Vet charity seeks help after crematorium fire

THE People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) in George suffered a serious setback when part of its premises burnt down this week.

The non-profit animal welfare organisation relies heavily on the generosity of sponsors and has appealed to the public for help to rebuild the affected part of the facility.

PDSA George administrator Moira Gibbs said the fire broke out at around 8.25am on Monday when the incinerator was switched on for a cremation that had come in to the PDSA at the weekend.

“All was well until approximately five minutes later when a passing staff member noticed flames in the crematorium. She alerted the other staff members and we all went to investigate, but unfortunately by this time the whole room was engulfed in flames.

“With the help of a garden hose and two fire extinguishers we tried in vain to extinguish the fire and immediately called the fire brigade, who attended to the fire. The cause of the fire is not known but investigations are under way,” Gibbs said.

There is considerable structural damage, with roof trusses, ceilings and windows affected, and smoke damage to the crematorium section of the building which is adjacent to the PDSA hospital.

“Fortunately the hospital section of the PDSA was not damaged and we are again fully operational, with animals being assisted and booked procedures taking place.

“Until the building and the incinerator are repaired, we unfortunately will not be able to assist anyone or any of the private vets in the area with their cremations,” Gibbs said.

Apart from this recent fire, the Covid pandemic has also had a negative effect on the facility, Gibbs said.

“More animal owners rely on us for our welfare veterinary services. We never turn any animal away, regardless of their owner’s financial situation.”

The PDSA has a head office in

Bridgetown, Athlone, with three fully equipped hospitals – in Bridgetown, Mofolo in Soweto and Conville, George.

There are satellite clinics in Athlone, Mitchells Plain and Pimville in Soweto.

PDSA chief executive Patrick Horrigan said the facilities provide primary health care to those animals whose owners cannot afford the cost of a private vet, and together treat around 120 000 animals a year.

“We have around 90 full-time staff members and numerous volunteers. Although we do charge nominal fees for our services, in most cases the way forward for the PDSA would be so much more uncertain without the generous contributions from sponsors and donors.”

Donations can be made via: http://www.pdsa.org.za/donate/ or to: PDSA(SA)

First National Bank Account: 50264390185

Ref: George Fire

For more information, call the PDSA George on: 044 875 8300

ANA REPORTER

PARTS of the online economy have boomed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, amid widespread movement restrictions, while some pre-pandemic big-hitters have seen a reversal of fortunes in the past year, UN economists have found.

Experts in trade and development at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) said the e-commerce sector saw a “dramatic” rise in its share of all retail sales, from 16% to 19% in 2020.

“These statistics show the growing importance of online activities,” said Shamika Sirimanne, Unctad’s director of technology and logistics.

“They also point to the need for countries, especially developing ones, to have such information as they rebuild their economies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The digital retail economy experienced the most growth in the Republic of Korea, where internet sales increased from around one in five transactions in 2019 to more than one in four last year.

The UK also saw a spike in online transactions over the same period, from 15.8% to 23.3%, as did China, from 20.7% to 24.9%.

The US went from 11% to 14%, while Australia went from 6.3% to 9.4%. Singapore saw a spike to 11.7% from 5.9% and Canada went from 3.6% to 6.2%.

According to Unctad, among the top 13 e-commerce firms, most being from China and the US, those offering ride-hailing and travel services have suffered most.

These include holiday site Expedia, which fell from fifth place in 2019 to 11th in 2020, a slide mirrored by travel aggregator Booking Holdings and Airbnb.

By comparison, e-firms offering a wider range of services and goods to online consumers fared better, with the top 13 companies seeing a more than 20% increase in their sales, up from 17.9% in 2019.

Overall, global e-commerce sales jumped to $26.7 trillion (R385 trillion) in 2019, up 4% from a year earlier, the UN economists noted.