On Monday 5 August a Roodepoort SPCA inspector called the Record in a near-panic about the state of an infected dog.
An SPCA driver brought in the female cross-Pomeranian from Davidsonville. According to inspector Charmaine Joubert they received a call from Davidsonville about an alleged “poisoned” dog. The Roodepoort SPCA found the dog lying paralysed in its own filth.
“The owners alleged that it has been in a bad state for the past four days,” Joubert told the Record. Roodepoort SPCA veterinarian Dr T Mushangwe disagreed, saying that “this looks more like three weeks – a month, even.”
He inspected the paralysed dog and found that it showed no symptoms of poisoning. Rather, the neglected female had terrible infections and the most shocking discovery was made – the dog was being eaten both inside and out by maggots living in the open wounds.
“The maggots were coming out of its anus and vagina.”
This shocking story is not uncommon, as Dr Mushangwe told the Record journalists about other related incidents, one being about a cow that had similar symptoms.
“There was nothing to be done for this poor pup and we had to euthanise it,” he told the Record as he showed journalists the live maggots on the carcass.
“In other countries, if a newspaper got hold of this story, those so-called owners would not ever find work or sympathy again,” a disgusted Mushangwe said.
“It all boils down to the importance of grooming and taking your pet to a veterinarian at the first sight of a possible symptom,” Joubert said.
“If this dog was properly groomed and if the owners had sought help from a veterinarian sooner this dog probably would have been walking around right now.”
Joubert told the Record that the claims of the dog being poisoned were lies, and that the Roodepoort SPCA planned on laying charges of neglect and cruelty against the owners.
“She didn’t deserve this at all.”
