2016annualreport
TRANSCRIPT
138th Annual Report
2016We speak, protect and care for animals
Cape of Good Hope
Snapshot of our Work in 2015
5 087
wild animals
inspected at pet
shops, facilities,
circuses & petting
zoos
73 000
incoming calls
responded to
21 403
animals
inspected
18 653
animals treated
at our mobile
clinics
26 711
animals
treated in our
hospital
11 299
children
educated
26 290
likes on
social media
R3,281,277
in free media
publicity
6 800
cruelty
investigations
conducted
6 418
sterlisations
1 408
wild animals
admitted to
our wildlife
facility
256
farm animals
impounded
756
animals
adopted
394
lost animals
reunited with
their owners
It costs us only
13 cents
to raise
R1.00
2
Contents
Chairman and CEO’s Report 4
Treasurer’s Report 5
Together, we make a difference 6
Breakdown of income and expenditure 8
Financial Statements 10
Auditor’s Report 11
Zero Tolerance for Cruelty 12
Helping People & Pets 16
Rescuing, Rehabilitating & Releasing Wildlife 18
Standing Up for Farm Animals 20
Helping and Healing Horses 21
Finding loving homes 22
Winning Hearts & Minds 24
Donors’ List 26
Board of Directors
April 2015 - Sept 2015
Chairman: Dr T. C. Shippey
Vice Chairman: Ms N. Mbulawa
Secretary: Mr H. Fabe
Treasurer: Mr A. Sedgwick
Directors: Dr G. Msiza
Dr J. Oakley
Ms C. Geland
September 2015 - still serving
Acting Chairman:Mr P. Snijman
Vice Chairman: Ms N. Mbulawa
Secretary: Vacant since September 2015
Treasurer: Mr A. Sedgwick
Directors: Mr B. Kellerman serving from August 2015
Adv Cecilia Brümmer serving from July 2015
NSPCA Board appointed Directors serving from September 2015
Ms M. Meredith
Ms C. Mang
Mr J. Pieterse
Patrons
The Honourable Premier of the Western Cape - Helen Zille
Her worship the Mayor of City of Cape Town - Alderman Patricia de Lille
General Manager: High Performance Unit SA Rugby - Rassie Erasmus.
Ambassadors
Horse Care Unit - Philippa Johnson
Wildlife Unit - Lewis Pugh
Management
Allan Perrins
Margie Ainscow
Anne Boyce
Belinda Abraham
Megan Reid
Moyo Ndukwana
Debbie-Anne Paterson
Catherine Samuel
Darryl Burt
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s Annual Report
for the 2015/16 Financial Year
During the period under review, we revisited and re-aligned
our Vision and Mission statements with that of the National
Council of SPCA’s. They now read as follows:
The past financial year has
been one of unprecedented
growth and development
culminating in the successful
completion of the single
biggest Capital expansion
project ever undertaken by any
SPCA in South Africa.
The project involved the
demolition and rebuilding of
our entire Animal Care Centre,
Small Animal Pound, Vet and
Charity Shops and required
expert planning and co-ordin-
ation as work had to continue
unabated despite the obvious
challenges associated with a
disruptive undertaking of this
complexity and magnitude.
We are proud to report that
not only did we manage to
keep our doors open 24/7 year
round, we actually extended
our “trading” hours which
benefitted more animals than
over the past financial year.
These achievements are
testimony to the exceptional
team that I have the pleasure
of leading.
4
We can only hope that anyone
who suffered any inconven-
ience or frustration during the
construction phase can now
appreciate just how worth-
while it was to have stayed
positive and focused on the
end goal.
The time spent in the
trenches (at times quite
literally) helping to ensure that
things ran smoothly was time
well spent and we can all be
very proud of what we as a
team have achieved - a truly
remarkable world-class legacy.
Neighbourly speculation
regarding what we were up to
was rife. A few rumored that
the kennels were making way
for in-door soccer stadiums
modelled on the iconic Cape
Town football stadium but, the
most apt suggestion doing the
rounds was that we were in
the process of building a
“puppy palace”. We are of the
opinion that we have exceeded
everyone’s guesses and
expectations and have indeed
built facilities fit for a King.
None of what we have
achieved would have been
possible without the incredibly
generous support of our
countless dependable friends,
donors, supporters and
tolerant neighbours. Thank
you for once again helping us
achieve great things.
Our many blessings include
an incredibly supportive Board
of Directors without whose
wisdom and direction it is
unlikely that we would have
achieved as much as we have
over the past year. We are also
enormously grateful to Mr.
