Save-A-Pet Animal Shelter on fire, hundreds of animals evacuated

Save-a-Pet staff, supported by volunteers, evacuated dogs and cats as a veld fire threatened the Greenbushes property on Friday morning.

Administration assistant Katelyn North said by lunch time the 196 resident dogs kennelled both inside and outside the Save-a-Pet building had been led  to safety and had been taken in by the SPCA in Uitenhage and other smaller shelters and homes.

"Thirty cats had been boxed and had gone to a resident who had space in her garage. It was not yet clear what caused the fire but reports on social media indicated it could have been started by people stealing honey from a nearby hive," North said .

The flames had swept into the grass-covered exercise yard but it was not yet clear if any structural damage had been caused, North said.