A serious situation
As reflected in a prominent article in the Daily News, accompanied by a picture of our ‘dog whisperer’, Richard Dladla, with a young cross female wirehaired terrier, the SPCA is being inundated by owners dropping off their pets, because they can no longer afford to feed them or are moving to flats and other residences where pets are not allowed. Although we keep donated animals for as long as possible, the sad and unpalatable truth is that most of these loving creatures will be put down. Only a fraction find new homes.

We call these animals ‘donated’ animals, but the truth is that they are simply unwanted, and this is heartbreaking. A total of 9683 dogs and 6053 cats came into the SPCA from April 2008 to March 2009! This was over 600 more than in the previous year. People know well in advance when they are leaving the country or moving to premises where animals are not allowed or even having budgetary problems regarding animal upkeep. Yet so many of them do nothing to search for new homes for their pets some months in advance of knowing that they will no longer be able to keep them.

And while the number of pets being deposited at the SPCA is increasing at a rapid rate, the number of homes being offered is decreasing. It is sad that older strays are seldom claimed. It is hard to understand how owners can do this. Clearly they have never bonded with their pets, never felt the love for them that they deserve. The hugely escalating cost of pet food is one of the issues former owners mention.

Donations falling off
The economic slowdown is also seriously affecting our normally generous donations from benefactors who have been supporting us through monthly debit orders. Many have cancelled their debit orders over the past few months. One generous donor, who had been donating R1000 every month, phoned us recently to say that he was forced to cancel his debit order because his company was going under.

We have also had people cancelling their bequests to us because their living costs are rising so rapidly and steeply that they feel they won’t be able to leave any of their diminishing capital to a charity.

Spread the word
We would ask members to look around among their friends and acquaintances to see if there are any who would be willing to take one of our beautiful animals, provide a good home, and save a worthwhile little life. There are few things in life like the loyalty and unconditional love of one’s pets.