Peter Truter for his many
sacrifices and professional
input as pro-bono Project
Chairman. Thank you all for
your many and varied unselfish
contributions.
The advances made by our
Society over the past decade or
so are astonishing and have
elevated us into poll position.
A status that we should be
both proud and gracious
about earning.
Next year promises to be yet
another exciting and eventful
one but as we reflect on what
we have accomplished over the
past 12 months, it has to be
conceded that 2015/16 will be
a tough act to follow.
The Board has made the
primary focus for the coming
year our employees, without
whose hard work and
dedication it would not be
possible to fulfill our Mission.
Kind regards,
VISIONTo end animal cruelty in South Africa and to engender compassion for all animals.
MISSIONTo prevent cruelty and promote the
welfare of all animals.
Allan Perrins
Chief Executive
Officer
Phil Snijman
Chairman
Phil Snijman
Allan Perrins
Treasurer’s Report
milestone in the organisation’s
life and completes a multi-year
capital expenditure program
that has seen the Society invest
steadily across its spectrum of
animal welfare activities to
expand capacity and quality of
care / service. This started with
the Horse Care Unit in 2005,
was followed by the Farmyard
(2007), Hospital (2008),
Inspectorate (2008), Wildlife
Centre (2012) and concluding
with where the highest volume
of animals are cared for, the
cats and dogs in the Animal
Care Centre 2016!
I would like to record the
following notable financial
successes recorded over the
past year:
l Continued to build on a
constructive relationship
with the City of Cape Town
in the provision of animal
welfare services and where
the City makes a contribu-
tion towards the costs
incurred during the
regulated Pound period.
l A material turnaround in the
performance of the Hospital
in applying our almoning
system and better manage-
ment control leading to a
more productive output
from the unit. I congratulate
Cathy Samuels and her
team.
With our capital investment
program complete, the focus
swings to operational
efficiency and delivering a
return on the investment our
generous donors have made in
our Society’s operating
capacity. While we expect to
continue increasing the volume
and improve the quality of care
across all our areas of activity,
we are targeting a steady, but
substantial increase in our
Adoption statistics. While we
recognise we compete with
alternative shelters who do not
apply the same degree of
rigour to their adoption
process as we do and the
internet is full of a wide
selection of easily available
pets, we are determined to
succeed and to find happy
homes for ALL of our adoption
candidates. We have a great
team involved in the various
aspects of this effort and in
whom I have great confidence.
But all help is welcome and I
encourage our donors to
spread the message of the
SPCA as everyone’s first stop
when looking for a loving
family pet.
Anthony Sedgwick
Treasurer
May 2016
My 2015 Treasurer’s report
listed the following financial
priorities for our Society:
1.The delivery of the
substantially expanded and
upgraded animal housing
facilities within budget and
on time.
2.Despite the short term
pressures this will place on
our reserves, to continue to
make progress towards
achieving operational break
even.
3.The development of new
and the expansion of several
existing fundraising projects
and programmes as the
primary tool to achieve 2
above.
I am satisfied to report that 1
and 2 above have been
substantively achieved and
delivered and we have marked
the official opening of the
completely revamped and
expanded Animal Adoption
Centre on the 9th of June
2016. This was a major
6
Together, We Make a Difference
Creative, diverse and
multifaceted fundraising
approaches were the order of
the day and saw the
fundraising and communi-
cations team working harder
than ever before for every cent.
The passion of this team is
palpable, the midnight oil
burnt on many occasions and
team members made great
personal sacrifices and did so
with a smile, in service of the
animals we love.
In the interests of keeping
our donors and sponsors
informed, the communications
team integrated with the
operational departments like
never before, ensuring that we
kept our finger on the pulse of
every incident of cruelty and
neglect in order to document
and share the good work of
the Cape of Good Hope SPCA
via social and print media. As
hard as it was to document
and follow through with every
story of media and public
interest, we remained commit-
ted to telling the stories on
behalf of the abused and
neglected animals who could
not do so themselves. As a
result of this, we saw our social
No one has ever
become poor by giving
- The diary of Anne Frank
(1952)
media following doubling to
26 290 individuals with an
extended reach of over
400 000 views and in excess
of R3 000 000.00 being
generated in free publicity for
our organisation via print and
website media. We thank each
and every individual and our
media friends for their interest
in our organisation and for
sharing the stories of heart-
break, recovery and hope.
This year also saw the
launch of our brand new
website. Never an organisation
to spend hard earned donor
funds frivolously, we began the
painstaking process of in-
house design and develop-
ment. Writing from the heart
and personally selecting each
element of the website from
images to functionality, saw us
proudly launching a user and
mobile friendly website during
December 2015 that resulted
in a growth in online giving.
