ANIMALS LOST AND FOUND

This morning en route to work, I found a puppy in bad shape running along the road.

The dog was terribly dehydrated and starving. I was able to pick him up and take him along to my office where I could put him in a box, feed him with what I was able to find and give him water. As I have three small-breed dogs, I’m unable to keep the little chap.

First call: the SPCA. They said that unless the animal was injured or distressed, they don’t come out.

Second call: law enforcement. They listened to my story, enquired if the puppy was injured and asked for an address to collect. I asked the person what time they’d be able to collect the pup, but they couldn’t tell me the time, just that he’d be collected.

Third call : Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL) Epping in Cape Town. I was assisted by Brent, who advised that they were unable to collect the pup due to limited resources but asked me to bring him in.

When I arrived, Brent met me and escorted me to their reception where I was asked to complete documentation.

The puppy was taken to a consulting room for meds and I was promised they’d find him a good home. They put him in a crate with a clean towel.

It warms my heart that we have genuine caring people at certain facilities who go above and beyond the call of duty. Well done, AACL, for not giving me the runaround and assisting me so well. GERRY, EMAIL

I’m on a neighbourhood lost-andfound animal group. It incenses me that owners don’t have their dogs tagged. So many get out and can end up running really long distances. Tracking their owners is hard and the lost animal is reliant on the kindness of a foster parent until it can be reunited with its owner. The alternative is possible euthanasia.

Please get your furry friends tagged so they have the best possible chance of finding their way back to their humans should they get lost. ANNA, EMAIL