Staff at the Randburg SPCA are very busy during this time of year.
They handle cases of animal abuse and dogs that have been left alone while families go on holiday.
Senior inspector Jean Gaskell said the SPCA was inundated with complaints about animals that have been left at home by their owners. “Owners need to book their animals into boarding kennels if they have no one that can look after the animals,” she said. “It’s not sufficient enough to pay the security guard at the gate to look after the animals because they need food and attention on a daily basis.”
She added that dogs that were left alone would bark and she urged residents to first make sure that no one was looking after the animals before they called the SPCA. “The second major issue is that owners do not know what to do to prepare their animals for the fireworks on New Year’s eve. Owners need to keep dogs inside and away from windows.
“The television or radio needs to be on to distract animals from the noise made by the fireworks. Ask your local vet for tranquillisers to calm down your pets ahead of time.”
She added that owners needed to take their pets out for a walk during the day before the fireworks, as this would help them to fall asleep easier.
Details: Randburg SPCA 011 462 1610.
