Barbaric act: Uvongo SPCA vehicle torched with 3 dogs inside

Three dogs in the back of a Ford Bantam belonging to the Lower South Coast (LSC) SPCA were burnt to death when the vehicle was set alight last night in Nkampini, inland from Southbroom.

Jacques Peacock, the public relations officer from the National Council of SPCAs, says the Uvongo-based society is traumatised by the incident.

Peacock says the LSC SPCA received a notification from its vehicle tracking company last night that the vehicle had transmitted an emergency signal.

“The tracking company, SPCA personnel and the SAPS Search and Rescue Unit initiated a search for the driver and vehicle. At that stage, it was unknown whether the vehicle was transporting animals or not,” he says.

The vehicle was found with three dogs in the back. They were burnt alive.

“The amount of suffering these animals must have endured is unimaginable. The driver was found unharmed, but confused, early this morning,” says Peacock.

He says it is ‘barbaric’ that anyone would commit such a heinous act against the SPCA, especially as it’s a non-profit organisation with limited resources.

The struggling SPCA has been serving its community to the best of its ability, but this malicious act has brought operational capacity to a standstill.

The SPCA’s vehicles offer a lifeline to countless animals in need and, without them, the SPCA cannot reach animals that need assistance.

Peacock calls on the SAPS to ensure swift and stringent action against those responsible.

The NSPCA appeals to individuals, organisations and companies to assist the LSC SPCA with donations and/or assistance to replace the vehicle or loan one.

Mike Davis, the LSC SPCA manager, can be contacted on 060 5020427.