HOMEVALE residents have condemned the burning of a horse in 17th Street, where the ashes and decaying flesh have left a putrid smell lingering in the neighbourhood.

It is not known whether the horse was still alive when it was set alight.

Homevale resident Urich Jenkins said they initially thought the body of a decomposing human had been discarded in the veld.

“Children who went to investigate the origin of the smell found the burnt remains of the horse, where a section of the head and jawbone was still intact. All sorts of diseases can be spread, as small children are walking in the veld. The dead horse is attracting flies, worms and other vermin. It poses a health hazard, and my 75-year-old grandmother lives next door to where the horse was kept.”

He added that the other horses that were kept in the yard had vanished following the incident.

“However, no one has come to collect the horse remains yet. It must have been sick. No one knows who burnt the horse. The open piece of veld resembles a commonage, as the horses were let out every morning to graze.”

Jenkins stated that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Sol Plaatje Municipality were informed about the incident.

According to an SPCA inspector, a case of animal cruelty is being investigated, although a formal response is still awaited to media enquiries.

The owner of the house where the horses were kept indicated that he was only taking care of the horses on behalf of someone else who ran a stable.

“I would have called the SPCA to rescue the horse if I had known that it had fallen into the ditch,” he said.

Sol Plaatje Municipality spokesperson Thabo Mothibi said it was illegal to keep horses and livestock in residential areas, as they usually caused a “nuisance and health risk”.

“No complaint has been received to date regarding the case at hand. Our area-based environmental health practitioner will investigate the matter. The outcome of the investigation will inform our course of action that will be taken in the interests of public health,” he said.

Mothibi pointed out that there were strict guidelines regarding the disposal of carcasses.

“The unregulated disposal may cause potential health risks, including groundwater pollution.

The smell of rotten carcasses can result in a flea infestation and unpleasant odours. The decomposition process releases bacteria that can cause various illnesses,” he added.

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Burnt horse causes a stink in city suburb