LA LUCIA resident, Terri Cranke, has expressed concern over the well-being of two guard dogs being kept at the Malacca Road dump in Red Hill. She said they were being kept in appalling conditions.

“They are confined to small cages for most of the day. The cages have corrugated iron roofs, which must get extremely hot in the day and there is very little protection for them, should it rain,” she said.

One of the security guards at the site told the Northglen News that ‘the black dog’ is let out to patrol at night, while the ‘the white dog’ is only removed from its kennel when there is a security issue at the site. They were both in the kennels at the time of inspection.

What’s more, the animal activist said she was upset by the amount of litter and rubbish that was strewn in the vicinity of the kennels. When the Northglen News visited the site last week, rubbish – from plastic bags, broken glass and electronic equipment could clearly be seen.

“This is just disgusting and inhumane. I am absolutely heartbroken. This mess poses a risk to the dogs. One of the dogs we saw today was limping, and his black coated friend is obviously distressed and frustrated in the cage,” she said.

The dogs belong to Couver Security and Cranke is appealing to the them to build a small run, where the dogs can run freely. She recently collected blankets and toys for the dogs.

Lindsey Concer, of the Durban & Coast SPCA, said that dogs at the site are regularly inspected, adding that the owners always met the legal requirements.

“During the last inspection at Malacca Road dump we observed a German Shepherd-cross Collie dog (Shaka) and a German Shepherd cross dog (Penny). Both dogs appeared to be in good condition. The cages were clean, adequate food and water were provided, and the cages were found to be a standard size as per Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) requirements,” she said.

Couver responds:

Gresham Nair, the head of operations at Couver Security said the health and well-being of the dogs are their primary concerns. He said the dogs in Red Hill worked on a 12 hour shift each.

“They need to be healthy to do what they are trained to do. Their cages are cleaned daily and our dogs are regularly washed, brushed, de-wormed and dipped,” he said.

According to Nair, complaints from the public were not new. “We appreciate the concern of the community, but I must stress that all our dogs are trained and kept as working dogs. We are regularly inspected by the SPCA, Animal Anti-Cruelty League and the SAPS, and have always strived for perfection when it comes to our dogs,” he said.

“All our decisions, as professionals, are for the well being of our dogs. They are all conditioned to be guard dogs, which means they are on constant alert. Their stimulation comes from observing strangers and their environment for any threats. They are required to have a certain amount of isolation, which allows them to rest,” he said.

In response to the Cranke’s reports Nair said that the limping dog had been inspected, but was found to be healthy. He said the dog has probably ‘sprained its paw’. He said the rubbish at the kennels was unfortunately part of the environment at the site. “Dogs at a construction site face similar dangers,” he said.