Answer grounded in published legislation
Your question
Can someone be jailed for mistreating a dog?
Yes, mistreating a dog can constitute an offence: the Animals Protection Act includes dogs within “animal” and prohibits cruelly ill-treating, neglecting, or unnecessarily starving or denying food or water to an animal. 1 4
However, the supplied provisions do not state the penalty for that offence, so they do not establish whether imprisonment-or any specific sentence-is possible. 1
Verified sources
Where this answer comes from
Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962
(a) cruelly overloads, overdrives, overrides, beats, kicks, goads, ill -treats, neglects, infuriates, terrifies, tortures or maims any animal; or (b) confines, chains, tethers or secures any animal unnecessarily or under such conditions or in such a manner or position as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering or in any place which affords inadequate space, ventilation, light, protection or shelter from heat, cold or weather; or (c) unnecessarily starves or under-feeds or denies water or food to any animal; or (d) lays or exposes any poison or any poisoned fluid or edible matter or infectious agents except for the destruction of vermin or marauding domestic animals or without taking reaso...
Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975
(a) hinders, impedes or obstructs a nature conservator or the owner or lessee of land or any other officer or person in the exercise of the powers or the performance of the functions or duties granted to or imposed on him by or in terms of this Chapter; (b) injures or kills a dog, horse or any other animal lawfully used in the course of or in connection with the hunting of problem animals in terms of this Chapter; (c) damages, destroys or disfigures any apparatus, device or other property used in the course of or in connection with the hunting of problem animals in terms of this Chapter; (d) is the owner or lessee of land and fails to render any reasonable assistance requested from him by a...
Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975
39. Powers of land owners in regard to persons found hunting and dogs
Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962
“animal” means any equine, bovine, sheep, goat, pig, fowl, ostrich, dog, cat or other domestic animal or bird, or any wild animal, wild bird or reptile which is in captivity or under the control of any person; “Minister” means the Minister of Justice; “owner’’, in relation to an animal, includes any person having the possession, charge, custody or control of that animal; “police officer” includes a member of any force established under any law for the carrying out of police powers, duties or functions; “veterinarian” means a person registered as such under the Veterinary Act, 1933 (Act No. 16 of 1933). [The Veterinary Act 16 of 1933 was made applicable to South West Africa by the Veterinary...
Trespass of Animals Ordinance 16 of 1939
Any person contravening the provisions of this section shall be guilty of the crime of theft, and liable on conviction to all the penalties provided by law in respect of the said crime; provided that the enforcement of any penalty or sentence imposed shall not deprive the owner of any legal right he may have to recover from such proprietor the value of such animal and any damage sustained by reason of its detention or sale.
Local Authorities Act 23 of 1992-Regulations 1994-191
shall deliver that animal to the pound within 24 hours after it was caught. (2) No person shall detain an animal which he or she has caught trespassing on his or her or any other property, except for the purpose referred to in subregulation (1). (3) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subregulation (2) or uses, abuses, ill-treats or overdrives any animal detained by him or her or allows any person to do so, shall be guilty of an offence.