Falling branch narrowly misses SPCA cats after storm
A Tshwane SPCA spokesperson confirms all their animals are safe following Tuesday night’s storm.
Tuesday night’s strong winds downed power cables, leaving many residents in the dark and fallen trees cutting off the roadways.
A large branch had crashed down at the Centurion SPCA. Tshwane SPCA director, Jeanine Niemann-Greatorex, says it miraculously missed the cattery.
“The big branch that broke off just missed the cattery – if it was any closer to the side, it would have hit it,” she told Rekord.
“The dogs were a bit uneasy with the storm last night. A lot of the dried branches broke off and fell everywhere.”
On Wednesday morning, SPCA workers had started clearing the debris off the sites.
“We need a company that can do this properly to come out and clear the dead branches from the trees before this happens again,” says Niemann-Greatorex.
She said the SPCA was simply too understaffed.
“Our workers just don’t have the time and know-how to attend to the trees too. We are short-staffed as it is.”
She said their funds need to stretch to cover the entire area of the Tshwane SPCA to protect animals.
The SPCA receives funds not from government, but from private donors and revenue from its services rendered.
Running the SPCA Tshwane costs R800 000 a month and it services an area of 6 400 square kilometres, from Brits to Bela Bela, and Bronkhorstspruit to just before Midrand.
The SPCA has two branches in the city: Centurion and Waltloo in the east of Pretoria.
Niemann-Greatorex said the Waltloo branch has only 160 housing spaces and Centurion 158, including large runs where smaller animals such as rabbits are kept.
Centurion ward 57 councillor David Farquharson reported that 25 large fallen trees had to be cleared in the area.
He said that number however, was still increasing, as reports from residents were still coming in.
Power outages were being attended to by limited teams. As a result, only a quarter had been restored by midday on Wednesday.
“Please be careful of live electricity wires if you are going to trim the trees and clear the roads,” Farquharson reminded residents.
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