When People Suffer, Animals Suffer by Default
Almost half of the 251 cruelty investigations the Cape of Good Hope SPCA Inspectorate dealt with between the 1st of June 2023 and the 19th of June 2023, related to animal suffering as a direct result of the recent bad weather conditions that resulted in flooding in many parts of Cape Town. While we’re enjoying some respite from the cold and rain today, Weather predictions indicate there’s more cold and more heavy rain coming our way next week.
Here’s just a few stories of animals your support helped us rescue this past week.
Abandoned, Belly Deep in Frigid Water
This dog was found abandoned in Highlands Estate. Our Inspector Theo Arendolf was in the area when he came across him.
He says “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”.
A Grysbok in Deep Water
Our 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 “We 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 (yes, Cape Town’s porcupines love living in our drains!), and a young male grysbok who 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.
We received a phone call from a farmer in Macassar who had seen this bokkie 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.
Using the farmer’s tractor to get to him, we carefully contained the panicked animal and rushed him to our animal hospital where our caring veterinarians cleaned the leg wound and ordered a few days of warm (dry!) 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!
Pigs in Peril
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 Inspector 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”.
All these animals are safe and warm now and 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.
Please continue to report animal suffering as a result of exposure to the elements
It is a contravention of the Animals Protection 71 of 1962 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/and a fine of R40 000.00.
Please donate now so that we can keep helping animals suffering in the cold and so that we can continue to provide shelter from the storms.
There is more cold weather on its way! We know many more animals will need our help.
