Dogs left to starve – SPCA steps in
The rescue of three bull terriers by the SPCA came too late for one of them, as it had already been half eaten by its starving companions.
POLOKWANE – The rescue of three bull terriers by the SPCA came too late for one of them, as it had already been half eaten by its starving companions.
This was the horrific scene that the SPCA Polokwane team came upon in the yard of a house in Monarch Street, Ivy Park, on Monday.
According to SPCA Polokwane manager, Anton du Bruyn, a neighbour contacted the SPCA to complain that the dogs appeared to have been left without any food or water.
“We responded to the call. On our arrival at the house, we found two dogs in the yard. One of them was extremely vicious and we had some trouble catching him.
“Once we gained access to the yard, we saw something white lying in the grass. On closer inspection we found that it was the carcass of the third dog. He had been half eaten by the other two dogs,” Du Bruyn described.
He said a terrible stench from dog faeces that had not been removed permeated the air and the dogs had had no way to survive. They would have died if they had been left for much longer.
He said the dogs had probably eaten the weaker dog out of a basic instinct to survive. The two dogs rescued by them had bite marks all over their bodies, which indicated that they probably fought over the carcass.
The surviving dogs were removed from the premises by the SPCA team and treated for a number of illnesses, including malnutrition.
Du Bruyn said a letter informing the owner of the property that the animals had been removed was left at the gate, but had been removed when the SPCA returned yesterday (Wednesday) in an attempt to make contact with the owner.
Envelopes addressed to a woman was found on the premises, but by the time of going to print, the SPCA could not confirm whether she was the owner of the dogs and was still attempting to contact the owner.
Du Bruyn said the owner of the dogs would face criminal charges and would have to appear before a court of law in connection with neglecting and starving the dogs.
He said the SPCA would also request the court to make a ruling that the dog owner would not be allowed to be a pet owner for the longest time the court would allow.
Du Bruyn said because of what they had been put through, the two dogs would not be able to be placed successfully with a new family and they would probably have to be euthanised.
“This means that three dogs have lost their lives because of the carelessness of their owner.”
He said cruelty to animals was often ignored by those who were aware of it.
“The SPCA is on a mission to bring these cruel pet owners to book. These animals do not have a voice to speak for themselves,” he said.
Anyone who wishes to report an incident of animal cruelty can do so by contacting the SPCA at (015) 291 1088 during office hours. A cell phone number will be provided to callers who call after hours.
