Animal welfare greeted with a horrifying sight at home in Kriel
A rescue operation in Kriel uncovered horrific living conditions, leading to the removal of animals from the home.
A disturbing scene of neglect and squalor greeted members of Little Paws Big Hearts (LPBH) and chief inspector Marius van Reeuwyk of the South African Animal Welfare Inspectorate Association (SAAWIA) during a court-ordered intervention at a home in Kriel on June 24.
The team responded to a court order to remove 10 kittens, seven adult cats and a dog due to severely unhygienic living conditions.
“The inside and outside of the property were riddled and caked with faeces,” said van Reeuwyk.
According to a female resident on the property, animal excrement is picked up every second day. However, both the inspector and Little Paws Big Hearts refute this claim.
“It is impossible for the animals on the property to produce such a vast amount of faeces within two days. The stench was overwhelming,” said Louis Kempen, who founded the organisation with his wife Sonja.
Apart from the cat faeces, pools of cat urine were also present in the bathroom of the house. The animals were removed. However, there were still three cats left on the property that needed to be trapped using a legal trap cage.
The adult cats and kittens that they managed to remove are in the care of LPBH, and the dog was taken into foster care. Van Reeuwyk said no animal cruelty charges could be laid as the animals were being fed and given water as required by law.
Removing the animals was bittersweet.
The animals are safe; however, the question of how those conditions came to be remains a tragedy. Those wanting to support the LPBH can donate litter boxes and adult and kitten food or pellets.
Contact Sonja on 062 326 9494 or Louis on 065 989 3249 via call or WhatsApp.
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