Animal anti-cruelty societies are turning down requests to catch unconfined and stray dogs, saying it is the metro’s job to do so.
SPCA East London general manager Allen Westerberg said it was not part of the society’s function to catch strays. “The SPCA is not employed by BCM to catch dogs on the streets. It is a municipal function to ensure dogs are contained according to the bylaws.
“We only get involved if the dog has been injured. We don’t have time to chase dogs the whole day and BCM does not pay us to do so.
“They only pay us to run the pound for farm animals.”
Westerberg said that while BCM at one time employed a dog-catcher, this was no longer the case.
He said BCM had been erroneously referring members of the public to the SPCA when they called BCM law enforcement about strays.
“When we say we can’t collect strays members of the public get abusive, because the metro police say it’s our job.”
Pet Pals owner Sue Kriel said she was also being inundated with calls from people complaining about unconfined dogs causing havoc in the streets.
“ I get about seven calls a week, but I don’t have the vehicles or staff to help. I didn’t open Pet Pals to do that. I started it to help with cruelty cases, to rehabilitate animals and to find homes for them.”
Kriel said a recent caller complained she was scared to leave her Braelyn home because dogs were fighting with each other in the street over a neighbour’s bitch who was on heat. “I feel so sorry to say we can’t help.”
In King William’s Town, Annette Rademeyer, who is the board chairman of both the KWT and East London SPCAs, said that while the KWT SPCA never turned a call away, it drew the line at chasing stray dogs.
“If people phone and say there is a stray in their yard or at their gate we will come and fetch it, but we won’t run and chase it. We are not dog-catchers. Our mandate is to prevent cruelty to animals.”
She said the SPCA was in negotiations with BCM about new pound agreements.
Currently BCM pays R10000 monthly towards a pound for large animals in East London and R6600 to King William’s Town SPCA for three pounds – the large animal pounds in Bhisho and KWT and a pound for small animals in King.
BCM had not responded to questions by the time of writing. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Dispute brews over strays
SPCA East London general manager Allen Westerberg said it was not part of the society’s function to catch strays. “The SPCA is not employed by BCM to catch dogs on the streets. It is a municipal function to ensure dogs are contained according to the bylaws.
“We only get involved if the dog has been injured. We don’t have time to chase dogs the whole day and BCM does not pay us to do so.
“They only pay us to run the pound for farm animals.”
Westerberg said that while BCM at one time employed a dog-catcher, this was no longer the case.
He said BCM had been erroneously referring members of the public to the SPCA when they called BCM law enforcement about strays.
“When we say we can’t collect strays members of the public get abusive, because the metro police say it’s our job.”
Pet Pals owner Sue Kriel said she was also being inundated with calls from people complaining about unconfined dogs causing havoc in the streets.
“ I get about seven calls a week, but I don’t have the vehicles or staff to help. I didn’t open Pet Pals to do that. I started it to help with cruelty cases, to rehabilitate animals and to find homes for them.”
Kriel said a recent caller complained she was scared to leave her Braelyn home because dogs were fighting with each other in the street over a neighbour’s bitch who was on heat. “I feel so sorry to say we can’t help.”
In King William’s Town, Annette Rademeyer, who is the board chairman of both the KWT and East London SPCAs, said that while the KWT SPCA never turned a call away, it drew the line at chasing stray dogs.
“If people phone and say there is a stray in their yard or at their gate we will come and fetch it, but we won’t run and chase it. We are not dog-catchers. Our mandate is to prevent cruelty to animals.”
She said the SPCA was in negotiations with BCM about new pound agreements.
Currently BCM pays R10000 monthly towards a pound for large animals in East London and R6600 to King William’s Town SPCA for three pounds – the large animal pounds in Bhisho and KWT and a pound for small animals in King.
BCM had not responded to questions by the time of writing. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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