Cow butchered alive after being hit by vehicle on N2

A cow had to suffer through the pain of having its body parts hacked off with an axe - while it was alive.

The National Council of SPCAs said on Monday it was appalled by the actions of bystanders at an accident scene at about 6.30pm yesterday evening

Inspector Annette Muller of the King Williams Town SPCA in the Eastern Cape responded to an emergency call involving a cow that had been hit by a vehicle on the N2 Highway in Breibach‚ outside the town.

As the King Williams Town SPCA arrived at the accident scene‚ bystanders were busy brutally butchering a cow that was still alive.

Bystanders were using an axe to get pieces of meat from the animal.

One of the animals’ hind legs were already viciously removed.

The SPCA Inspector tried to intervene and stop the bystanders from torturing the animal. The bystanders became aggressive and pushed the SPCA Inspector away.

Despite this‚ the SPCA said that its inspector managed to end the animals suffering in a humane manner‚ even though the bystanders continued to chop the animal with an axe for the meat.

“I shouted at them to stop cutting the cow. I tried to push them away but they would not stop.

“I have never in my time with the SPCA heard a cow bellow like that from agony.

“All I wanted to do was end the animal’s suffering‚” said an emotional Inspector Annette Muller of the King William's Town SPCA.

The national council said they found it "incomprehensible that these people acted without any compassion and tortured an animal to claim the meat‚ ignoring the pleas of the SPCA Inspector".

"We commend Inspector Muller for her brave intervention and for taking humane action to end this poor animal’s suffering."