Dogs face dangers on dumpsite in Standerton
These abandoned dogs include pregnant dogs, barely weaned puppies, and unruly pets that owners no longer want.
A visit to the Standerton dumpsite on February 20 revealed a heartbreaking sight—several dogs roaming and living among the waste.
At first glance, around seven fully grown dogs could be seen at the site. Later visits revealed that three puppies had recently been abandoned by Standerton residents. Many of the dogs at the dumpsite show signs of recently having had puppies and appear to spend most of their time pregnant.
The only help these dogs receive comes from the recyclers working at the dump. Despite having little themselves, these individuals try to care for the animals.
A makeshift enclosure has been built for three puppies currently wandering the site. According to local recycler Sibusiso Msomi, many residents drive into the dumpsite to abandon their pets.
“It seems as if they just no longer care for the dogs,” Msomi said.
These abandoned dogs include pregnant dogs, barely weaned puppies, and unruly pets that owners no longer want.
The puppies appeared well-fed but were not accustomed to people and seemed frightened when approached. Dogs are dumped for various reasons, including financial struggles, aggression, and embarrassment.
“Some people feel embarrassed to find new homes for their dogs when they can no longer take care of them due to fear of judgment from other community members. This discourages them from actively searching for good homes for their pets,” said Nicje Moolman, an NSPCA representative.
Aggressive or misbehaving dogs are often discarded because owners do not want to take responsibility for them.
According to Moolman, another major issue in Standerton is the theft of puppies. Criminals often steal young dogs from their mothers and attempt to sell them at low prices. If no one buys them, they are abandoned at the dump site.
Common hotspots where these dogs are sold include the Spar parking lot, the walkway in front of Maximed, and local gyms.
The lack of dedicated animal rescue organizations in Standerton has significantly contributed to the growing number of homeless animals in town and at the dump site. Moolman emphasized that discarded pets are the responsibility of the community.
“Though not everyone has the resources to foster pets, we can all stand together to find homes and report cases,” Moolman concluded.
Living in filth can cause zoonotic diseases
Nicje Moolman, a local NSPCA representative, delivered insights into the dangers dogs face when roaming the dumpsite.
Conditions on the dumpsite are not ideal for animals. Moolman explained because of the filth on the dumpsite, several zoonotic diseases could spread.
“Zoonotic diseases are diseases spread from humans to animals and vice versa,” said Moolman.
This includes diseases, such as rabies, trademarked by aggression. Other than disease, animals living at the dumpsite face many dangers including poisoning and choking on the items they eat.
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Moolman explained sharp objects can harm animals’ internal organs if swallowed. Puppies must be with their mothers for six to eight weeks, preferably the latter.
“If you remove puppies too early from their mother, they do not get the nutrients they need from their mother’s milk,” explained Moolman.
Puppies need to socialise and become comfortable around people from a young age. For that reason, it could be difficult for puppies at the dumpsite to get used to loving homes- they tend to grow up shy. Though it might be difficult for these puppies to acclimate, Moolman does not believe it is impossible.
Animal activist laments the lack of welfare organisations
Standerton desperately needs an animal welfare organisation. Animal activist Riana Labuschagne feels devastated over the animals in Standerton.
“There are simply not enough hands to help. Besides rescuing animals, there is also the matter of raising money for animal food, finding foster homes and promoting adoptions.”
Labuschagne lauded the people and businesses who help with the daunting task of assisting animals in Standerton.
“We have a massive problem with unsterilised animals, mainly because the procedure is too expensive for many residents.”
She is arranging a spay day for the town more than once this year. Labuschagne said a local business would give building materials for an animal shelter, but they needed land and volunteers.
“We must also consider the running costs of a shelter, and if we are to get this off the ground, we need a transparent committee to account for every sent.”
Labuschagne feels better regulations have to be implemented by authorities such as the NSPCA and the municipality to prevent puppy mills and yards that are overcrowded with dogs.
“Prevention is better than cure.”
Northern Light Foundation explains difficulties of running an animal shelter
Hillel Coetzer of the Northern Light Foundation explained that heartbreaking cases of neglected dogs have increased significantly since the closing of the Animal Shelter.
The problem is that costs to run an animal shelter can get high when you factor in building costs and labour.
“Though we were grateful to receive several donations from the community over the years, operational costs became too high to continue,” explained Coetzer.
Currently, the solution the NLF has found for this problem is changing the Animal Shelter Facebook page so residents can easily find new homes for animals they can no longer afford to look after.
“It is heartbreaking to see animals abandoned on the streets and at the dumpsite, we as a community should take responsibility in the absence of an SPCA,” added Coetzer.
