Comedian facing animal cruelty charges

Cape Town - Comedian Mark Sampson is expected to be charged with animal cruelty for allegedly chopping off the head of a cat, it was reported on Thursday.

The Cape Argus reported that Sampson apparently ended the cat's life in November because it was critically injured after being attacked by his dogs on his property.

"I am an animal lover and empathetic person. The cat was suffering greatly and it upset me very much. I took what I thought to be the most appropriate course of action," he told the newspaper.

Sampson said an operator at the National Council of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) unofficially advised him to put the cat down so it would not suffer.

However, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA CEO Allan Perrins denied Sampson's claim and said he would advise an inspector to come up with charges in terms of the Animal Protection Act.

The cat's owner and Sampson's neighbour, Jeannot Nelson, said she was waiting for the comedian to admit he had wronged.

"What he should have done is get the cat to a vet," she said.