Pet shops treat animals inhumanely
Animals are items of stock to some pet shop owners.
SECUNDA – The Highveld Ridge SPCA recently visited some pet shops in town and found the animals were not cared for properly at some of them.
“An animal is money to the pet shop owners, it is an item of stock to them,” said Ms Jenneth Geel, senior inspector at the Highveld Ridge SPCA.
She saw birds in cages without a perch to sit on and snakes and chickens were kept next to one another.
The birds’ cages were also overcrowded with filthy food bowls and no water.
“Why can these pet shop owners not give the animals good care?” asked Ms Geel.
Some of these shops sell other things apart from animals as well and fireworks are kept on display where everyone can see it.
The SPCA also visited a pet farm on the N17 highway and she said the animals there did not have sufficient shelter.
“The goat, sheep and cattle had no bedding and no place to rest,” said Ms Geel.
The newspaper could not get comments at time of posting.
