Surrendered animals a common sight at SPCA
Help the Benoni SPCA to help helpless pets.
Did you know that, on average, the Benoni SPCA receives about 240 animals monthly due to owners surrendering them?
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“People surrender their pets for many reasons,” said chairperson of the SPCA, Shelley Owens.
“We much prefer the animals are brought to us and not left to starve, wander the streets and suffer, perhaps even be run over.”
According to Benoni SPCA, some of the most common reasons owners surrender pets include:
• Financial: Most animal homes have a two-salary income, but when one loses their income often the first thing to go is the animal/s because they cannot afford to keep them.
• Downsizing: Sometimes families have had large homes and find they have to move to a much smaller place, many of which don’t allow pets.
“Sometimes elderly folk who’ve had pets often need to move into care environments or to other members of family who’ve already got animals and there could be a clash,” Owens said.
• Lack of insight: Many people adopt the ‘cute little puppy’ not having done research into the breed, their own capabilities of caring for the animal or they lack responsibility and the puppy grows up and becomes a ‘problem’. “For example, a husky (which are, technically, working dogs) needs a lot of exercise and grooming of their coats,” Owens explained.
“Some people take on a puppy of perhaps a mixed breed and the dog grows quite large and the owners cannot handle it or they don’t care for the dog properly.”
• Allergies: Pet owners can develop allergies to pets.
“Also, people are at work all day and the dog becomes a problem escaping into the streets, barks all day and creates a problem among neighbours,” she explained.
Owens said along with the major issues stated above, other issues include eviction, divorce, separation and illness.
“We have had 80 cats surrendered in one morning,” she said.
“People have even thrown their animals over our walls.”
According to Owens pet surrenders spike during Christmas and Easter.
“People have not made plans for their animals or cannot afford to do this so they drop them off at the SPCA and get another one next year.”
“Or, families go away and leave their animals in the care of irresponsible people who do not care for them and we have to go and remove them so they can be cared for.”
Owens provided a list of things to consider before adopting a pet:
• Research the breed, needs of a pet that they are considering whether big, small, pedigreed or mix.
• Potential pet owners need to be financially sound, responsible.
• Have suitable environments to have pets, for example, one cannot expect a St. Bernard to live in a garden in some of the bulk residential complexes. Gardens are far too small and one will encounter problems with neighbours.
• Ideally, have companions – either human or other animals.
• One cannot expect a pet to thrive in an environment where it is left at home all day alone without some sort of enrichment like exercise, social playing and good food.
• If you have pets already, make sure the new animal gets along with the resident animals.
“A pet is for life – it breathes, eats and feels just like humans,” Owens concluded.
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