Celebrating kindness
Welcome to the latest instalment of Life at the SPCA. The last couple of months have continued to be challenging, but have seen another successful prosecution and huge improvements in your SPCA Centre, including completion of the borehole and a very generous donation from many businesses and members of the general public, of the solar pump and solar array needed to provide water to the SPCA Centre.
The latest prosecution relates to a horrific case of puppies being bludgeoned to death with bricks by their owner who justified his actions by saying that he was drunk and even assaulted SPCA staff when we were rescuing the puppies. Sadly the injuries were so severe that only one puppy survived. The court, after reviewing the evidence sentenced the accused without hesitation to an eight-month jail term.
We are very pleased with the outcome of this particular case as it continues to reinforce a very strong message that the Grahamstown SPCA will not stand for any form of animal cruelty and will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to account. We continue to be very grateful to the support of the local vets and in particular Dr Jimmy Lang, whose assessment of the puppies was invaluable in this particular case.
On a positive note, having successfully prosecuted this individual, it was a lovely ending to be able to re-home this month the surviving puppy to a lovely home, where she has settled in well and is receiving all the love and care she deserves. We have also been very busy on our other inspectorate work this month and have been travelling far and wide to assist animals in need, by doing proactive inspections and investigating cruelty complaints out in Patterson, Bedford, Adelaide, Glenmore Valley and here in and around Grahamstown.
In addition to impending completion of the solar pump installation, building work has been gathering pace and has seen very generous donations received from Makana Brick, BUCO, Build It, the Rotary Club, Hells Riders, Amatola Quarry, King Sand, the local community as a whole and Carara.
We continue to be so very grateful for all the support we are receiving, which is helping us immensely to further improve our facilities, security and to enhance the SPCA Centre. Ultimately, this project of building work will bring the facilities up to world class level allowing us to cater for the ever growing needs of the animals and the community as a whole. We are looking for further donations of building materials, building skills and staff, carpenters, architectural and building design support and green energy solutions. By supporting us with this you are helping improve the lives of so many animals and people within the community who depend on us.
Education, continues to be an essential part of all the work we are doing and it was wonderful to be able to welcome Holy Cross School to the SPCA Centre. They really