Caring for a pet isn’t child’s play

THE SPCA has issued a reminder to parents not to give their children pets as gifts without thinking the decision through thoroughly.

This was highlighted in a recent case reported in Bloemfontein. Parents gave their five-year-old a dog as a gift, telling the toddler to take care of the pooch.

Unfortunately, the child wasn’t equipped to adequately care of the dog.

It’s believed the dog, named Bobby, was left chained up for at least eight months without proper food, being fed only the child’s leftovers as the parents allegedly never bought dog food for the pet. The animal was apparently never taken for vaccinations either.

The parents of the child were being investigated and would likely face charges of leaving a dog in the care of a minor.

“What is worse is that Bobby’s chain was never loosened as he grew. As a result, the chain grew into Bobby’s skin, causing severe injuries,” said the SPCA. “This resulted in the poor pup’s neck, trachea and oesophagus being badly infected as a result of the neglect.”

Bobby now needs medical assistance and online insurance brokerage dotsure.co.za was raising funds to assist him.

“It’s no secret that we love animals and combating animal cruelty is a cause close to our heart.

“We at dotsure.co.za decided that we’d love to help Bobby with the funding of treatment, but can’t do it alone. We need your help.

“We’re donating R3 000 to help Bobby get back on his paws. You can help by donating R30 by sending an SMS to Bloemspca at 42646.

“The adorable pooch will be up for adoption after the treatment.” |