According to an SPCA inspector, Ms Elloise Rootman, the SPCA was notified of a severely-injured dog in the road in front of Carleton Jones High School on Tuesday morning. Bystanders contacted the SPCA after the driver who hit the animal drove away.
Rootman warns that such behaviour is illegal. According to the Animals Protection Act (71 of 1962), any person who deliberately or negligently fails to render or procure veterinary or other medical treatment or attention for an animal in serious need of help may be fined or imprisoned for a period not exceeding 12 months if found guilty.
“If you hit an animal and it is still alive, you have to call someone who can help it or take it somewhere for treatment,” she says.
Rootman also advises that if someone sees a motorist hitting an animal and just driving away, they must write down the person’s registration number and contact the SPCA.
Meanwhile, the Carletonville SPCA also had to deal with another form of animal abuse on Sunday, 23 August. It removed a greyhound from its owner, who used it for illegal hunting on a nearby farm.
The elderly dog was so dehydrated and exhausted that its heart rate was still over five times higher than that of a healthy animal about an hour after it had been confiscated.
The SPCA’s kennels are open from 09:00 to 16:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays for anyone who wants to adopt a furry friend or is interested in a variety of pet products. For more information, call the SPCA at 018 788 6262.
