MAY 2015

NEW

S &

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EW

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UPD

ATES

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IN THIS IN THIS IN THIS ISSUE:ISSUE:ISSUE:

PAGE 5:

*CANON

CAMERA

DONATION

*AVIAN

ATHLETES

PAGE 6:

*CUTE CAT

SEEKS HOME

*VOTE FOR VOTE FOR VOTE FOR

US IN US IN US IN

“MY “MY “MY

SCHOOL” SCHOOL” SCHOOL”

COMPETITION COMPETITION COMPETITION

*FACEBOOK*FACEBOOK*FACEBOOK

APPEALAPPEALAPPEAL

Saturday, 16th May OFM Market day

Saturday, 6th June Wilderness

Woof-a-thon

IMPORTANT DATES

PAGE 3:

GOLF,

BINGO & BAKKIES!

VOTE NOW!

OUR INSPECTORS REALLY LOVE ANIMALS (Senior Inspector Salome Bruyns)

OUR CHARITY SHOPS KEEP OUR

DOORS OPEN.

Please support them by

donating clothes and

home goods of all

varieties OR,

volunteer onlyonlyonly

to assist in one

of the shops.

George shops

need

volunteers

desperately.

Please call

Bettie Botha

on

071-353 7288

PAGE 2:

CRUELTY TO

CATS

PAGE 4:

KENNEL COUGH

OUTBREAK

Sad newsflash—the

Mossel Bay Charity

Shop was robbed during

the night of 28th April—

please donate goods and

go and shop there.WE

NEED YOU!!

4 hours a 4 hours a 4 hours a

fortnightfortnightfortnight

This poor stray was found last week with a piece of string tied so tightly around his neck that it had imbedded itself in the flesh and was septic and foul-smelling.

Luckily for him the SPCA were able to catch him and take him for immediate treatment. The

string had to be surgically removed and the wound stitched by Dr Anesca Loots. He is

currently recuperating at the SPCA and is enjoying his new life. He will soon be looking for a

loving family to adopt him.

STRAY CAT FOUND BY SPCA WITH STRING IMBEDDED DEEP INTO HIS NECK

ABOVE: STRING IMBEDDED

AND THE WOUND SEPTIC.

BELOW: WOUND CLEAN &

READY FOR STITCHING.

LOO

K A

T M

E N

OW

!

On 27th

March, a neutered, male, ginger cat, Sanchez, was mercilessly shot

by someone in Wilderness East. The adored, home-loving cat had to be

rushed to the vet where he underwent an emergency operation to remove

the bullet. Unfortunately the missile had fractured the elbow joint and was

lodged so far inside the muscle that the vet was unable to extract it.

Sanchez now has to face a six week incarceration in his home and probably

a second operation to try to repair all the damage.

This is not the first case of an animal being shot with

a pellet gun in this area. It is illegal to fire a high

velocity pellet gun in a built up area and in

contravention of the Animals’ Protection Act to fire

any weapon at an animal.

Any person found guilty of this offence will be charged under the

above act.

Anyone with info regarding the shooting of any animal with

a weapon should immediately telephone the SPCA on

044 878 1990. Calls are kept strictly confidential.

This wound does not look like much from the outside, but there is considerable

internal damage which may leave the cat crippled. The x-ray shows that the

bullet is still lodged deep inside the muscle and it cannot be removed.

SANCHEZ SERIOUSLY WOUNDED BY HIGH VELOSITY PELLET

Page 2

The SPCA Golf Day on 25th March was neither held on Friday which was rainy, nor was it held on

Thursday, which was rainy. It was held on Wednesday which was a PERFECT DAY.

“We could not believe our luck”, exclaimed Heather

Church, Chairperson of the Garden Route SPCA. “We had a sponsor for every green and tee, and

prizes galore. The golfers were as

supportive and generous as always. The SPCA had a record golf day thanks to everyone at the George

Golf Club, the sponsors and the golfers,” she said.

The winner of the men’s section was Daryl Austin and the ladies’ winner was Kay Wooler.

Ansie Meyer won the raffle for a case of whisky and the second prize of a beautiful chocolate

hamper was won by Tony Kaler. The hamper

raised a considerable amount of money for the needy animals in the

Garden Route.

Page 3 SPCA ANNUAL GOLF DAY

Winner of the

Men's Section

Daryl Austin, with

Heather Church,

Chairperson of

Garden Route SPCA

A great evening’s BINGO was enjoyed on Friday 27th March. 94 people attended the

quarterly fundraiser. The hall was packed and the atmosphere jovial. Lovely prizes were

lined up on the table, where the calling was shared by Di Kershaw and Roy Chilton.

