Despite being in the animal welfare sector for 20 years, I’ve never encountered challenges quite like those we face today. It seems that pressure builds more every year. In 2023, we responded to 17 258 cases of cruelty and neglect and treated 47 374 animals through our outpatients’ clinic and hospital – in addition to sterilising 5 447 animals.

While we can count the number of animals that the Cape of Good Hope SPCA helps directly, we cannot measure the dedication and hard work behind these statistics. As importantly, all our work is only possible because of donations from caring animal lovers.

Cruelty to animals is often a symptom of broader people-related issues. Tackling this problem demands a collaborative approach, which is why we’re engaging with fellow animal welfare organizations and experts to develop new educational and rehabilitation programmes.

By addressing the root cause of cruelty – the ‘people issues’ – we can more effectively address animal welfare-related challenges. The South African spirit, exemplified by our national rugby team, has shown us that working together – uniting – is a winning strategy, and we certainly need many more wins for animals.

We’re grateful for your support of a more compassionate future for animals and for people. In closing, I wish you a wonderful year ahead; may your 2024 be filled with happiness and kindness.