Bogus vets bring horror for Cape pets

Death, illness in at least three puppies so far

UNSCRUPULOUS fake vets operating in Cape Town have been offering cheap services and making house calls.

Animal rights organisations believe they use stolen drugs and dodgy vaccines and maltreat animals.

They allegedly administer incorrect drugs which have caused illness and death in at least three puppies. The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa believe this is just the tip of the iceberg.

It will be laying charges against two alleged fake vets who recently caused severe sickness in two pit bull puppies and one German shepherd cross puppy, resulting in the pets dying. Spokesman Allan Perrins said they were formulating a charge sheet under the Animals Protection Act.

“We firmly believe that both respondents contributed to the untimely, cruel demise of these dogs in that they allegedly caused the animals to suffer and deteriorate to the point where their prognosis went from potentially hopeful to positively hopeless,” he said. “There simply has to be a consequence for this.”

Chief executive of the Animal Welfare Society Dr John McMullen said these were not isolated incidents.

“There is a wider problem and it’s been going on for years,” he said.

“There are people, particularly in the Cape Flats, going round and doing house visits with drugs that are stolen from somewhere, vaccinating and maltreating animals.”

McMullen said he saw the effects of these scammers in his animal welfare work and at his private practice in Pinelands, as people brought in animals that had been incorrectly treated or given potentially dodgy vaccines.

“We’ve seen lots of people with certificates of vaccinations that are not veterinary certificates at all,” he said. “It is widespread and ongoing and we are trying to catch people at it.”

McMullen said despite strict controls over medications, he had caught a past employee stealing drugs from the practice.

MAX, one of the puppies who was allegedly killed by a fake vet.