Garden Route SPCA and pit bull owner at each other’s throats

The Garden Route SPCA (GRSPCA) is facing legal action after a routine sterilisation procedure took a serious turn and two of four pit bulls sent for sterilisation had to be euthanised. The owner is taking the GRSPCA to court for allegedly unlawfully euthanising her dogs.

George Hearld reports that the incident has sparked controversy, with the owner of the pit bulls and many others outraged.

In response to a Facebook post by the GRSPCA, the owner said her dogs were family and had been given to the organisation for sterilisation, and not to be euthanised.

According to her, after she had sent in her four female pit bulls, two adults and two younger dogs, only the younger ones were returned. The other two, Chloe and Echo, were euthanised following the sterilisation.

“We’d been saving money to have all four sterilised and thought it was a blessing when the SPCA advertised free sterilisations in Blanco. We grabbed the opportunity with both hands, never imagining that our beautiful, beloved pets would end up in the freezer,” she wrote.

GRSPCA responds

The GRSPCA’s area manager, Cheri Cooke, says the incident followed a week-long outreach campaign which began on Monday, March 10.

“On Thursday, March 13, the owner requested we sterilise all four of her dogs. However, two of the dogs were so aggressive that our inspectors were unable to handle them, and the owner personally loaded them into the SPCA vehicle,” says Cooke. The dogs were sterilised along with 35 other animals that day.

Cooke says while the dogs were under anaesthetic, they noticed multiple puncture wounds, lacerations, swelling and signs of infection, along with older bite wounds.

She says one dog showed early signs of hip dysplasia, while the other had conjunctivitis in both eyes. “Chafing marks around one dog’s neck were indicative of being chained.”

The owner has strongly refuted these claims, insisting that her dogs were cared for and did not need euthanasia. She says the wounds were caused by a neighbour’s dog, which had broken through their fence because their female was on heat.

“The three dogs got into a small fight, which we quickly broke up. The injuries were minor. We gave them both Petcam, just in case, and never left our dogs untreated, as they [the SPCA] claim,” she said in her Facebook comment.

George Herald made contact with the owner, but due to an ongoing legal process, she was unable to give any comment at the time.

Ahawe jumps in

The Agency for Human and Animal Welfare and Empowerment (Ahawe) says the owners approached the NPO to assist them.

“We have been apprised of the facts and firmly believe that the case has merit. We have handed the case to Venter and Geldenhuys Attorneys. We arranged for an independent autopsy on the dogs,” the agency said in a Facebook post.

George Herald sent a media enquiry to Ahawe earlier this week to follow up on the case. It confirmed it was going ahead with legal action against the GRSPCA, and said a media release would be sent out soon.

“We cannot supply you with the autopsy reports or any other evidence we have at this stage, but I can tell you we believe we have a very strong case,” says Ahawe’s Michelle Wolmarans.

Contacting the owner

The GRSPCA maintains that the euthanasia decision was based on veterinary assessment and the dogs’ welfare. However, the owner argues that she should have been consulted before action was taken.

Incomplete paperwork done by an inspector is, according to Cooke, the reason why they couldn’t contact the owner.

“Attempts were made to contact the inspector who collected the dogs, but as time progressed, the dogs were becoming more alert and aggressive towards our staff and the other animals as they recovered from the anaesthetic. The decision was made to put them to sleep while we could still safely handle them.”

When asked why the other two dogs were returned to the owner if she was as irresponsible as the GRSPCA claimed, Cooke says the by-laws state residents are allowed to keep two sterilised dogs on a property, and they therefore had no legal ground to confiscate the two younger dogs, that were in a fair condition.

Cooke says they have since spoken with the owner, ‘who showed remorse for neglecting the two dogs and a genuine desire to improve their care’. She says they will be doing follow-up checks on these animals.

Read the SPCA’s full response here: GRSPCA’s response to pit bull euthanisia.pdf

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