Roy started doing the calling for the SPCA bingo at its inception about ten years ago, but

when he and his wife left for England, a willing Di took over. Roy and Judith were in SA

for a visit and everyone was delighted that it coincided with the bingo, for old time’s sake.

SPCA volunteers prepared spaghetti bolognaise for dinner which was deemed delicious!

MANY THANKS TO ALL OF THEM!

A record evening both in the number of people attending and

takings has set the bar high for the next Bingo night.

The next bingo evening will be at the end of June.

Watch the papers and our newsletter for details. GR SPCA’s mascot, Marmaduke

A GR SPCA initiative was begun by Susanne Juling (a volunteer), to feed and provide water or food “bakkies” for needy dogs. We have had stickers made (sponsored by Characters) which have our logo and our emergency contact number on them which will be stuck onto the containers. The ‘bakkies’ will be filled with dry food and/or treats and distributed by our staff when they do their rounds in under-privileged areas. The food will be a welcome treat for the dogs and the containers can be used as either a food or water dish. Our details will be visible should people need to contact us.

PLEASE: WE NEED YOUR USED 2 L

ICE-CREAM ‘BAKKIES” either empty

or with some dog food in them. They

can be dropped at the library, our

charity shops in the York Mall Arcade,

or the SPCA office in Ossie Urban

Street. Otherwise please contact

Susanne: susannejuling@telkomsa.net

or 072 868 3536.

“Inja Bakkies”

Page 4

‘It has been reported to me, by the Education unit, that kennel cough is

widespread at the moment – particularly in the township areas of George. It is also

particularly bad in Asla – Mossel Bay. It is treatable but highly contagious because

of the constant coughing which releases the airborne viruses so it’s best not to let

your dog near other animals that may be sick,” cautioned Garden Route SPCA

Manager Frieda Jansen van Rensburg.

Kennel cough, the common name that is given to infectious canine tracheobronchitis, is a very

highly contagious respiratory disease among dogs. It is an inflammation of the trachea and

lungs. The more time your dog spends around other dogs (at the park, vets, grooming shops,

boarding kennels, dog parks, on the street, etc), the higher the risk of contracting kennel cough.

Young puppies, older dogs, and pregnant bitches, especially those who have not been vaccinated

can suffer the most severe complications of this disease, since they have lowered immunity to

infections.

Kennel cough does not usually last long, however in serious cases it can last up to a few months.

SYMPTOMS

The Cough

Kennel cough can almost sound like a honking noise at times. It’s a persistent dry hacking that

sounds like your dog is going to vomit. This is very uncomfortable for your pet and can put a big

strain on his body if it’s not treated right away. If you notice that the cough gets worse when he

runs, it’s most likely kennel cough, and is best to limit his exercise until all symptoms of the cough

are gone.

Hacking up Foamy Liquid and Phlegm

Hacking up phlegm is a common symptom of kennel cough, the same way humans do when we

have the ‘flu. It is also possible that your dog may throw up liquid and foam. Some dogs won’t

cough anything up during kennel cough, but are still suffering from a painful and uncomfortable

disease that should be treated right away.

Depression and lethargy

Some dogs show signs of depression and listlessness – if this

persists for more than a day or two they should be taken to

a vet immediately.

Other less obvious kennel cough symptoms might include

sneezing, a loss in appetite, redness around the

eyes, and/or a runny nose.

In severe cases, symptoms progress and can

include pneumonia and even death.

Kennel Cough Vaccination for Dogs

The Kennel Cough vaccination lasts 6 months and it is a live

vaccine that is sprayed up the dog’s nose. The vaccine starts to work 72 hours after it is

administered; however there is a 10 day incubation period so the dog can be infected but not show

any symptoms but they could be passing on the illness to other dogs during this time. Even with

precautions, a large number of dogs do catch the disease. It is best to be observant and prepared.

Although this infection usually does not cross over to humans, there are instances where young

children and adults with compromised immune systems are at risk for infection. In these cases, care

must be taken to protect those at risk from coming into contact with a sick dog until it has fully

recovered.

KENNEL COUGH OUTBREAK WARNS SPCA.KENNEL COUGH OUTBREAK WARNS SPCA.KENNEL COUGH OUTBREAK WARNS SPCA.

