How to help a stray animal
A street dog was found drinking water from a leaking drain in Turffontein.
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – According to SPCA Public Relations, there are certain steps that you should take when you come across stray animals:
Firstly you need to ensure your own safety. You cannot help the animal if you become injured or are in an unsafe situation.
2. An animal that is lost, frightened or possibly ill can behave unpredictably. A simple move like opening your car door can cause the dog to run away and possibly be hit by another vehicle.
3. Do not chase the animal. The animal may be a couple of meters away from its home and by chasing the animal it will cause him to become lost.
4. When you approach the animal, speak calmly and try enticing it using strong-smelling food such as tuna. You can try luring the dog into your vehicle, but do so with caution as it is not a good idea to drive with a strange dog unrestrained in your car.
5. It is very difficult, even for SPCA staff, to try and catch a dog that is running frantically in the road. To prevent the animal from being injured or causing an accident, the caller should try to get the animal into a confined area (without making the dog bolt into traffic).
6. Please contact the SPCA immediately and let them know when you see a stray animal. Please try and be as descriptive as possible, e.g. what the nearest corner is, any landmarks, what direction the dog is moving in etc…. Caltex Garage on Comaro Road and the dog is running towards the highway.
You can call us during working hours or our duty inspector is available 24 hours a day for injured stray animals: JHB Duty Inspector 083 604 1172 or JHB Landline: 011 681 3600 or Krugersdorp Duty Inspector: 072 295 5116 or Krugersdorp Landline: 011 953 1135 or check the full list of all the SPCAs in South Africa. Emergency contact details is available at https://www.nspca.co.za/page/spcas-in-south-africa
