Local news
Call sooner, says SPCA after finding starving dogs too late
The SPCA called for the community to call sooner, saying it was too late for the severely malnourished animals.
THE Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) rescued starving dogs from the Cato Manor area after community members called for help. It is believed the dogs were thrown in a river with bricks tied around their necks.
The SPCA urged the community to report cruelty immediately. According to SPCA spokesperson Tanya Fleischer, their inspector, Alfred Mntungwa, arrived in Cato Manor after community members reported hearing dogs whimpering in the vicinity for three days.
“Inspector Alfie arrived on scene and could hear the crying coming from bushes near the riverbank. He borrowed a ladder from a community member and climbed down to find two dogs with ropes around their necks tied to bricks next to the water’s edge,” said Fleischer.
Fleischer called it an ‘unthinkable death’ for an animal to be tied up and dumped.
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The inspector managed to safely load [the dogs] into his vehicle and transport them back to the SPCA for immediate assessment by their veterinarian.
“Unfortunately, we were too late to rehabilitate the poor creatures who were severely malnourished,” said Fleischer.
The SPCA has appealed to the public to call timeously to report cruelty.
“We also remind the community that the SPCA will take in any pets that can no longer be taken care of. As long as the SPCA is here, there is never a justification for acts of cruelty to rid oneself of the responsibility of pet ownership,” said Fleischer, who added that the SPCA urgently needs dry adult dog and puppy food.
The SPCA added that there was not enough evidence that could lead them to open a case of animal cruelty.
- The SPCA urged the community to report animal cruelty immediately on 031 579 6501, or after hours on 083 212 6103.
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