As Jacqui was driving to the SPCA one morning, she noticed an old man walking along the side of the road with two young puppies docilely walking alongside and thought how happy they all looked. The pups were in good condition and wagging their tails. No more than fifteen minutes later, a woman phoned to say a man was selling puppies at the nearby garage. Jacqui went along and found the same old man in tears. “I love my puppy,” he wept, “and now she’s dead.”

The men from the garage came over, and there was the little dead pup. The man had been to the SPCA with his dogs, and on his way back home, a member of the public stopped and accused him of selling the little dogs. He explained that he was not selling them and that they were his own little pups. She refused to listen and tried to chase the pups away from him. One was run over and killed.

So here we have an interfering member of the public making a wrong assumption and causing the death of a much loved little pet. The SPCA was just up the road. She could so easily have driven up the road and asked an inspector to investigate her claim, instead of chasing the pups and causing the death of one. When Jacqui spoke to her on the phone later and told her that the little pup was dead, she exclaimed: “Don’t lie!” and put the phone down.

The old man came to the SPCA and claimed his remaining little pet. The little creature was well fed and in very good condition and happy to see its owner. They went off together. But it was an unnecessarily sad little story, and a little life was lost through interference and carelessness. If the woman had any doubts about the little dogs, the SPCA was no more than a minute or two away.

However, a word about pups being sold in the street
This is a most distressing and increasingly frequent occurrence. The Inspectorate advises the public not to buy. Buying encourages the selling of these poor little creatures. There is the risk of disease, including even rabies. If you see pups being sold on the street, please phone the SPCA and ask to speak to an inspector. A member of the Inspectorate will then investigate.

Two young boys from the squatter camp were offering two young pups for sale at Sunningdale Shopping Centre. Inspector Cyprian brought them in, and we’re delighted to report that homes were found for both of them.

In another incident, two youngsters about 14 or 15 years old were standing at a garage near the Pavilion with four pups no more than three weeks old. When Jacqui pulled up and asked for the pups, giving the usual warnings, they refused to give them up and jumped threateningly in front of the vehicle and then leaned against the front bumper so that Jacqui couldn’t move. She called the police. They arrived and took the youngsters away in their van. Jacqui brought the pups back to the SPCA.

Then children of no more than seven or eight had two pups that did not even have their eyes open and were offering them for sale near the Umgeni offramp. However, they saw the SPCA van approaching and ran up the bank and down under the bridge. They couldn’t be found. They took the pups with them. These little creatures should never have been taken from their mother. ....
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