Following an arson attack in
November of 2014 that
resulted in the destruction of
our income generating charity
shop, December of 2015 also
saw us reopening this facility
as a unique, world class,
boutique style shop named
Beau’s Boutique in loving
memory of the beloved
companion of Pamela Isdell (of
the Isdell Family Foundation)
who generously funded this
redevelopment. We extend to
her and this foundation our
grateful thanks for restoring
our ability to once again be
able to generate our own
income from the sale of
generously donated second
hand goods. Our grateful
thanks go to our donors as
well, whose constant stream of
donated pre-loved goods sees
our shelves well stocked with
linen, appliances, furniture,
clothing, toys and crockery.
We were also very proud to
be able to open a second off-
site charity shop in partnership
with Makro and under the
banner of the Ol’Roy brand.
Our sincere thanks go to Calvin
Seager and the executive
management of Massmart for
the generous donation of
fixtures, fittings and branding
which sees this initiative taking
on a professional look and feel
and enabling us to double our
charity shop income gene-
rating efforts.
We are also thankful for the
corporate support of those
who understand the alignment
between healthy animals and
healthy communities and
extend our gratitude to
Airports Company South
Africa, Hills Pet Nutrition,
Nestlè Purina, Bayer (PTY)(LTD),
My School, My Village, My
Planet and the Canal Walk
Foundation to whom we are
indebted for their loyal
support.
There are many trusts and
foundations who invest heavily
2015 was not without its challenges for the fundraising and
communications team as the current economic climate sees
consumers with less disposable income on hand. In addition
to this, corporate funding remains aligned to the govern-
ment’s millennium development goals where considerations
for animal welfare are lacking. The National Lottery
Commission also directs most of its funding in accordance
with these goals, leaving very little funding available for
distribution to the animal welfare sector.
in our cause and entrust us
with the responsible use of
their funds. Their cumulative
donations of R3 455 275.00
contributed significantly
towards our ability to care for
many animals in distress. Our
heartfelt thanks go to all of
them, for their contributions,
their ongoing trust in our
organisation and their
friendship.
We highly value the ongoing
support of The City of Cape
Town and thank them not only
for their contributions towards
the care of impounded animals
and the generous funding
provided for Mass Animal
Sterilisation Campaigns but
also for their very real commit-
ment to animal welfare.
We grieve the passing of
members of our Animal
Guardians Society and we
thank them for the privilege of
being able to respect their
final wishes by using their
gifts, left to us in their wills,
for the benefit of the animals
they loved so dearly. We were
humbled and touched beyond
measure to have received in
excess of R6 000 000.00 in
bequeathed monies during
2015. These funds are never
used to off-set operational
expenses but rather invested
and grown over time in order
to fund major projects such as
our current animal care centre
and pound reconstruction.
To every donor who
contributes to us on a monthly
basis, responds to calls to
action, attends events, puts
coins into collection tins,
swipes their My School, My
Village, My Planet card at
participating, outlets, donates
second hand goods or shops at
our Vet and Charity Shops we
thank you! Without you we
would find ourselves unable to
continue to rescue animals in
distress, seek justice for those
who cannot do so themselves,
treat the sick and wounded
animals of underprivileged pet
owners, provide a safe haven
for stray animals or find loving
homes for the many unwanted
animals that pass through our
doors. We thank you for
enabling us to proactively
prevent cruelty and to be able
to stay in the service of the
animals we love.
OUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
l Our 22nd annual dog walkathon, The SPCA, My School, My
Village, My Planet Wiggle Waggle saw 2 050 participants
(walkers and their furry friends) generating a much needed
R143 000.00 for the SPCA.
l Team SPCA members took part in several sporting events
this past year including The Cape Town Cycle Tour where
180 cyclists pedalled for paws contributing an incredible
R550 000.00 to our cause. Further blood, sweat and tears
were spent by Team SPCA members who participated in the
Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, the FNB Wines to Wales
mountain biking event, the Colour Run and the Impi
Challenge raising an additional R265 497.00 for the love of
animals. We thank every Team SPCA member for their efforts
and thank our generous Team SPCA corporate sponsors,
Ultra Dog & William Simpson without whom our
participation in the above events would not have been
possible.
l Our ever popular Bag-a-Bargain and Canal Walk book sales
enabled us to add R184 538.00 to our coffers via the sale of
second hand books. Our thanks go to Timour Hall and the
Canal Walk Foundation for their ongoing support as well to
all those who make donations of books and our team of
volunteer book sorters.
