Nothing sinister at the SPCA

“I’ll never let an animal suffer, no matter what I have to do to save it from suffering…”

These were the words of Cornè Slabbert of Vryheid SPCA, who recently came under fire from members of the community after he had to euthanise a small dog who was badly injured on Sunday and dispose of its remains.

Despite intimidation, condemnation and threats of arrest by locals at the scene where a mass grave was found with several previously buried dogs already in it, Slabbert maintained calmly and respectfully that he had merely done his job, according to SPCA protocol.

There are four primary criteria that ensure death by method of euthanasia is humane. The method must be painless, achieve rapid unconsciousness followed by death, minimise animal fear and distress and be reliable and irreversible.

“The animal was in a lot of pain and we could not get hold of the vet to end its suffering,” said Cornè. “I did what I had to do, according to the SPCA Operations Manual.”

A shot from a Captive Bolt stun gun was administered to the injured dog, rendering the animal immediately numb to pain. Following this, the major blood vessels in the neck must be cut immediately to ensure that the animal remains unconscious from the initial stun until death occurs. While this method may seem gory and horrifying to most, the procedure is considered completely humane and in line with SPCA protocol.