Bronwynne Jooste
27 December 2008
The SPCA, which is millions of rands in debt, has just gone through its worst financial year.
The organisation, one of the country's oldest animal welfare bodies, is another casualty of the global economic meltdown.
Financial hardships are forcing pet owners to give up their beloved pets - in November alone more than 800 cats and dogs were handed in to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Grassy Park.
These are not strays - they are healthy animals which were given to the SPCA's animal care centre as their owners could no longer afford to care for them.
SPCA CEO Allan Perrins said they had budgeted to spend R179 000 a month for 2008/2009, but on average were spending R255 000 a month.
Perrins said when calculating their figures last year they expected 146 dogs and 128 cats to be handed into the animal care centre.
But in November they received 448 dogs and 411 cats. This was "by far" the biggest year-on-year increase.
"We based this on figures of the past. We know the cost of living has increased, but we didn't expect such a substantial increase. It's had a big impact on our kennels and cattery," said Perrins.
He said their expenses were up by 18 percent and their income down by 5 percent. The organisation now faces a R2-million deficit.
Another indication that the financial turmoil was tightening its grip on pet owners was the change in the SPCA's clientele.
"In the past we helped genuinely indigent people. Now we get people who are receiv-ing a monthly pension, but simply can't afford to go to a private vet."
It's not always easy to find new homes for pets, and the SPCA's regulations sometimes limit the homes available.
Just recently, they received 36 pigs, said Perrins.
"They were someone's beloved pets, and they didn't have the heart to send them to the abattoir."
All SPCA animals are sterilised, and many farmers are hesitant to buy farm animals which cannot breed.
"It limits the market, so we have to appeal to the more eccentric pet owners."
Based on its November figures, the SPCA has made an urgent appeal to people to think twice before buying pets.
"People don't really realise what they are taking on. To own a pet is not a right, it's a privilege.
"We are not in the business of recycling animals, which is why we have such strict adoption criteria."
Pet owners needed to be sure that the pet would fit in with the family lifestyle, and would have to be socialised accordingly.
Perrins said he feared the worst time of the year was still coming - they normally noticed a peak in animals being handed in towards the end of January and early February, when unwanted Christmas gifts were returned.
Perrins said the support from several donors ensured the organisation would stay afloat.
Cicely Blumberg of Adopt-a-pet said they had come across three incidents of people abandoning their pets in just one week.
In one incident Siberian Husky puppies, covered in fleas and suffering from distemper, were found in Blouberg near the oil refinery.
Blumberg said it seemed the young dogs were dumped by dog breeders after they fell ill. The puppies are now being treated.
Near Liesbeeck Parkway two white and brown puppies, believed to be about three weeks old, were found.
They have since been placed in foster care and Blumberg appealed to owners to sterilise the mother.
In Milnerton a family of cats, although healthy, were found in an abandoned home.
"There is really no need to do this. These are totally blameless creatures. This is a reflection of society, and it's a lack of empathy."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Cape Argus. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
