Nothing is as pure as the bond between people and their dogs. There is nothing dog owners wouldn’t do to protect their furry family member, and where we protect them, they too protect us – big or small breed, your dog will protect you.
However, the fact that they are such effective protectors seems to be putting them in danger as dog poisonings are sadly on the rise again on the West Rand. The Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch (RNW) has spent the week notifying residents to be vigilant, following reports of three poisonings on Wag-‘n-Bietjie Street in Wilro Park on the evening of 7 March.
Two days later, RNW received reports of seven more dog poisonings between Rant-en-Dal and Wilro Park. This, however, isn’t the worst of it. The numbers have continued to climb as Fidelity ADT Security’s Community Development Manager, Wayne Lamprecht, confirmed a further three incidents in the Fairlands area. Facebook users have also said that the Kenmare area has been a target of dog poisonings recently.
“Residents need to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious individuals or vehicles seen in the area,” said Lamprecht, explaining that the company usually sees a series of house robberies following dog poisonings. “Fidelity ADT will be upping its presence in these areas to ensure greater visibility and support for these residents.”
Residents are reminded that it is imperative to report any poisoning incidents, because without an open case, the police will be unable to investigate. “All poison cases must be reported to the local police with a request for them to investigate the case and remove any suspected poison residues/ bait from your property. A poisoning incident is a crime and should therefore always be reported,” continued Lamprecht.
Both RNW and Absolut Security carry poison treatment kits with them in their response vehicles and due to the two entities working together, they will respond to anyone who calls (customer or not). Anti-poison kits can also be purchased from the RNW Ops room for residents to keep in case of an emergency. The kits cost R25 each and for dogs that weigh under 15kg one kit is needed; for dogs between 16kg and 44kg two kits are needed; and for dogs weighing more than 45kg three kits are needed.
Dean Alberts of Absolut Security said that community members can call at any time of the day or night and someone will respond. All the responders are trained in dealing with poisoning cases and can help stabilise your pet before transport to a vet. This service is also free from Absolut.
RNW Ops room can be contacted on 081 043 9488 and the Absolut Security control room can be contacted on 071 701 2948.
Fidelity has offered their condolences to the families who have lost a beloved pet, and provided the following security tips for residents:
• Test your alarm and ensure it is in working order
• Cut back any trees or bushes that could be used by criminals to climb your gate, wall or fence
• Check that your perimeter security has not been tampered with and ensure any damage is repaired immediately
• Inform your domestic worker and gardener that dogs have been poisoned and encourage them to be on the lookout for any suspicious individuals
• Ensure that you set your alarm when you are away from the house and arm specific zones of your house that are not being used when you are at home.
RNW has provided the following tips:
• Check your perimeters for any foreign items that could be used for bait
• If possible, keep your dogs away from areas where criminals would have access to them, wanting to silence them
The Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA has provided the following tips:
• Keep dogs in the backyard during the day
• Keep dogs indoors during the night
• Check the entire yard for possible poison before letting them out to roam in the yard
• Make sure there is no unknown bread or meat in the yard, because poison is normally placed there
• If you do find something which seems suspicious, do not pick it up with your bare hands
• If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, immediately rush it to a veterinarian