l To all our individual givers who respond to our appeals,
know that your donations, no matter how small helped us
to generate a cumulative amount of R3 223 686.00. You
have our grateful thanks for continuing to contribute in
spite of trying economic times.
l The kind contributions of all those who put coins in our tins
at various collections points within Cape Town as well as the
dedication and drive of our tin collectors and coin counters
resulted in a fantastic R703 275.00 in contributions. We
received this with grateful thanks.
l Our income generating activities consisting of 2 Charity
Shops and 2 Vet Shops netted an amount of R864 092.00
this year. We are incredibly proud to be an organisation that
enhances its own capacity in order to reduce our donor
dependency and alleviate the pressure on donors to
constantly make financial contributions.
l The fundraising team is committed to the sustainability of
the SPCA and to this end ensure optimal fundraising
efficiency resulting in a fundraising cost of 13c for every
rand raised.
7
Charity Shops 1%
Horsecare Unit 0%
Vetshops 13%
Administration 1%
Investments 8%
Maintenance 0%
Bequests 19 %
Trusts 10%
Boarding and Strays 7%
Hospital 10%
Fundraising 24%
Mobiles 2%
Wildlife 1%Inspectorate 1%Farmyard 0%Education 1%
Income 2016
Farmyard 0%
Maintenance 1%
Administration 15%
Horsecare Unit 2%
Charity Shops 1%
Expenses 2016
Boarding and Strays 10%
Hospital 25%
Mobiles 4%
Wildlife 2%
Inspectorate 13%
Education 2%
Fundraising 10%
Vetshops 14%
8
Administration costs include
depreciation, bank fees,
insurance and IT costs, which
for accounting purposes are
not reallocated to underlying
departments.
Your donations at work
9
Cost and fundraising efficiency have resulted in a really
low expense of 13c for every rand raised.
How our funds were utilised
R’0
00
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1 2
33 193
Surplus invested - 5 130
Depreciation & insurance - 1 093
Admin - 3 469
Vetshops - 2 120
Charity Shops - 252
Horse Care Unit - 603
Maintenance - 259
Comms & Resource Dev - 4 417
Education - 429
Farmyard - 73
Inspectorate - 3 323
Wildlife - 561
Mobiles - 1 238
Hospital - 6 391
Adoptions - 3 833
Fixed Assets
Investments
Accounts Receivable
Inventory
Cash in bank and in hand
Cash on call
Creditors
Retained income
Revaluation reserve
Total Fixed Assets
Total Current Assets
Net Current Assets
Total assets
Analysis of funds
Accumulated funds
2016 2015
R’000 R’000
120 877 90 873
5 874 14 801
1 764 11 469
122 640 102 342
122 640 102 342
34 794 17 754
86 082 73 119
1 652 984
466 347
2 753 12 917
1 003 553
4 111 3 332
65 047 60 728
57 593 41 614
Analysis of net assets
for the year ending 31 March 2016
INCOME
SUB TOTAL
EXPENSES
NET PROFIT
Adoptions
Hospital
Mobiles
Wildlife
Inspectorate
Farmyard
Education
Comms & Resource Dev
Maintenance
Trusts
Investments
Horse Care Unit
Charity shops
Vetshops
Administration
Bequests
Adoptions
Hospital
Mobile Clinics
Wildlife
Inspectorate
Farmyard
Education
Comms & Resource Dev
Maintenance
Horse Care Unit
Charity shops
Vetshops
Administration
Depreciation and insurance
.
.
2016 2015
R’000 R’000
26 970 24 140
33 193 28 934
28 063 26 404
5 130 2 530
2 394 1409
3 444 3173
737
499
295 604
128
252 331
8 057 9772
1
3 454 2240
2 811 2287
181 308
281
4 131 4016
305
6 223 4 794
3 833 2 770
6 391 5 989
1 238 1 070
561 670
3 323 3 594
73
429 563
4 417 4 378
259 275
603 538
252
2 120 3 617
3 469 2 053
1 093 887
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Analysis of Income and Expenditure
Financial Statements
No act of kindness,
no matter how small, is
ever wasted.
- Aesop
Auditor’s Report
Establishing Zero Tolerance for Cruelty
In the heat
of summer
in December
2015, 2 four
week-old kittens were dumped
on the side of the road.
