We are urging people to stop supporting beggars who use animals as props to elicit sympathy and money from well-meaning animal lovers.
Many instances of this nature involve stolen animals – and these dogs, kittens or puppies are usually exploited and not cared for.
The latest incident involved a man, known to the SPCA and to many Cape Town motorists, who becomes aggressive when refused money.
“He tried to attack our staff in the past when we responded to complaints about animals in his possession,” said Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse.
After receiving reports in the late afternoon of 16 August 2022 of a man begging with a puppy at the M5 racecourse off-ramp between Kenwyn and Kenilworth, the SPCA was again called to intervene.
“We’ve been told that this man steals animals to beg. He ran when he saw our Inspectors; he knows what he’s doing is illegal. We followed him into Kenwyn and managed to arrest him for obstruction before taking him to Lansdowne SAPS, where charges of obstruction in terms of the Animals Protection Act and contraventions of the Animal Keeping By Law were laid against him,” said Pieterse.
The puppy, who was taken into safekeeping, is now in the care of the SPCA.
Motorists are urged to report similar incidents to Law Enforcement on 021 480 7700 or to the SPCA on 021 700 4158/9.
