SPCA reflects on 2019. November set new record of animals in need
Every person who adopts an animal, volunteers to care for animals, donates to the SPCA, educates another person about animal care or is a member of the SPCA, contributes in his or her own way, either as private individual or as corporate business, to the life of the organization.
“They are the pulse of the SPCA and what makes this possible. They save lives through their actions and are all heroes in the eyes of animals,” stated Hanna Rhodin, Sylvia Breitenstein and Dr Annie Marggraff as they reflected on what 2019 meant for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, popularly known as the SPCA.
The society took in 3685 animals during the course of 2019. This works out to an average of 10 animals per day. Of this total, SPCA inspectors fetched 1445 animals off the roads or had their owners surrender them.
The number of distressed animals that arrives at the SPCA gates also reflects a clear seasonal pattern, loosely associated with school holidays. For instance, in November last year, 398 animals needed shelter. This was a new monthly record.
“We desperately hope that this is a once-off trend that does not continue, and that people realize that adopting an animal from a shelter truly makes a difference, even if just for that one particular animal,” the trio stated.
When an animals arrives at the SPCA, it is usually not a simple case of being abandoned or strayed. Most need medical attention and many are emaciated. In 2019, the SPCA administered 3009 vaccines and neutered 554 animals.
Contrary to popular belief, the SPCA does not receive only cats and dogs. Last year the menagerie consisted of donkeys, horses, cattle, raptors such as hawks, owls, and eagles, small wild birds, bats, hyraxes, mongooses, meerkats, porcupines, turtles, tortoises, and more. In total, 142 ‘other’ types were received.
Education of the youth is an important pivot of the SPCA’s preventive strategies. In 2019 the society reached more than 1170 children through school visits in only one semester. To back up its outreach strategy, the society is very active through notices, newsletters, its website, entertainment events, competitions, yard sales and adoption drives.
Heartbreaking as it is, the SPCA sometimes has to relieve severely injured animals from their suffering but there are also many tales of hope, revival and happy endings. Every human family that adopts a new family member from the SPCA, helps to prevent cruelty to other animals in future.
