Vryheid SPCA takes on AbaQulusi Municipality for non-payment, threatens suspension of service – ‘You get what you pay for…’

VRYHEID SPCA is threatening to suspend their service to the municipality due to alleged non-payment, claiming that they have not received the annual grant of R100 000 due to them for two years.

The grant is paid as part of an agreement between Vryheid SPCA and AbaQulusi Municipality that, due to the absence of a municipal pound, Vryheid SPCA will assume the responsibility of the municipality with regard to the impounding of stray animals.

Vryheid SPCA, already under enormous pressure following a catastrophic outbreak of Parvovirus, as well as the perpetual financial dilemma faced by the NGO, is no longer able to foot the bill for the municipality and, after some deliberation, have decided to suspend their service to the municipality until payment has been received.
Further investigation into the allegations of non-payment has revealed that, given the pattern of payment since November 2014, payments from AbaQulusi Municipality to Vryheid SPCA have mostly been recorded towards the end of each year, with the exception of 2017, when no payment went through. In 2018, the grant money due to Vryheid SPCA was paid in May and, since then, no further record of payment exists.

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Therefore, with the 2018 payment accounting for the outstanding monies due to the SPCA from 2017, this means that only the 2018 payment is now overdue and the 2019 payment is then payable towards the end of the year.
However, after what may have been some fast-tracking from the mayor, Cllr Jerry Sibiya at a meeting held in council chambers last week, there seems to be some hope on the horizon for the embattled SPCA, as the finance department is currently working on arranging this overdue payment for some time this month, if all goes according to plan.

Over and above the issue of finances, Treasurer for Vryheid SPCA, Antoinette Ries, also put forth several other matters of urgency to the mayor with regard to the services of the municipality to the grounds of the SPCA.
One of these issues is with concern to the current state of the dirt road that turns off from the road to the airfield, leading to the SPCA. For a long time, anyone who has driven along this absolute atrocity of a road can attest to the fact that it is almost untraversable, even in a vehicle somewhat hardier than a Nissan Sentra.

Vryheid veterinarian, Dr Loubser Theron, popped in at Vryheid SPCA while we were there and states, “This road definitely needs some attention…”

There is a dumpster outside of the premises at Vryheid SPCA and, according to Ries, the municipality does not remove the waste at all. Add to this the illegal dumping activity that is evident when observing the heaps of rubbish scattered alongside the backroads in the area and you can possibly understand the frustration.
On the outskirts of the SPCA premises, the long grass is indicative of prolonged neglect and, coupled with the heavy rains in recent times, this issue is not going away any time soon, without swift intervention from the municipality.
The SPCA electricity bill was another matter that came to light in their plea to the mayor and Antoinette writes, “We are really struggling to pay and request that you please help us in this regard…”

Ward 9 councillor for the Democratic Alliance, Cllr Alta de Kock, explains that, although the matter has been taken up with the municipal manager, the mayor and the chief financial officer on several occasions by her, financial constraints have been a massive hurdle.

“I spoke to our electricity department and finance not to cut the electricity at the SPCA,” she explains. “But our hands are tied. I really tried to help,” she adds. “I even went as far as trying to implement dog licensing again, with the funds going to the SPCA, but without success…”

“The MM and the mayor are both in favour of the SPCA and have appreciation for the role they play and the importance of the SPCA in the community. The support is there,” she reiterates, “but finances are a problem.”
She adds, “If the SPCA has to shut down, it will leave a big emptiness in the community. Who will you phone for dogs running loose in town or stray animals? Public Safety doesn’t always get to their normal day to day tasks. The animals will suffer most under this and they can’t talk for themselves. It is our responsibility, as human beings, to look after them!”

Head of Public Safety for AbaQulusi Municipality, TS Mthembu shares the supportive view of Cllr de Kock as well as the MM and the mayor with regard to the importance of the SPCA.

“Vryheid SPCA plays a critical role by attending to complaints, keeping stray and lost animals off our streets. They have a dedicated team who always assist whenever called upon. It will be very unfortunate should they close down. We all depend on SPCA to assist with such service.”

When asked if Public Safety would be required to take over the role of the SPCA with regard to animal control, he responds, “The council would have to decide on what will happen. I’m not in a position to determine the direction.”
With Vryheid SPCA covering the entire AbaQulusi region, as well as Pongola, Paulpietersburg, Piet Retief and surrounding areas, and even as far as Ulundi, it somehow doesn’t seem entirely just that AbaQulusi Municipality bears the sole financial responsibility of the annual grant, does it?

“We’ve never received financial support from any of the other municipalities,” affirms Ries.

So, what does it take to run an animal pound and why is the financial support of the municipality imperative to the operation of this service?

Vryheid SPCA Chairman, Stephan Vickers responds, “There are several aspects to consider when calculating the cost of running the pound on behalf of the municipality… The annual grant, when we do get it, barely covers that.”
To break it down, Vickers lists the monthly expenses incurred as a result of adding the pound duties of the municipality to the core function of the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) which, as the name clearly states, is the prevention of cruelty.

“The costs are the same as those of any other business, actually. We have massive overheads too. We have to hire staff and pay salaries and we have to pay for municipal services such as electricity and water, which we are not exempt from. Then there is the cost of maintaining the SPCA vehicle and fuel costs to consider, as we cover the entire AbaQulusi region as well as Paulpietersburg, Pongola, Piet Retief and Ulundi… That’s a lot of travelling to places that do not contribute to our fuel costs or expenses,” he adds. “At the kennels, we are responsible for the wellbeing of the animals in our care. We cover the cost of food, vaccination, sterilisation, medical care when necessary and none of this comes cheap. The services of the vet are not free…”

“The difference, however, between us and other businesses, is that the SPCA does not make a profit.”

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“As the SPCA, we cannot turn away animals that are brought in by the public,” he explains. “That goes against our mandate. However, it is technically not our responsibility to chase after stray dogs in the street. That is an added service to the community which we can no longer offer at our own cost.”

“Roaming or stray animals are, in fact, the sole responsibility of the municipality and, if they do not respond when these matters are reported, please ensure you take it up with them. We have the pound and thus will facilitate the incoming animals. It’s not our responsibility to catch them though.”

“Neither does the SPCA attend to complaints of vicious dogs,” he elaborates, “or the number of animals one owns, or dogs that bark incessantly and cause a disturbance. We will only respond if these animals are being abused by someone. Once again, the municipality is the correct authority to contact with these types of complaints. If an animal attacks a human being, then the incident must be handled by the police. We can only offer advice to animal owners in these cases,” he clarifies.

“Cruelty prevention is what we stand for as the SPCA,” emphasises the SPCA chairman. “Everything else should be considered an added service and you get what you pay for…”