By Lucky Sindane
A PILOT project to assist residents of Glensek, near the Turfontein race course, who cannot afford to vaccinate, de-worm and sterilise their pets, has been launched by the Johannesburg SPCA.
The animal welfare group received a large number of unwanted animals over the festive season, including 397 dogs and puppies and 57 cats and kittens. Out of these, only 44 dogs and two cats were claimed back by their owners.
"People don't sterilise their animals. That is why we end up with a number of lost, neglected, abandoned and abused animals," said Allison Cooper, the Johannesburg SPCA public relations manger and fundraiser.
"In an attempt to lessen these numbers and assist the indigent community, the JSPCA launched Project Rita in the area," she said.
Project Rita (Reach, Interact, Take action, Always be alert) aims to reach out to underprivileged people, interact with community leaders to focus on educating people about animal welfare, take action to prevent cruelty to animals and always be professional and alert.
"Glensek is on our doorstep, therefore a lot of animals [from there] end up with us. Project Rita will run until the end of June and then we will evaluate the results and move to the next area within our jurisdiction," Cooper said.
Many animals that land up at the SPCA have no form of identification, making it difficult to reunite these animals with their owners. "Where animals don't have collars and identity tags, we give the owners four days to claim their animals. If they don't do so within four days, their animals are put up for adoption," Cooper said.
Once the animals have been sterilised they are issued with collars and identity tags before the owners or new owners can take them home. The JSPCA inspectorate will still fulfil its monitoring and educational role in the community, over and above Project Rita.
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