Caught on CCTV, the incident
was reported to the Cape of
Good Hope SPCA. Our
Inspectors worked diligently to
trace the offender, leaving no
stone unturned in pursuit of
justice for these two helpless
kittens who had been
abandoned and left to an
uncertain fate. It was
unconceivable to think that
someone could be so heartless
and we were elated when our
hard work paid off and we
were finally able to confront a
I hold that the more helpless
a creature, the more entitled it is to
protection by man from the cruelty
of man - Mahatma Gandhi
middle aged woman with the
crime. Fearing for the
wellbeing of her other animals,
our Inspectors ensured that
her remaining adult cat and 6
kittens were brought to the
SPCA. Charges of animal
cruelty were laid against the
offender and the courts found
the accused guilty of
unlawfully and intentionally
abandoning two four week-old
kittens on the pavement to
fend for themselves. It’s a
wonderful feeling to give a
voice to the voiceless by
representing the animals we
care so much for in a court of
law.
The above incident, (only
one of 6 800 cruelty
investigations conducted
during the year) may well have
been avoided had the accused
not allowed her cats to breed
thereby putting herself in a
position where she had more
cats than she could care for.
For this reason, humane pet
population control is one of
the vital components of the
function of the Inspectorate. In
the past financial year, the
Inspectors played a critical role
in the mass animal sterilisation
campaigns in both Wesbank
and Atlantis, wherein an excess
of 3000 dogs and cats were
sterilised. Pet overpopulation is
one of the greatest
contributors to the endless
cycle of animal cruelty and our
Inspectors always ensure that
the importance of the
sterilisation of animals is
emphasised to pet owners.
Mushrooming informal
settlements within the Cape
Metropole are of concern as
pet overpopulation and the
resulting cruelty to animals
within these areas is
commonplace. The demand
for Inspectorate and welfare
services therefore continues to
grow and this calls for the
need for more inspectors on
the ground, during the
coming year, enabling us to
embark on additional
proactive outreaches, with a
greater emphasis on mass
sterilisations.
Indicative of the current
economic climate, increasing
numbers of pet owners are
requesting the collection of
their animals by the SPCA as a
result of financial difficulty and
unwanted animals were
collected during the financial
year and aware that many pet
owners will not have the
decency to call on our services,
our immediate concern was for
the increasing numbers of
animals who will be
abandoned and neglected
when their owners find
themselves in financial distress.
With the welfare of our
animals threatened, proactive
inspections in affected areas,
resulting in a further 9 174
animal collections, were a
necessity placing additional
strain on our Inspectorate. In
total, 21 403 animals were
inspected last year. Our policy
of choosing to educate as
13
their subsequent inability to
continue to adequately care for
their companions. 12 807
opposed to confiscate proved
successful as education of
owners greatly improved the
wellbeing of their animals.
Confiscations were however
effected wherever necessary.
We commend our Inspectors
for their selfless determination
and commitment to assisting
animals in distress. This
commitment was very
apparent during Guy Fawkes
when almost the entire
Inspectorate worked until
midnight and were able to
respond to distress calls within
15 minutes. Our response
times were greatly
commended by the City’s
Disaster and Risk Management
Services.
The CoGH SPCA continues to
play a leading role in animal
welfare issues within the City
and this has been recognised
by the various City
Departments. We are currently
involved in all the Disaster
Management Exercises with
major partners such as Fire and
Rescue, Koeberg, Chevron, etc.
We play an important role on
the Festive Season Planning
Committee for the City and all
major events involving animals
are channelled to us, via the
City’s Events Planning
Committee for our input. It is
this collaboration with the City
that will ensure that the
message of animal welfare is
heard throughout all the
corridors of the City’s
lawmakers and ensure that the
wellbeing of animals is given
the recognition that is well
deserved.
Our priorities for the year
ahead include a focus on the
cruel practise of dog fighting,
the training of various
stakeholders on animal welfare
matters and amendments to
the City’s By-Laws to curb the
illegal hawking of animals.
Our inspectors are committed
to the fight against animal
cruelty, working 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, they
always go the extra mile in
order to alleviate the suffering
of distressed animals in our
communities.
14
6 800 Cruelty
Investigations
21 403 Animals
Inspected
16
Helping People & Pets
The couple died in the attack,
but the dog’s bravery under
fire saved their children’s lives.
Myra needed emergency
veterinary care but they
couldn’t afford to take her to a
vet. Thankfully, they called the
SPCA and one of our collection
officers brought Myra to our
Animal Hospital.
There was no doubt in our
mind that this brave dog
deserved the best we could
possibly offer her. Our onsite
veterinary team advised that
amputation of the affected
limb would offer Myra, the
best possible chance of
survival. A number of
procedures and treatments
including X-rays, pain relief,
wound cleaning and antibiotic
treatment ensued before the
surgery could take place. Once
Myra was strong enough, the
amputation was carried out,
she was also vaccinated,
sterilised and treated for
Sarcoptic Mange. She stayed at
our animal hospital for 10
days, recovering from her
surgery during which time she
again showed true bravery!
