Saw a stray and want to help? What you need to do
Seen a stray animal? You can help save it with these tips.
Not every animal has a home. Some are ill fed, not cared for, and often subject to harsh weather conditions and unkind treatment from strangers.
You too can save a stray animal, but how do you do it? Here are a few tips from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) about what you can do when you see a stray animal:
• Do not put yourself in any kind of danger. Remember that you cannot be of any help if you are unsafe.
• Remember that lost animals are frightened and fragile so expect unpredictable behaviour. Act with careful precision.
• Do not chase the animal. It may be closer to home than you think and being chased may cause it to wander further afield.
• When approaching the animal, speak calmly. Try to entice the animal into your car with some left over food, especially something with a strong smell, like tuna.
• Remember that driving with a strange unrestrained animal in your car is not safe, so be careful.
• Even the SPCA staff find it very difficult to catch a dog that is running frantically in the road. To prevent the animal from being injured or causing an accident, a collar is used to get the animal into a confined area without it bolting into the traffic.
• Contact the SPCA as soon as you see a stray animal roaming in the road.
• When you contact the SPCA, be as descriptive as possible. Give them the street name and the nearest intersection, mention any landmarks, tell them what direction the dog is moving in, and describe the animal as clearly as possible.
For more information, contact the SPCA on 011 681 3600.
Read more:
What to do if you see a stray animal
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