Be the eyes and ears of SPCA
JOBURG - The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) urges all South Africans to be responsible, compassionate and their eyes and ears as the festive season approaches.
In a statement released by the NSPCA, animal owners are asked to ensure that they have the best of care.
“Making sure their vaccinations are up to date is a first step and also a condition of being able to book pets into boarding facilities if you are going away. Please plan ahead and ensure that their every need is catered for whether you are with them or away during this period,” the statement read.
“We recommend microchip identification as the ideal gift if an animal does not already have this form of permanent tamper-proof identification which is also proof of ownership.”
Compassion comes in all forms and the NSPCA asks for consideration towards all creatures and the promotion of responsible behaviour.
“An appeal is made to everyone to choose activities that do not exploit animals in any way. Even if an animal may not be harmed, we ask people to consider if petting lion cubs is ethical and to look at the bigger picture. This is just one example.”
The NSPCA also asks members of the public not to be afraid to report anything of concern, ranging from youngsters aiming at living creatures with air guns or similar items to accidents involving animals or broken down vehicles carrying animals.
“Please carry the number of your local SPCA with you on your cell phone. Even if this is not the appropriate SPCA, they can forward the information quickly.”
“Above all, please report concerns regarding abused, neglected or cruelly treated animals by phone. Every SPCA has an all-hours emergency number but e-mails may not be monitored around the clock and the same applies to messages of this kind on Facebook.”
The NSPCA ensures that identity of an informant is always kept confidential.
Details: 011 681 3600, 011 953 1135
