SPCA manager Mandy Catanach invited the Record along to witness an inspection at the West Rand Pet and Bird Farm on the afternoon of 25 July.
SPCA Roodepoort Chairperson Jaco Pieterse led their investigation. For the last few months the SPCA has been making regular visits and doing regular inspections at the Farm, around which wide controversy was created when a protest was held in front of the premises.
Protest leaders, Beauty Without Cruelty promised to protest regularly in front of pet shops that they are against.
According to Catanach, the premises’ condition and the animals’ condition was “the worst [she’s] seen in the past few weeks”.
Their findings led the SPCA to write a seizure notice and confiscate six snakes, one basilisk, 15 bearded dragons, three tenrecs, two albino hedgehogs, one iguana, one pig, five ducks and two snake carcasses that were found in a freezer at the back of the store.
“These animals are in very poor condition and should not remain on the property, thus we are confiscating them,” a hopeless Pieterse told the Record, making it clear that the SPCA can confiscate animals only if they are in ill health, which should always be confirmed by a veterinarian.
Pieterse very methodically wrote down every detail of their inspection to build a case against West Rand Pet and Bird Farm, taking photographs of their findings as evidence.
Cattanach was reminded that the journalist is recording her phone call before she was allowed to give further comment. The mention of the recorded phone call was done in light of a history of contradictory statements made after articles were printed. Cattanach declined to comment over the phone and promised to send the Record an official press release on the matter.
