Two puppies, tossed from a car window together with a bag of dog food, are among the latest victims of animal abandonment in the Bay with numbers set to increase over the festive season.
On Tuesday, the Animal Welfare Society in Port Elizabeth and the Uitenhage SPCA confirmed that it was common for pets to be dumped during the season.
Recently, a vehicle driven by a woman, stopped outside the Animal Welfare Society offices along Victoria Drive, where two dogs were flung out of a car with a bag of dog food before she drove off hastily. .
The dogs are about 10 months old according to Animal Welfare Society Port Elizabeth manager Hanne Stander.
She said had it not been for two staff members who ran to grab the dogs, they could have run off and been left to fend for themselves.
“The dogs weren’t injured. We’re seeing a huge increase in pets being dumped by owners who are unable to care for them or when their owners are relocating.
“Some people don’t have enough money for the surrender fee, but the surrender fee can be made voluntarily, we’d never turn anybody away,” Stander said.
Both dogs have since been adopted.
Stander urged people to not dump their animals and rather surrender the dogs as the animals could potentially end up in the wrong hands.
“If the dogs are friendly they can get into anybody’s car. We all know what is happening in Port Elizabeth as far as dog fighting is concerned and they use these dogs as bait,” Stander said.
SPCA chair Deirdre Swift said they were mandated to act against cruelty to animals and take in animals for free and they are expecting an influx in abandoned pets this season.
“We’re still going to see numbers of animals being abandoned, they are mostly abandoned in December and January. This sad reality affects us terribly in terms of needing more food.
“Some animals generally are traumatised after being abandoned; they develop bonds with their owners, they have the same attachments that humans have.
“Instead of abandoning animals, we recommend people to send them to any shelter.
“Pets can’t survive on their own, because they’ve been domesticated, they depend on humans,” Swift said.
She advised people to get responsible pet sitters if they were travelling during the festive season as the sound of fireworks was another reason pets could stray away from their homes.
“People can visit their vets to get medication to help their pets to be more calm.
“These traumatised dogs are in danger of getting run over by cars or entangled by fences and dying from starvation,” Swift said.
Following the abandonment of the pups, a woman, who asked to be anonymous, started a drive to collect pet food and donated 30 bags of food at the Animal Welfare Society on Wednesday.
“I grew up on a small farm, animals have always been a part of my life.
“At least the dogs were dropped where they knew they’d be helped. Some people just leave dogs in boxes,” the woman said.
HeraldLIVE
Abandoning pets — a scourge during the festive season
Animal Welfare, SPCA appeal to owners to protect their beloved animals
Image: SUPPLIED
Two puppies, tossed from a car window together with a bag of dog food, are among the latest victims of animal abandonment in the Bay with numbers set to increase over the festive season.
On Tuesday, the Animal Welfare Society in Port Elizabeth and the Uitenhage SPCA confirmed that it was common for pets to be dumped during the season.
Recently, a vehicle driven by a woman, stopped outside the Animal Welfare Society offices along Victoria Drive, where two dogs were flung out of a car with a bag of dog food before she drove off hastily. .
The dogs are about 10 months old according to Animal Welfare Society Port Elizabeth manager Hanne Stander.
She said had it not been for two staff members who ran to grab the dogs, they could have run off and been left to fend for themselves.
“The dogs weren’t injured. We’re seeing a huge increase in pets being dumped by owners who are unable to care for them or when their owners are relocating.
“Some people don’t have enough money for the surrender fee, but the surrender fee can be made voluntarily, we’d never turn anybody away,” Stander said.
Both dogs have since been adopted.
Stander urged people to not dump their animals and rather surrender the dogs as the animals could potentially end up in the wrong hands.
“If the dogs are friendly they can get into anybody’s car. We all know what is happening in Port Elizabeth as far as dog fighting is concerned and they use these dogs as bait,” Stander said.
SPCA chair Deirdre Swift said they were mandated to act against cruelty to animals and take in animals for free and they are expecting an influx in abandoned pets this season.
“We’re still going to see numbers of animals being abandoned, they are mostly abandoned in December and January. This sad reality affects us terribly in terms of needing more food.
“Some animals generally are traumatised after being abandoned; they develop bonds with their owners, they have the same attachments that humans have.
“Instead of abandoning animals, we recommend people to send them to any shelter.
“Pets can’t survive on their own, because they’ve been domesticated, they depend on humans,” Swift said.
She advised people to get responsible pet sitters if they were travelling during the festive season as the sound of fireworks was another reason pets could stray away from their homes.
“People can visit their vets to get medication to help their pets to be more calm.
“These traumatised dogs are in danger of getting run over by cars or entangled by fences and dying from starvation,” Swift said.
Following the abandonment of the pups, a woman, who asked to be anonymous, started a drive to collect pet food and donated 30 bags of food at the Animal Welfare Society on Wednesday.
“I grew up on a small farm, animals have always been a part of my life.
“At least the dogs were dropped where they knew they’d be helped. Some people just leave dogs in boxes,” the woman said.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Latest Videos
Most Read
News
News
News
News
News