The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is to lay a charge of animal cruelty against the owner of a Bloemfontein shelter after 93 cats were removed from its “squalid conditions”.
“While the property owners initially set out to 'save' cats' lives‚ things began to fall apart‚ resulting in the situation getting out of control at the expense of the animals' health and wellbeing‚” the organisation said in a statement.
When its inspectors arrived at the house in Wilgehof‚ “there were cats everywhere we stepped‚ and cat faeces throughout… the smell was unbearable”.
Many of the cats “had contracted a severe infectious disease”; the “sick cats had not been separated from the healthy ones”; the owner was unable to produce medical records; and the owner said the cats had not been vaccinated against rabies‚ the SPCA said.
“The circumstances in which these animals were forced to live were unacceptable – dirty and unhygienic - and certainly not with the cats' best interest at heart‚” the SPCA said.
The Bloemfontein SPCA advised “members of the public to first do your homework on an animal organisation before supporting it or taking animals to it”.
It provided these tips:
- Visit the organisation you wish to support‚ to see if it is good enough to take your own animal there. If it is good enough for your own animal‚ it is certainly good enough for others.
- Do not just hand over a dog or cat to the owner outside the shelter‚ go inside the premises to ensure everything is satisfactory.
- There are many organisations that save animals but some of them‚ quite simply‚ do not have sufficient knowledge‚ infrastructure‚ personnel or finances to meet the required standards. Ensure the animals are safe‚ healthy with up to date medical records‚ that they are sterilised and vaccinated‚ and that the living conditions are up to standard.
Some questions to ask yourself when visiting an animal shelter:
- Does the organisation have enough staff to care for all the animals‚ or could it get out of control at some point?
- Does the organisation have a 'sick bay' to keep sick animals separate from the healthy ones‚ or does the owner irresponsibly mix the sick and healthy animals?
- Does the organisation have a veterinarian who regularly visits the animals and keeps records?
- Are there too many animals on the property‚ in cages‚ fighting‚ are the animals stressed or have they adapted well to their environment?
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
