While the rioting and looting across KwaZulu-Natal may be settling down, it should not come as a surprise that the consequential effect will have a lasting negative impact on households, businesses and SPCAs.
Many shops remain closed for safety and recuperation purposes. The stores that are still open have been completely wiped out of basic necessities because people have gone into survival mode. The people and animals across KZN are left with very limited access to the necessities required to live. Production companies are down, and we fear that supplies will run out before the companies have the chance to start producing and supplying safely again.
Apart from this, hundreds of businesses have been completely destroyed and will leave countless people unemployed. Without any source of income, some families will really begin to struggle to take care of themselves, let alone their animals. Many people who support the SPCA, which is not funded by the government, will not have the means to donate to us any longer.
The SPCA arguably plays the most essential role in terms of animal welfare in South Africa. It is on our shoulders to try and prevent and protect animals from suffering. We have taken on the responsibility to investigate all animal cruelty complaints reported to us, to proactively inspect facilities where animals are kept and to offer a place of safety to ALL stray or unwanted animals brought to us in need of shelter and care.
Over and above this, the SPCA movement also undertakes to assist in indigent and compromised communities. It is without a doubt that we will have to go out into the various communities across KZN to assist people with animals that can no longer be cared for. Families that cannot afford veterinary care or food for their animals will turn to the SPCA for help and we will try our best to assist.
We are imploring the public to please assist us if they are in a position to donate. The SPCA movement in its entirety depends on the generosity of the public to keep operational. We need your help to keep the SPCAs in KwaZulu-Natal open and to provide the desperately required assistance to animals in those communities.
Please use reference KZN when making your donation: https://nspca.co.za/donate/
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