A PACK of five seemingly feral dogs recently seen roaming the streets of Veldenvlei, fighting with each other, was the source of much irritation among residents who blamed ‘bureaucratic inefficiencies’ for the ongoing problem.
For about two weeks Arum Lily and Begonia Brim residents said they suffered loss of sleep as the dogs’ presence would set off other dogs, while fighting among the feral dogs had caused them to ‘tear each other to pieces’.
It was surmised the male dogs were trying to mate with the female who could have been on heat.
‘We contacted the Richards Bay SPCA, whose staff said we must instead contact the uMhlathuze Municipality,’ said a resident who wished to remain anonymous.
‘On contacting the municipality, we were told to catch the dogs ourselves and take them to the SPCA.’
Visits by the ZO to the area in question produced no sightings of the pack, but the SPCA they would take them in should any of them be injured.
‘SPCA Inspector Wynand Strauss responded to the reports of the dogs on numerous occasions, as proven by our vehicle log sheet. He tried to catch them, but was unsuccessful,’ said SPCA Chairperson Sarel Small.
‘Although one dog was limping, Wynand did not see any scars or wounds on the other dogs. On some occasions the dogs were not present when he patrolled the area.’
ALSO READ: Roaming dogs pose danger
Small said the SPCA’s resources are limited and, with the shortage of vehicles, it is not always possible to respond to call-outs immediately.
‘We sometimes use our private vehicles without compensation to assist.’
Small said that often people report stray dog sightings to the SPCA, but fail to stay with the animals after contacting the SPCA.
While it is the municipality’s responsibility to catch roaming dogs, the SPCA is discussing a plan of action to work together to control the issue.
‘As we are a non-profit organisation, we battle financially to stay operational and deliver a service to the community.
So we ask the public to assist us where possible by trying to stay close to stray animals or closing them in their yards to make it easier for us.’
While thanking the SPCA’s loyal supporters, Small appealed to the public to ensure their yards are secure and pet friendly, to prevent them from getting onto the streets where they pose a danger to themselves and others.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
