In scenes resembling a temporary field hospital, more than 200 dogs were sterilised yesterday during a drive headed by the municipality to curb the number of stray animals in the Motherwell community.
By noon yesterday more than 150 male and female dogs were neutered and sterilised by a team of 17 veterinary doctors and a throng of nursing staff, assisted by more than 40 volunteers.
The Mayoral Animal Care Movement – the first of its kind in Nelson Mandela Bay – was launched by mayor Athol Trollip.
Assisted by various animal groups including the Animal Welfare Society (AWS) and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), the initiative, which started yesterday, hopes to ensure 700 dogs are sterilised over the next few weeks.
Members of the SPCA were also present at the event yesterday.
Trollip said: “We are looking after the people of our metro, but we must also look after our animals.”
On average it costs more than R1 000 to have a dog neutered or spayed, an amount most people – especially in the more disadvantaged areas – could not afford, Trollip said.
He spent nearly an hour touring the makeshift facility which included reception and waiting areas, a surgery and a recovery room.
He spoke to a number of people who had brought their furry friends in.
“What we do know is that many people care for their animals, which is evident in the turnout.”
He said he was taken aback by the support the R250 000 initiative had attracted and thanked numerous businesses and organisations for their contributions, including SPAR and Rennie’s Travels.
SPAR supplied each person who brought in pets with a gift pack which included dog food and food items for the owners themselves.
Rennie’s supplied blankets for the animals to be comforted in in the recovery area, which they could then take home.
“Judging from today we will get a lot more support for this initiative,” Trollip said.
AWS Port Elizabeth branch manager Hannes Stander said it was amazing to see the support shown by both the municipality and the community.
“This is what all animal rights associations have been trying to do for years. This should be a national initiative,” he said.
“There is already huge over-population which needs to be curbed.
“We would happily do this every day if we had the funds.”
Stander said it was difficult to gauge how many dogs there were in the metro, but on average – in the Walmer area alone – there were 70 000 people with estimates of two dogs per person, which he said could be doubled in the Motherwell area.
SAVC chairman Dr Clive Marwick said he was impressed with the initiative and hoped it would continue nationwide.
“It is important that we speak to each individual here as well, to explain to them what is being done and what to do next.
“The aftercare of these animals is just as important,” Marwick said.
SAVC is the parent organisation through which all vets and veterinary nurses must be accredited and licensed.
“We received a request from the [metro] for the mass sterilisation drive, for which we then issued a licence,” Marwick said.
Marwick said he hoped other municipalities and provinces in the country would implement a similar initiative.
“The quality of service being offered here is wonderful,” he said.
Today will see a further mass sterilisation drive taking place at the same venue from 1pm to 5pm.
Over the next few weeks, splinter groups would be set up with various vets across the Bay to continue with the drive, depending on the available funds.