“When people suffer, animals suffer by default.”
So says the Cape of Goodhope SPCA after dealing with the recent animal suffering due to bad weather conditions that resulted in flooding in many parts of the city.
“While we’re enjoying some respite from the cold and rain, weather predictions indicate there’s more cold and more heavy rain coming our way,” the SPCA says.
Almost half of the 251 cruelty investigations the SPCA dealt with between 1 June and 19 June, relates to animal suffering due to the recent floods.
It is a contravention of the act to keep animals in conditions affording inadequate protection or shelter against weather, or in a manner in which an animal is excessively exposed to heat, cold, weather, sun, rain or dust.
Those found guilty of an offence could be sentenced to 12 months in prison or a fine of R40 000.
Inspector Theo Arendolf from the SPCA came across an abandoned dog, belly deep in frigid water in Highlands Estate recently.
“I saw a dog peering around the gate of a water logged property. From what I could see, there was nowhere dry for the dog to flee to. My feet were freezing in my boots just from standing in the water in front of the gate for a short while. Imagine how this dog was feeling, he was partially submerged with the water reaching his underbelly,” Arendolf says.
Animals displaced
The SPCA says their wildlife department has been responding to numerous calls about animals displaced by the rising water levels in most areas.
Wildlife department supervisor Jon Friedman says they have responded to baby birds blown from their nests by the gale-force winds, exhausted Cape fur seals washed ashore by surging sea swells, porcupines flooded out of their stormwater drain homes, and a young male grysbok that found himself in deep water and needed our help.
“Most species of buck are good swimmers, but sometimes even they can get into trouble while navigating flooded fields,” Friedman says.
The SPCA says they have also received a phone call from a farmer in Macassar who had seen a grysbok stuck in deep mud and also possibly injured.
“We wasted no time in getting our wellies on and going out to the farm where we saw the small buck’s predicament – cold, wet and bogged down in clay-rich soil and with a leg injury sustained trying to get through a wire fence as he fled the rising waters, he was going to need some emergency care,” the SPCA says.
Using the farmer’s tractor to get to him, they carefully contained the panicked animal and rushed him to their animal hospital.
“Our caring veterinarians cleaned the leg wound and ordered a few days of warm bed rest and a few good meals. After three days of care at our wildlife short-term care facility, it was deemed safe to return him to his wild range where the waters had thankfully receded. The farmer was relieved to see his grysbok coming home as he considers it a rare privilege to have wildlife of this sort free-roaming on his farm.
The farmer and his family have vowed to keep an eye on this bok and his family, maybe suggesting swimming lessons before the season is over,’’ the SPCA says.
The SPCA also came across pigs in peril recently. When Inspector Lwazi Ntungele heard of some pigs in trouble, he also didn’t hesitate to get his wellingtons on and race to the rescue.
“No animal should suffer,” says Ntungele.
“Pigs also deserve to be clean, dry and warm.
“A lot of people think pigs should live in mud but it’s a misconception that could make them very sick.”
The SPCA says all these animals are now safe and warm.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to the community who serve as our eyes and our ears and take the time to report animals in distress. Thank you for not looking the other way! We consider you a valued member of our team.”
