SPCA, GDARD aid pet owners in the spirit of Madiba
As part of their Mandela Day activities, a sterilisation day was held at the Germiston SPCA.
The Germiston SPCA did things differently this year with regard to Mandela Day, having a week of activities leading up to the day.
The GCN chatted to state veterinarians from the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) as part of the Mandela Day activities last Thursday while they were busy with their outreach sterilisation day at the SPCA’s premises.
The dedicated Germiston team sterilised four cats and 18 dogs at no cost to the owners.
The team is made up of Drs Ganean Chetty, Athiksha Bodasingh, Anndrea Yelliah and Roxanne Buckle, as well as physics student Courtney Davey, who wishes to study to become a veterinarian.
The animals came from the SPCA’s outreach areas of Katlehong and Zonkizizwe.
Ganean told the GCN they do sterilisations every Thursday and sterilise between 18 and 20 animals a week (normally animals who are being adopted).
The vets have been doing this community work for the past five years.
“We help with the outreach projects in Katlehong and offer clinical services and vaccinations to community members for their animals,” Ganean said.
“Every two weeks we do the same in Daveyton, in Benoni.”
Ganean added that the breeding of pit bulls and greyhounds is rife in the informal settlements and this is why sterilisation of animals is extremely important.
After caring for domestic animals in the mornings, the team then utilises their afternoons to do farm call-outs.
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“We assist with the veterinary care of animals, as well as teach people how to manage their farms,” Ganean said.
The SPCA advocates for sterilisation.
Some of the advantages of sterilisation include:
• Less sexual and territorial aggression.
• It minimises or eliminates bad behaviour, such as jumping over fences and chasing(in dogs).
• Minimises the risk of various cancers in animals.
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