The Animal Welfare Society of SA cannot think of any better way to describe the tidal wave of surrendered and unwanted pets that they are currently facing who are being admitted to their care, other than referring to this tragic Festive Season phenomenon as a ‘Tsunami’.
“We are currently quite literally swamped with unwanted animals especially cats and kittens,” says the Animal Welfare Society of SA.
To describe this enormous challenge, within less than four hours on Tuesday, November 30, the shelter had three adult cats and 16 kittens handed in (as unwanted) by a Hanover Park resident who could no longer afford to feed all of them.
“If this is an indication of what lies in store for the predictably hectic Festive Season then we are really going to have our hands full,” the Animal Welfare Society of SA added.
These unwanted pets represent some of the fortunate few. Many others will be sold-on, abandoned or dumped, while others will be given away as “Christmas presents” and as we should all know pets are for life. As soon as the novelty wears off the cycle of cruelty is bound to begin.
The most effective way of preventing this annual deluge of unwanted pets is pet sterilisation that is soon to become mandatory in the Cape Metro and as one of the parties to this milestone piece of legislation, that day cannot come soon enough, the Animal Welfare Society of SA expressed.
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Picture/s: Supplied