Page 5

The Garden Route SPCA is very thankful for the marvellous camera they received from Canon in George. The camera was donated after concerned employee Karlien Swart heard that the Inspectors’ existing camera had been stolen out of an official vehicle. A camera is an essential tool for the Inspectors who have to accurately document and record the many incidents of cruelty and abuse to animals they are called to handle. When they arrive on the scene they must capture all the evidence in case of a possible prosecution of an offender. They also, sadly, have to

photograph post-mortems of animals killed by offenders. The happy use of the camera is taking photos of the The happy use of the camera is taking photos of the The happy use of the camera is taking photos of the warmwarmwarm---hearted folk who adopt one of the many dogs and hearted folk who adopt one of the many dogs and hearted folk who adopt one of the many dogs and cats that are looking for a permanent, loving home.cats that are looking for a permanent, loving home.cats that are looking for a permanent, loving home. Karlien is a passionate SPCA supporter and recently asked her family and friends to make food donations to the SPCA instead of giving her birthday gifts. This is one of the ways in which anyone can help the many suffering animals along the Garden Route.

SPCA RECEIVES A HIGHSPCA RECEIVES A HIGHSPCA RECEIVES A HIGH---TECH CAMERA FROM CANONTECH CAMERA FROM CANONTECH CAMERA FROM CANON

YVETTE LONGMORE OF THE GARDEN ROUTE YVETTE LONGMORE OF THE GARDEN ROUTE YVETTE LONGMORE OF THE GARDEN ROUTE SPCA WITH KARLIEN SWART FROM CANONSPCA WITH KARLIEN SWART FROM CANONSPCA WITH KARLIEN SWART FROM CANON.

KARLIEN SHOWS THE GIFTS SHE RECEIVED FOR KARLIEN SHOWS THE GIFTS SHE RECEIVED FOR KARLIEN SHOWS THE GIFTS SHE RECEIVED FOR THE SPCA INSTEAD OF BIRTHDAY PRESENTS.THE SPCA INSTEAD OF BIRTHDAY PRESENTS.THE SPCA INSTEAD OF BIRTHDAY PRESENTS.

The highest flying bird recorded is a Rüppel's griffon vulture, flying at commercial flight heights, close to 11 300 metres (11 kms) over Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on November 29,1973. The birds have specialised haemoglobin cells which have a great affinity for oxygen, which allows the species to absorb oxygen efficiently despite the low pressure in the upper troposphere. The bird mentioned sadly collided with the plane and did not survive.

Bar-tailed godwits hold the record for the longest distance flown by birds without stopping.

They fly for 11,000–12,000 km without food, water or rest. They breed from Northern Scandinavia across Northern Siberia to Alaska and then

migrate to New Zealand. The journey around mid-September is done in 8–9 days. Cleverly, the birds wait for storms that

provide tailwinds of 40–80 km/ph for the first 1,500 to 2,000 km.

Godwits travel in large flocks of 80,000–100,000. Within hours of reaching New Zealand they begin

feeding to replenish what they lost en route, about half

their body weight. They feed on molluscs, crabs, marine worms

& aquatic insects, probing the mud of estuaries with their long bills as

the tide recedes. They double their body weight and 6 months later fly

back in two stages so they arrive in good condition to breed in May.

AVIANAVIANAVIAN ATHLETESATHLETESATHLETES

HIGH FLIERSHIGH FLIERSHIGH FLIERS

OFFICE HOURS: Weekdays 9am—

4pm Sat 9am-11am

GEORGE:

044 878 1990 A/H Emergencies:

082 378 7384

MOSSEL BAY:

044 693 0824 A/H Emergencies:

072 287 1761

PLEASE REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY

Page 6

HELP THE GARDEN ROUTE SPCA

WIN R 70 000-00 BY

VOTING FOR US.

PLEASE!

LITTLE BLACK CAT IS READY FOR ADOPTION

Do you remember the little black cat in the previous newsletter?

She had her kittens and has brought them up with gentle love and selfless attention. Now she is ready to find someone to look after her with just as much affection. She is of slight build and loves to be cuddled (most mothers could use lots of loving hugs…) She is most unusual as she comes when called and welcomes you with lots of purrs!

Please call at the George branch of the SPCA if you would like to meet her. (044) 878 1990.

One of our most successful ways to reach all of the kind people who love

animals is via Facebook. Our page is devoted to animals in our area and we

encourage our

readers to post info about their pets and report cruelty and neglect.

It is thus a very important tool for the whole of the Garden Route and YOU can help us…

We currently have 3000 people who “like” us. (Cape Town SPCA has 150 000!)

Our aim is to increase our numbers A LOT! Please could you get your friends and family to join us on

https://www.facebook.com/GRSPCA

Thank you!!

PLEASE PROMOTE

OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

Canine events and competitions aren’t just for purebreds. If your

unique dog is healthy and active, he can compete in agility, nose

work, fly-ball, canine disc, freestyle, obedience, rally, and more...

MAY’S REASON TO ADOPT A UNIQUE BREED DOG

MANY MUTTS ARE FABULOUS ATHLETES!

Please do not post anything about animal abuse or MISSING PETS UNTIL you have reported it by calling the SPCA’s office or emergency number —please see above right info block...