Animal dumping influx ahead of the festive season cause for concern
More than 10 dogs were dumped or abandoned in Pretoria alone last week.
A Labrador and eight pups was found living under a container at Lotus Gardens.
It has come to the attention of Wollies animal shelter in Pretoria that a lot of people were dumping their unwanted animals, they told Pretoria North Rekord.
Wollies founder Cilla Trexler said more than 10 dogs in Pretoria alone were dumped last week.
“It happens so often,” Trexler lamented.
Trexler said last week, a dog with a cancerous growth on the stomach was dumped at the entrance to the shelter.
Three more were dumped at Transnet Avenue in Capital Park, while a further two were dumped in the field opposite Citygen, and two more left behind when the owner moved.
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Three dogs were dumped in Transnet Avenue in Capital Park. Photo: supplied.
A Labrador and eight pups was found living under a container at Lotus Gardens.
“We have reached our capacity. We can only take in more animals if we get the community to adopt the animals. We do not put animals out.”
She said building more kennels was not the solution to the problem.
Another problem was people adopting animals, then dumping them when they moved only to adopt another when they arrived at a new home.
“This is a vicious cycle. These people should be put on some sort of blacklist to stop them from adopting.”
Trexler said a lot of the animals brought to the shelter were left behind when families moved.
Two dogs were dumped in the field opposite Citygen last week. Photo: supplied.
“The animals suffer. The least they can do is take the animals to the SPCA or phone the local shelters.
“How do people get it over their hearts to leave an animal behind without food or water?”
Trexler said even though Wollies was full to capacity, 99% of the time they would fetch the abandoned animal.
She said Wollies was starting to prepare for the “silly season”, when more and more animals were expected to be dumped at shelters as owners went away for the holidays.
“It is honestly just sad. Come January the same owners come to the shelters to collect their animals,” Trexler said.
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