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To: DR. DION GEORGE, MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
SA GOVT: STOP Animal Cruelty!
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We are facing an urgent animal welfare crisis in South Africa. Animals both domestic and wild are being abused, neglected, abandoned and even murdered at alarming rates.
Many pet owners lack the education and understanding needed to care for their animals properly, leading to severe cases of neglect and abuse. Our animal rescue centres and SPCAs are overwhelmed and underfunded, struggling to cope with the increasing number of animals in desperate need of care. Current laws fail to protect animals effectively, and enforcement is weak.
We are calling on you, Dr. Dion George, to take immediate and decisive action to protect our animals and improve their welfare. We demand you to:
Many pet owners lack the education and understanding needed to care for their animals properly, leading to severe cases of neglect and abuse. Our animal rescue centres and SPCAs are overwhelmed and underfunded, struggling to cope with the increasing number of animals in desperate need of care. Current laws fail to protect animals effectively, and enforcement is weak.
We are calling on you, Dr. Dion George, to take immediate and decisive action to protect our animals and improve their welfare. We demand you to:
- Implement harsher fines and longer imprisonment for individuals found guilty of animal abuse or neglect.
- Reinstate compulsory pet licensing to track and monitor pet ownership.
- Ban backyard breeding operations and impose stricter regulations on breeders, including mandatory inspections and proper licensing for those breeding animals.
- Introduce nationwide sterilisation and vaccination programmes at affordable rates to control animal population and prevent the spread of deadly diseases.
- Ban the sale of exotic animals.
- Launch public education campaigns to teach responsible pet ownership, animal welfare laws and breed-specific care to prevent further abuse.
- Increase funding and resources for SPCAs and animal rescue centres, ensuring they have the necessary equipment and manpower to continue their essential work.
- Ban the unregulated sale of animals in informal markets.
Why is this important?
This is not just an animal welfare issue - it is also a community issue. Neglected animals roam the streets, spread disease, and often fall into the hands of criminals.
By acting now, we can reduce violence, associated with cruelty, reduce the amount of unwanted animals being euthanised, improve animal health and welfare, and create more compassionate and educated communities. Better funding for SPCAs will save animals' lives, while stricter laws will deter abuse.
The time to act is now. Protecting our animals is a responsibility we cannot ignore.
By acting now, we can reduce violence, associated with cruelty, reduce the amount of unwanted animals being euthanised, improve animal health and welfare, and create more compassionate and educated communities. Better funding for SPCAs will save animals' lives, while stricter laws will deter abuse.
The time to act is now. Protecting our animals is a responsibility we cannot ignore.
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