping us bring justice for Fi and creating awareness around animal cruelty,” SPCA said in a statement.
The organisation said it would continue to work closely with the victim’s family and police to ensure the offender is brought to justice.
SPCA also used the incident to call for urgent reforms to Fiji’s outdated animal welfare laws, urging the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways and the Government to support stronger penalties for animal cruelty.
“Through this unfortunate and violent incident, we will rally to advocate for necessary changes to the current Animals Act for the betterment and safety of our communities,” the statement read.