The Lower South Coast SPCA recently came under fire for euthanising a dog found at the Oatlands landfill site.
On many occasions the SPCA staff tried to catch the dumpster dog. But naturally the hound, dubbed ‘Oats’, was wild and difficult to catch.
He had also contracted mange and was in a shocking state of neglect. Last week field officers from the SPCA finally managed to trap Oats.
Staff were hoping to give Oats a second chance but the society’s veterinarian ruled that it would be best to humanely euthanise him as he was in a lot of pain and suffering badly.
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In extreme cases, mange can severely weaken a dog’s immune system, and to have prolonged Oats’s life would have been cruel. Sadly, it’s the SPCA which has to pick up the pieces when we humans blindly fail.
Like the police, firefighters and paramedics, SPCA staff is at the forefront when it comes to responding to emergency situations. They have to cope with the endless waves of abuse, neglect, abandonment and irresponsible breeding society keeps producing.
I would probably once have joined the brigade of SPCA ‘bashers’ but since working at the society and having witnessed first-hand the behind the scenes heartache and stress involved with animal welfare, I’m a little wiser.
I also understand their difficult decision to euthanise Oats, as about 10 months ago I rescued a wild hunting dog I named Sam.
She was in nowhere near as bad a condition Oats, but it has taken me months to rehabilitate her and while I have no regrets, Sam’s veterinary bills have been considerable.
In fact, I am taking her to the vet this week as her skin condition has flared up again. Only in the last two months has Sam stopped nipping at me, and now allows me to touch her paws and stroke her head. She has also begun to snuggle under the duvet.
My journey with Sam has been long and difficult, but very rewarding. And I love her dearly. But to have kept Oats in a kennel for months while he was rehabilitated would have been grossly unfair and torture for him.
I’m certain the decision was not about money or manpower – it was about doing what was best for Oats. Without the SPCA our animals, including our wildlife, would be far worse off.
If it wasn’t for the SPCA, Oats would more than likely still be scavenging at the landfill, living a life of hell.
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