Animal stories that made us sad in 2015
ROODEPOORT – Read cases of animals that had been treated very poorly.
These animal stories outraged people, and made the cut for the saddest animal stories of 2015.
Struben’s Valley resident, Deane Walker noticed in February that her two beloved cats were shot with a pellet gun. Walker noticed that one of her cats, Kuro had a lump in her neck and that she licked it constantly. The pellet was lodged so deep in her neck, that the vet would not remove it, fearing more pain and discomfort for Kuro. Shortly after, Walker discovered that her other cat, Monkey, was also licking herself. After taking her to the vet, he discovered that she also was shot with a pellet gun. The residents had a suspicion of who it was, but did not want to come forward. Four months later another cat was shot with a pellet gun.
On 8 April a man in Weltenvreden Park received a warning for taping his dog’s mouth shut. A passerby noticed that black insulation tape was wrapped around the dog’s mouth. It was alleged that the owner was a SAPS commissioner. When police arrived on the scene the tape was removed, therefor there was no evidence. The dog’s mouth was allegedly taped to stop him from barking early in the morning. The SPCA monitored the residence to ensure the dog is treated properly.
Alexia Steensma from Roodepoort found her cat, Tiffany dead on 18 June. It seemed unlikely that the cat born in 2009 could die of a heart attack. The vet, parted her fur and found a small penetrating wound with a little blood on the right side of her chest. The vet inserted a probe and found that Tiffany had been shot with a pellet gun. The pellet travelled through her heart and lung and lodged in her spine.
Nature took its course on 4 July in Poortview. Residents went for a walk at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden when they discovered the mangled body of a porcupine. It had injuries on its neck, body and many of its quills were scattered around its body. The carcass was removed shortly afterwards. Media liaison at the garden, Ronny Tshabalala said that the porcupine may have been a victim of a hunt. He added that many cameras have been installed to ensure that normal activity takes place.
