Cape of Good Hope SPCA Inspector Mfini recently responded to a complaint in the Redhill informal settlement that involved two dogs who were kept tied up with no access to drinking water.
The dogs’ living conditions were also abysmal – the animals were sitting in old faeces, surrounded by flies and maggots.
After Inspector Mfini issued a warning to the owner, instructing him to remove the ropes, clean up the dogs’ environment and provide an enclosure, he conducted a few follow-up visits – but the owner failed to comply.
This left Inspector Mfini with no choice but to apply for a court order to remove the dogs.
Both dogs were confiscated and are in the SPCA’s care, while the owner will face charges of animal cruelty.
Chaining is one of the most common dog welfare problems.
When dogs are kept continuously chained or tethered, they become neurotic, unhappy, anxious – and often, aggressive.
It’s common for permanently chained or tethered dogs to experience ongoing physical ailments because of their cruel confinement.
For more information on the chaining of dogs, read A Chained Dog is an Unhappy Dog.
Articles on Dog Chaining
Earlier this week Inspector Lwazi Ntungele confiscated a dog in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain. The dog named Luna was found living in dire conditions, anchored by a static, 1-meter chain. This wasn’t just any chain – it was thick, heavy, and, alarmingly, wrapped directly around Luna's neck. The risks were imminent; such a chain could eventually become embedded in the dog's skin, leading to grave injuries.
A heart-wrenching incident occurred yesterday in Ocean View, Cape Town, where a dog was finally rescued from a life in chains. Inspector Jeffrey Mfini and Cadet Inspector Nkosi Sindiwe, of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, were tasked with confiscating the dog after investigating reports of it being tied up on a short chain.
Three dogs were again found chained, living in their own filth and did not always have access to water. The one dog could not even reach her shelter because the chain was too short (1.1 meters long). The dogs were also infested with ticks and fleas. Inspector Taljaard was left with no other alternative but to apply for a court order and confiscate the dogs due to the owner's non-compliance. All three dogs are now in the safe care of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
Early November 2022, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA received a call for an unwanted dog to be collected in Voorbrug. The owner no longer wanted her dog, claiming the dog belonged to her father that passed away a few months ago.
