THE Durban & Coast SPCA has explained its stance on stray animals.

Marketing manager of the association, Tanya Fleischer, said they follow strict protocols when an animal is brought to their premises in Springfield Park.

“All stray animals are documented, after which they will go through to our clinic to check for a microchip and have a health check. If the animal is microchipped their owner will immediately be notified that their pet is with us. We do reference check against the lost reports received from pet owners to check if there are any possible matches.

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“If there is no tag, no matching lost report, no microchip, and we have no way of tracing the owner, the animal is kept for seven days in our care. If the animal is severely injured or unhealthy we will euthanase in the best interest of the animal in our care,” she said.

Only once a seven-day pound period has passed, then the animal becomes the property of the SPCA.

“If the animal is healthy and sociable they will be offered up for adoption to a new home. It is the responsibility of a pet owner to ensure that if your pet goes missing that you contact local vets and animal organisations to try and find your missing animal. We encourage owners to visit us personally to check their animal is not at our SPCA. We cannot be held responsible and you cannot claim your animal after the seven-day pound period, as described by law,” she said.

Fleischer encouraged residents to microchip their animals, a service offered by the association.

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