Her courage and determin-
ation were inspiring and she
was soon comfortably getting
around on 3 legs. With her
By compassion we
make others’misery our own,
and so, by relieving them, we
relieve ourselves also
Thomas Browne, Sr
sweet, gentle nature, courage
and enormous spirit, this little
dog left her mark on all of us
before going home to the
children she had so lovingly
protected.
Myra was just one of 15 052
owned animals treated at our
Animal Hospital this year. 2015
saw an increase in the
numbers of sick, injured and
neglected animals streaming
into our animal clinic. The
completion of the newly built
Pound Pod, relieved some of
the pressure off of our hospital
facilities but even so, we
remained full to capacity
during most of the past year
with 12 944 animals in total
being admitted for treatment.
With thanks to the generosity
of the City of Cape Town and
the Nussbaum Foundation, a
Mass Animal Sterilisation
Project in the Wesbank area of
Delft was successfully
completed in 2015, with 95%
of the intact pet population
being vaccinated and sterilised
within one breeding cycle
(6 months). Mass Animal
Sterilisation Projects are
undertaken with member
organisations of the Cape
Animal Welfare Forum
and not only benefit the
community and pets
within the designated
areas, but also benefit
animal welfare
organisations, community vets
and local authorities operating
in the Cape Town Metropole.
The Mass Animal Sterilisation
Campaign for 2016 is already
well underway in the area of
Atlantis and we estimate that
we will reach our goal of 1 436
pet sterilisations by the end of
June 2016.
At the Cape of Good Hope
SPCA, we know that one, just
one unsterilised pet and its off-
spring can produce over
60 000 lives in 6 years. We also
know that there are insufficient
good homes for all these
animals and for these reasons,
always promote sterilisation at
our hospital where the service
is offered free of charge to
those who cannot afford it.
5 043 sterilisations were
conducted this year preventing
the birth of thousands and
thousands of unwanted
animals in the years to come.
Our SPCA Mobile Clinics are a
critical component of our
commitment to deliver care to
those most in need. Operating
in the informal settlements and
impoverished communities of
Bishop Lavis, Blackheath,
Capricorn Park, Coniston Park,
Myra isn't a large or aggressive dog but when her family was
in danger, she did not hesitate. Late at night in August 2015,
armed men entered her house in Belhar and shot the mother
and father of the household before turning the gun towards
the rest of the family. Myra courageously placed herself
between the gun and the family, taking a bullet that shattered
her leg to pieces.
Eerste River, Forest Heights,
Gugulethu, Harare, Khayelit-
sha, Kraaifontein, Kuils River /
Highberry Park, Mandalay,
Mfuleni, Parkwood, Plumstead,
Seacrest/Bayview, Seawinds,
Silversands, Steenberg,
Stradford Green and Strand-
fontein. The mobile units
provide primary veterinary care
and educate owners about
responsible pet care. Dipping,
de-worming and vaccinating
are among the vital services we
provide. Animals in need of
sterilisation - and those that
are ill or injured - are
transported to our Animal
Hospital for further treatment,
and returned to their owners
afterwards.
The demand for our Mobile
Clinic service continues to
grow and our Mobile Clinics
treated 18 653 animals during
the 2015 financial year.
Our biggest challenge
remains providing an excellent
standard of care within
budgetary restraints which
are compounded by the
weakening Rand. Our
upcoming year will see us
focused on the retention of
skills, staff development and
the provision of excellent
veterinary care in spite of the
financial challenges.
We extend our thanks to all
our donors without whom
none of our work would be
possible.
Hospital:26 711
Animals Treated
5 043 Sterilisations
Mobile Clinics: 18 653 Animals Treated
18
Rescuing, Rehabilitating and Releasing Wildlife
On the 25th
October 2015,
a concerned
member of the
public alerted
the Cape of
Good Hope SPCA Wildlife Unit
to an injured caracal laying on
the side of the N1 highway.
One of our wildlife inspectors
responded to the call and the
injured caracal was brought
back to our Short Term Care
Facility. After an assessment by
our resident SPCA veterinarian,
Dr Stephanie Chatry, it was
established that the caracal had
been the victim of a motor
vehicle accident during which
he had sustained a simple
femur fracture to his hind leg.
During the surgery, carried out
by Dr Chatry, the bone was
pinned together and an 8 week
period of healing began. Our
Wildlife Inspectors endured
much hissing, spitting and
growling before they were
rewarded by being able to
All life deserves respect,
dignity and compassion.
