There are some of us who always see the stray animals roaming the streets. The ones we see are usually the ones that desperately need help. The question is, what do we do to help without endangering ourselves or the stray?
The SPCA have provided us with a few tips.
1. Firstly, you need to ensure your own safety. You cannot help the animal if you become injured or are in an unsafe situation.
2. An animal that is lost, frightened or possibly ill can behave in an unpredictable way. A simple move like opening your car door can cause the animal to run away and possibly be hit by another vehicle.
3. Do not chase. The animal may be a couple of meters away from their house. Chasing might cause the animal to get lost.
4. When you approach the animal, speak calmly, and if you happen to have some left over lunch in your car (a food with a strong smell like tuna will work best) try enticing him / her into your car. You can try lure the animal into your vehicle, but do so with caution as it isn’t a good idea to drive with a strange animal unrestrained in your car.
5. It is very difficult, even for SPCA staff, to try and catch a dog that is running frantically in the road. To prevent the animal from being injured or causing an accident, we ask the caller to please try and get the animal into a confined area (without making the animal bolt into traffic).
6. Contact the SPCA immediately and let them know if you have seen a stray animal roaming around the road. Be as descriptive as possible (what the nearest corner is, any landmarks, what direction the animal is moving in etc).
- 1st Ave & First Road, Grassy Park, Cape Town, 8000
- +27 21 700 4140 / 083 326 1604 (after hours)
- [email protected]
Picture: Unsplash