Our Inspectors are on call at any time. They often work extremely long hours, including over holiday periods, week-ends and during the night. When one of them is ill or on leave, the others simply fill the gap and take on the extra duties. Their business is saving animal lives wherever they can. They have to think on their feet and take their own decisions. It’s not a job that many would want… and it’s not a job that many would do as well. Jacqui showed me the worksheets relating to the long week-end before our interview.

Take Alfred’s records as a typical example. He had covered cases in several areas, doing the work of three or four inspectors, said Jacqui. Trips are often made back and forth for the sake of a single animal in distress. On 13 April, Alfred attended to calls in Mayville, Rossburgh, Chesterville, Merebank, Umlazi, Carrington Heights and Durban Central. On 14 April, he attended to thirteen animals in distress in areas widely apart: Bellair, Chatsworth, Manor Gardens, Phoenix, Bluff, Umlazi, Sherwood, Phoenix again, and Greenwood Park. Problems ranged from collections to chaining, strays, injuries and disease.

On 15 April, he picked up six dogs from Umlazi and then covered calls from Mayville, Musgrave, Morningside, Glenwood, the beachfront, Greenwood Park, Bluff, Merebank (two cases) and also dealt with cases at the SPCA itself. Over the week-end, excluding Sunday, he dealt with 27 different urgent calls. .... more reports »