Dog trapped in drain, rescued
“When you see a stray dog and you know the owner, call him. If you don’t, call the SPCA."
Residents urged community members not to look away when they see an animal in need.
Mr Neil Peters said this after he and his friend rescued a dog from a storm water drain in Marcia Street, Cyrildene, on Monday evening.
Mr Peters said he saw the dog standing in the drain in the morning but did not check much as he was in hurry to go to work.
He said when he came back from work, he passed by to check if the animal was still there.
“It was still there. It was trapped. I removed it. Its stomach was blue and it was not moving. I went to the nearest petrol station an bought it bread. I became worried when I was approaching it for the second time as it did not move. I thought maybe its legs were broken,” said Mr Peters.
He said after looking at its condition, he took it home and gave it food and tried to examine it.
“I saw that there might be something worse because it was not eating the food I gave it. The animal did not walk, it just crawled to the milk and drank it. It was not walking but it would cry now and again,” he said.
Mr Peters said he called the Sandton SPCA.
“That was a cute dog. I told the officer that when it recovers I want to adopt it. The officer said I could call him the following day to find out about the progress of the dog. When I called I was told that due to its injuries it had to be put down. They said among the injuries, it had a broken spine,” he said.
Mr Peters asked pet owners to take care of their animals.
“If you cannot give your dog love and care, you are not fit to be the pet’s owner. Take it to the SPCA. They do not turn any dog away. Irrespective of its breed or state. They will find someone who cares for it. Do not just leave it to suffer,” he said.
Mr Peters urged other residents to help dogs in need.
“When you see a stray dog and you know the owner, call him. If you don’t, call the SPCA. The same applies when you see a dog in need – help it. The SPCA is ready to help the animals at any time. The tragic thing about this one is that where this dog was trapped, it is the busiest part of our suburb. There are businesses and houses right where the dog was trapped and it was left there to suffer. If people are not prepared to look after their pets, they shouldn’t have them,” he said.
