Abuse shocks
2010-02-04
Lise Beyers
"IT was one of the worst cases of animal abuse one can imagine.” These were the words of animal welfare activists, as well as veterinary staff, after a dog was found tied to a railway track near Wellington. Its had been severed by a passing train. The small dog was accidentally discovered after animal activists André Verbiest and Richelle Graham of African Tails animal welfare society had visited the Wellington SPCA last Thursday. They proceeded to dispose of rubbish at the neighbouring rubbish dump, but never in their wildest dreams thought that they would come across this grizzly scene. “A man approached us near the dump and asked us if we had a knife. “It was a strange question to ask, so he said that we should come with him to take a look.” Verbiest and Graham accompanied the good Samaritan who led them to the railway track where it passed underneath the R44. “We couldn’t believe our eyes. Between the tracks lay a black and white Jack Russell/Fox Terrier cross in a pool of blood.” The heavily pregnant dog had been tied to the railway track, probably with the purpose of killing it. A train had already run across one foot, severing it and crushing the remaining bone. “We cannot imagine the amount of pain and fear which she must have been in and she must have been lying injured like that for at least 24 hours with trains thundering above her.” Verbiest and Graham cut the quivering dog loose and immediately headed for the Market Street Animal Hospital in Paarl. Here staff was shocked to see what the condition of the dog was, as well as being surprised that she was still alive. Not only could she have bled to death, but shock and dehydration had also taken its toll. Lucky Lucy, as she is now called, first had to be stabilised over the weekend, before an operation to close the stump of her damaged leg could be performed. During the operation it was established that she had lost her puppies due to the ordeal that she had been through. Lucky Lucy will undergo more medical treatment with the help of the Good Hope SPCA and will then be rehabilitated by African Tails. Once she is given a clean bill of health, she will be put up for adoption. “Please”, says Verbiest and Graham, “if you have an unwanted pet, organisations such as the SPCA are there to take the animal. It is unnecessary and totally unacceptable to put any creature through what Lucky Lucy has been through. “We are also in the process of gathering information which may lead us to the culprit of this hideous atrocity.” A reward is offered for information. African Tails was born in 2006 as an organisation to curb the over-population and suffering of dogs on the Cape township streets. The organisation is run entirely by volunteers, who are committed in giving every abused and neglected street dog the happy ending they deserve. They can be contacted at contact@africantails.co.za, 071-083-9228 or at 073-928-6236.
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