The case involved thirty (30) juvenile elephants that were forcibly removed from their natural herds in the Tuli area of Botswana.

[11] In November 2013 the NSPCA arrested 18 suspects who were caught in the act of illegal dog fighting in Tsakane in the East Rand.

Ten men were found guilty of being spectators at this dog fight and were sentenced to 2 years under strict house arrest (Benedict Ngcobo, Gift Nkabinde, Sabelo Mtshali, Thabiso Mahlangu, Bongani Skakane, Lehlohonolo Nomadola, Thulane Dhlosi, Mxolisi Khumalo, Nkosana Masilela, Sipho Masombuka).

Further to the life changing conditions of house arrest, the ten spectators were also sentenced to 360 hours of community service and a total of R50 000 to be paid to the NSPCA.

During the course of this trial one of the accused chose to plead guilty and was sentenced to R20 000 or 20 months imprisonment which was suspended for 5 years on condition that he did not re-offend.

[16] The Wildlife Protection Unit of the NSPCA investigated a complaint in May 2017 of a baboon being abused in the care of the East London Zoo which is state owned and managed by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.

[18] Following the cancellation of and poor attendance at shows in certain towns due to public outcry, Mr Boswell instituted legal action against the organisation, blaming them for the cancellations and poor attendance, the alleged forced removal of wild animals from the circus performances and therefore causing a loss of income.

The NSPCA defended the matter by filing legal papers and also called for financial documentation and further information from Mr Boswell, who was required to prove the loss of income.

[20] Judge Kollapen found that the quotas set in 2017 and 2018 for the export of lion bone skeletons were unlawful and unconstitutional, and did not follow due process.

[6] These powers include the obtaining of search and seizure warrants to enter any premisses and seize any animal to prevent suffering and the arrest of any person for contravening the provisions of the Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962 if there is reasonable grounds to believe that the ends of justice will be defeated in the delay of obtaining a warrant.

A key component of the Communications Unit is to showcase the NSPCA as the leader in animal welfare in South Africa and we strive to convey our messages in a way that is credible, visible and truthful.

Some of the areas covered by the Unit are intensive farming, draught animals, pounds, export, abattoirs, sale yards, transportation and small scale farmers.

Various dog fighting raids and pit bull cruelty court cases initiated by the NSPCA have presented opportunities and platforms towards bringing this cruel practice to the attention of both the private and the governmental sector.

Ensuring that accurate information, based on fact, presented on an individual and public scale, has resulted in the NSPCA gaining credibility not only in our own country but also amongst the international community.

The Unit provides extensive guidance and support to SPCAs around the country to assist them in their individual campaigns against dog fighting.

[30] As the name suggests, the NSPCA Special Projects Unit is responsible for monitoring the welfare of animals which are used in recreational, guarding and exhibition activities.

[31] Training is offered internally to SPCAs around South Africa (Inspectors, Refreshers, Seniors, Committees and Field Officers).

The lecturers are all specialists in their fields and are thus able to answer questions and allow candidates an insight into a variety of subjects and provide for a valuable learning experience.

Training of service providers assists in equipping officials to better understand and address animal welfare concerns in their varied work environments.

The Unit's activities include – wildlife rescue operations, lobbying to outlaw unethical practices, monitoring of conditions in zoos, sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres, elephant-back safaris, captive predator facilities et al. through pro-active inspections and complaint investigations and assisting SPCAs around the country with wildlife issues in their respective areas.

[35] In the same year, she received the Humane Society International Award for Extraordinary Commitment and Achievement recognizing an individual animal protectionist (particularly those from developing countries) whose hard work and compassion have led him or her to exceptional levels of bravery and self-sacrifice in striving to mitigate and prevent the suffering of animals from neglect, cruelty and exploitation.

Dominique Bellemare, Chairman of WAP Canada stated: "Marcelle has done amazing work for the past decade and for the cause of animal welfare.

[38] In 2016 the Vice Chairperson of the NSPCA, Dr Jane Marston‚ won the Annual Women in Law Enforcement Award at the Indaba Hotel outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

[39] In the same year the NSPCA won gold for its anti dogfighting campaign "Start a Dog Fight" at the Assegai Integrated Marketing Awards.

This is the third year in a row that an NSPCA representative has received an award at this annual ceremony in recognition for commitment to law enforcement.