All life.
- Anthony Douglas Williams
watch this beautiful creature
sprint off to freedom again!
With the very kind assistance of
Laurel Klein Serieys and her
team of volunteers at the
Urban Caracal Project a radio
collar was fitted before his
release. This radio collar
enabled us for the very first
time to see how one of our
animals fared after their release
back into the wild and this boy
really put on a show! Within a
month the information
gathered from his radio collar
showed us that he had
travelled from his release sight,
at the Tygerberg Nature Reserve
all the way into the West
Coast! The release of this
caracal was a truly inspiring
and very special moment for
the entire SPCA wildlife unit
and veterinary team and was
definitely a highlight of the
year!
In January 2016 our wildlife
unit had their work cut out for
them again with the onslaught
of raging fires across the Fish
Hoek, Misty Cliffs and
Scarborough areas. We were
once again reminded of the
absolute destruction that fire
causes to our wildlife with a
tremendous amount of burnt
tortoises that sadly did not
survive despite our best efforts.
We were however able to save
3 tiny orphaned porcupines
from the Fish Hoek area after a
resident spotted them on a hill
outside their home. These little
guys, who we affectionately
named “small” “medium” and
“large”, due to their varying
sizes, were about the size of 3
week old kittens when we
found them and even at this
age, very prickly! We rehydrat-
ed them and cared for their
every need until they could be
transferred to a rehabilitation
centre situated on a game
farm, where they have since
been released as fully grown
adults, capable of fending for
themselves.
In total, 1 408 wild animals
benefitted from the work of
our Wildlife Unit this year. With
a facility that offers full-flight
aviaries, aqua pens, small
mammal night and day
enclosures as well as temper-
ature controlled environments
for reptiles, our beneficiaries
included, seals, porcupines,
owls, tortoises, caracals, wild
birds, parrots, small buck and
snakes to name but a few. It
has become apparent that our
wildlife are more in need of us
than ever as 198 cruelty cases
involving wild animals were
investigated this year. Most
wild animal cruelty occurs as a
result of human wildlife
conflict and our unit works
especially hard to prevent this.
With urban sprawl impacting
heavily on baboon troops in
the Tokai and Scarborough
areas, 3 baboons were cruelly
shot with pellet guns by
intolerant residents of the
surrounding areas resulting in
painful, prolonged deaths for
these beautiful creatures. In
every instance of proven
cruelty, we prosecute to the
fullest extent of the law,
sending a powerful message
to the public that cruelty to
wild animals is unacceptable.
Our Wildlife Unit, comprised
of only 3 dedicated Inspectors
serve all the wildlife within our 2entire 11 000km area of
operation. They work 24 hours
a day 7 days a week and often
find themselves hiking long
distances, climbing trees or
hanging down chimneys to
reach a wild animal in crisis.
The Unit responded to 765
distress call this past year.
Every animal life is important
to them, be it a humble pigeon
or a majestic hawk, they treat
each case with the same
dedication and care.
The SPCA is opposed to the
keeping of wild animals as pets
as well as the use of wild
animals for the purposes of
human entertainment. This
past year, we inspected 14
facilities where wild animals
are sold, housed or kept for
performance purposes. Our
Unit is relentless in their efforts
to educate the public on the
unique needs of wild animals
19
who require special diets and
environments as close to their
natural habitats as possible. It
is almost impossible to ade-
quately imitate what nature
easily provides.
We value and nurture the
relationships we have built
with various authorities
involved in nature conser-
vation and proudly give input
on the City Of Cape Town’s
Disaster Management Commit-
tee with the welfare interests
of wild animals at heart.
A very special occasion for
the Wildlife Unit this year was
the opportunity to be featured
in The Cape Aflame book - a
beautiful coffee table book
that documents the devas-
tation of the Muizenberg fires
experienced in March 2015
and the combined efforts of
many organisations and
individuals who were involved
in the firefighting and wildlife
rescue efforts.
We thank all our donors and
supporters, as well as the
members of the public who
share our mutual respect for
wildlife and report incidents of
cruelty or distress. In the year
ahead we are committed to
continuing with our response,
rehabilitation and release
efforts and the preservation of
our beautiful wildlife so that
future generations can also
enjoy these animals in their
natural environments.
1408 Admissions
198 Cruelty
Investigations
14 facilities regulary
monitored
Standing Up for Farm Animals
a clear message that cruelty to
animals is against the law and
will not be tolerated. To this
end, we always lay charges of
animal cruelty against offen-
ders - In this case, charges
have been laid against the
individual responsible for the
sale of the animals as well as
those who were responsible
for the transportation.
