SUPPLIED
One of the ‘extremely dirty’ rooms in the house full of animal faeces. Photo: Supplied
The Tshwane SPCA has warned a Gerardsville resident to improve the conditions in which her animals are being kept and to provide them with the necessary medical care or face the consequences.
Jeannette Smit, who signed over more than 50 animals, including dogs, cats, ducks and a rabbit – all of which were in bad health – on Monday, has not been charged under the Animal Protection Act.
The investigation was launched after SPCA inspector Hope Mokalapa received a complaint about the dogs’ poor living conditions and the foul smell on the plot.
A visit to the plot on Saturday and Sunday proved fruitless as Smit was not at home.
However, Mokalapa could see that the animals were without food and water and she returned on Monday to investigate.
According to the head of the Tshwane SPCA, Rick Allen, Smit co-operated with the investigation and many animals were found to be living in appalling conditions.
Allen explained that all the cats were sick and some were in a cage with the remains of an animal – most likely a dead cat.
One dog had a serious wound on its chest. According to Smit, she had treated the wound, but had not taken the dog to the vet.
Smit claimed the animals were fed every day and that all the dogs had been inoculated. However, she could not produce any vaccination records.
She denied that she was a breeder and said she sold puppies only if a bitch had given birth.
Allen said most of the rooms in the house were “extremely dirty”.
He said the larger dogs were kept outside on chains and there was a larger unclean area where “aggressive” dogs were kept.
Some of the larger dogs were kept on running chains, but one of the chains did not appear long enough for the dog to get into the nearby kennel.
Smit claimed that people who did not want to take their animals to the SPCA dropped them off at the plot and she simply took care of them.
Allen said on Tuesday the case was being investigated and charges of animal negligence could yet be laid against Smit under the Animal Procedures Act.
Mokalapa was to visit the plot within 24 hours to check if the remaining animals were being adequately cared for, that the living areas were kept clean and that the animals in need of medical treatment had been taken to a vet. – Pretoria News
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Pets found living in frightful conditions