Wat ons nie besef is dat gru-ontdekkings van diere wat mishandel word en die wreedheid wat daarmee gepaard gaan diegene wat daagliks daarmee gebombardeer word ook op ‘n emosionele “roller coaster” sit.
Gister was ‘n tragiese dag by die Vereeniging/Vanderbijlpark Dierebekermingsvereniging (DBV) toe die een gru-toneel op die ander gevolg het.
Die eerste toneel was ‘n hond wat raakgery is, wat in pyn langs die pad gelê het en steeds gelewe het. Niemand het die moeite gedoen om by die dier te stop behalwe die inspekteur van die DBV nie. Kort daarna het hulle afgekom op ‘n wegloop hond wat drie weke gelede deur ‘n slang gebyt is. Die dier is sonder enige mediese sorg in sy eie genade oorgelaat.
Die kersie op die koek was ‘n hond wat se oog deur maaiers besmet was. Die eienaars het beweer die hond het ‘n ooginfeksie, maar die maaiers is duidelik sigbaar in die hond se oog. Die laaste toneel was ‘n hond wat deur die eienaars aan hul bediende gegee is met ‘n been wat besig was om te vrot.
Kyk na die roerende Facebook-inskrywing van die inspekteur van die DBV wat gister die tonele moes verwerk:
The worst part of being confronted by cruelty is that the smell remains. It lingers in your clothes and your hands. The graphic images replay themselves in your mind with every breath you take.
It stays with you for days. Sometimes it is just replaced by another incident, each one leaving a mark on your soul. Like yesterday.
One after another the cruelty cases followed each other. Whilst my mind was still trying to comprehend the first, the second one arrived and shortly thereafter another. A dog lying on the side of the road – alive and in pain. Nobody stopped to help. He had succumbed to the fact that he would die there, alone.
The second case followed shortly thereafter. A stray that had never been reported was bitten by a snake and left for three weeks without medical help. It was a stray after all, why should it warrant being taken to the SPCA or a vet? The third dog was presented with a maggot infested eye. The owners claimed it to be an eye infection. The final straw was a dog that had been given to the domestic worker with a leg that was busy rotting away. I suppose it is better than taking the dog to the SPCA as we euthanase everything.
I leave you with these pictures of the reality that I had to face yesterday. When you cannot look at them please spare a thought for people like us that have to deal with it everyday. Please remember these images the next time people call us useless. Maybe you will find it in your heart to come to our defense.
The festive season is upon us. It is not festive for many people or animals. I do not want to spoil your festive mood, all I ask for is for the public to be a little more forgiving and a lot more vigilant. Don’t drive past a suffering animal and spare a thought for your local SPCA staff.
From the Inspector on duty at your local SPCA.
