Fewer strays, but fireworks still an issue
Although the SPCA says fewer missing animals were reported this New Year’s Day than last year, 16 local pets have still not been reunited with their owners.
New Year’s festivities and fireworks caused fear for pets across Kempton Park from December 31 last year until January 3.
According to local SPCA manager Kira Sparrow, 12 dogs and four cats are still missing.
Luckily, all 13 stray animals that were taken to the SPCA during this time have been claimed by their individual owners.
“[This year] wasn’t as bad as last year,” Sparrow told Express, who reported last year that 29 stray animals were taken to the SPCA and that the shelter received 103 calls from distressed pet owners.
“It appeared that people made more of an effort to keep their pets safe over the time that we all knew that fireworks were going to be discharged,” Sparrow said. “I am sure that a lot of people are rather choosing to stay home as well.”
Sparrow added that a visit with the Kempton Park EMPD to stores in and around Kempton CBD established that all retailers had licences to store and sell fireworks. “The bad news is that there was an unbelievable amount of fireworks being sold.”
Sparrow concluded by thanking the community for keeping stray animals safe and taking them to the SPCA during the New Year’s festivities.
