On Wednesday, September 1, a farmworker from a nearby vegetable farm that borders Jakes Gerwel Drive and Weltevreden Road in Philippi, brought a Saanen goat to the Animal Welfare Society of SA. The goat was found tied to a tree in dense vegetation surrounding Siqab Informal Settlement.
She had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest and abdomen before being tied to the tree with a nylon cord, and left to die. The knife wounds were badly infected and all the AWS team could smell was putrefying flesh, indicating that the goat had been suffering from these wounds for several days.
“We have managed to determine the origin of the goat that comes from a well-known goats cheese farm in the Boland and have asked the farmer to check his records to see who she was sold to”, says the Animal Welfare Society of SA.
“These goats usually command ‘top Dollar’ so there is also a strong possibility that she may have been stolen.”
Her breed (Saanen) is known internationally for their calm temperament and exceptional mothering instincts. They are the personification of a Nanny goat and despite her being terrified and traumatised, the goat was more than willing to allow the AWS team to examine, clean and treat her wounds.
The goat is responding well to her treatment and is thoroughly enjoying the tranquillity of the Animal Welfare Society’s farmyard. “We hope to see her flourish and make a full recovery before being put up for adoption.”
“In the meantime, our Inspectorate Department is following up on a lead from someone who claims to have witnessed a group of six men attacking her,” the Animal Welfare Society of SA adds.
The motive for the attack is unclear and the investigation is ongoing.
Picture/s: Supplied