The Animal Welfare Society shelter currently has 12 very young kittens and puppies in their care recovering from fractured pelvises and broken limbs.
All of these painful injuries were caused by pre-school children carelessly left to play with their kitten or puppy unsupervised.
Some were exuberantly thrown onto the floor whilst others were dropped or crushed after being sat or stood on.
“We are infuriated and deeply saddened to think that some of these pets will never be able to walk properly again”, says the Animal Welfare shelter.
Whilst there is no doubt that pets are good for children and a wonderful addition to any family it must always be remembered that they are not toys and require a lot of work.
So before signing ‘how much is that doggy in the window‘ please stop to consider how much time, effort, energy and money adopting a kitten or puppy will require.
The Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962 speaks to acts of cruelty caused by owners omissions.
Simply put: If you fail to take reasonable precautions to keep your pets safe you could end up with a criminal record.
Picture/s: Supplied