Durban - The festive season and Christmas is one of the busiest periods annually for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with an estimated 1 500 stray, unwanted and abandoned pets will be ‘dumped’ by uncaring owners.
According to the association, from November to mid January they see spike in the number of pet dumping and are pleading with the public to be aware of the plight of animals over the festive season.
Tanya Fleischer, marketing manager for the SPCA said they will hear the merry jingle of a 100 kgs of dog and cat pellets being poured into food bowls every single day.
"Food isn’t just a necessity – it means comfort and reassurance to a frightened, bewildered dog or cat that suddenly finds itself in a strange place, separated from a beloved owner and a home that should have been theirs for life,"she said.
The SPCA said donations to help keep the food bowls ‘jingling’ all through the holidays doesn’t just feed a dog or cat. It helps restore their trust in the human race too, Fleishcer said.
She said the hungry orphans munch their way through more than ten 8kg bags of food daily. As well as umpteen cartons of canned food and pouch meals.
"From previous experiences we are still shocked at the way people treat pets who’ve been part of their family for years. Our hearts break for the little dog left all alone at home when his owners go off on holiday. Watching his beloved human family get into the car and drive away . . . waiting all day for them to come back. But they don’t,"Fleischer said.
The SPCA Inspectors will be on duty around the clock to rescue abandoned and ill-treated animals like this.
"But when they bring that little dog or frightened cat back to the safety of our SPCA, we must have a bowl of food to give them,"she added.
The SPCA is pleading for assistance, by making your donation now, whether you drop off some food at our SPCA, drop some food into one of our food bins, or make a donation online at www.spcadbn.org.za , every donation will help the SPCA ‘jingle the bowls’ this festive season.