It is our mission to ensure
that farm animals are treated
with compassion and consid-
eration and with that in mind
we began to work with the
economic empowerment
initiate established by the
government in the Faure area.
As a result of the fact that
these farms are too small for
the keeping of cattle, farmers
were herding their cattle and
goats, to unfenced areas
within close proximity of the
N2 highway for grazing
purposes. In addition to this,
most farmers were found to
not be hands on in terms of
managing their animals as they
had other sources of income
besides their livestock. Injuries
and illnesses were readily
occurring as a result of the
unsuitability of grazing areas
but most farmers eagerly
accepted the helping hand
extended to them by the SPCA.
256 impounded farm animals,
including ducks, goats, cattle,
sheep, pigs and chickens were
given safe refuge at our SPCA
this year. With the encourage-
ment and advice of our Farm
Animal Unit, many animals
were able to be returned to
their owners and regular
follow up inspections see these
animals now living in comfort-
able shelters, well fed and with
all their welfare needs taken
into consideration. In addition
to this, 88 Farm animals were
adopted into wonderful
environments this year where
they now live out their days
with all the compassion and
comfort they deserve.
The question is not, ‘Can
they reason?’ nor ‘Can they
talk?’ but ‘Can they suffer?’
- Jeremy Bentham
Just ahead of
the Easter
weekend of the
current financial
year, we responded to a call by
a concerned member of the
public who reported the
inhumane transport of
animals. We raced to the
rescue and after locating the
vehicle, which had broken
down on the road, were
shocked to find a cow and 5
sheep bound and tied to the
back of a bakkie. The pregnant
cow, as a result of being
placed on her side, hooves
bound, and anchored by ropes
attached to the side of the
vehicle was sadly already dead.
One of the sheep on the
vehicle was in such a poor
condition that it had to be
humanely euthanised on site.
The remaining animals were
confiscated and taken to the
safe refuge of the SPCA. Too
often, the offenders in cases
like this display absolutely no
remorse. It’s up to us to send
21
Helping and Healing Horses
and Oat hay
skyrocketing.
Under these
circumstances,
it cost us in excess of R100.00
just to feed each horse every
day, something we would not
have been able to do without
the support of donors who
gave generously - either via a
donation of horse feed or a
financial contribution.
It became apparent that
equine owners were feeling the
economic pinch too and the
year saw many stray and
unwanted horses and donkeys
being admitted to the Unit and
many owners in need of
assistance. Proactive in our
approach we worked hard to
foster relationships with equine
owners in the Cape Flats and
real friendships based on trust
and mutual respect have been
forged. This resulted, in many
instances in significant
improvements to grazing areas
and shelters being made with
the effect that several animals
could be returned to their
owners. 38 Equines (including
Twinkles & O’Grady) were
rehomed into loving homes this
year and both returned and
rehomed animals are regularly
inspected to ensure that their
welfare needs are being met.
The year was marked with
Any real, beautiful thing in
this world shouldn’t be tamed
or claimed or broken
- Carly Kade
hardship and heartache too
and we have cried for each
horse that we couldn’t save.
Our hearts broke when after a
heroic rescue effort, Artist’s
Son (as we named him) lost his
battle on the road to recovery.
Found in an open field, being
pelted with stones and prod-
ded with sticks by children,
Artist’s Son was one of the
I thought you were lost when you were found
Lying on that filthy ground
You moved your head and looked at me
Your eyes told a story
Depicting no glory
Please don’t cry for me I was told
Your body so thin
Legs so weak
Young but way past your peak
You walk alongside us meek and mild
Once we had lifted you like a child
Please don’t tell me not to cry
Your wounds are raw, the pain you endure
still you greet with a soft mutter
My heart began to flutter
Please do not tell me not to cry
Your spirit was rare
You showed such flair
Making it clear
You would not be messed about
Greeted new friends
Lowered your head to be fed
the lush, green lucerne
Please do not tell me not to cry
Apart from their shaggy coats
and overgrown hooves,
Twinkles and O’Grady were
covered in burrs and thorns.
They had jagged scars and
cuts - some of them infected
that showed how desperately
they had tried to escape their
barbwire-fenced prison.
Alerted to their fate, our
Horse Care Unit sped to the
rescue. Here at the SPCA, the
ponies were led into a warm,
dry stable, where they were
fed, watered and dewormed.
Then began the painstaking
task of removing all the burrs
and thorns and applying salve
to their wounds.
It took time and patience,
but eventually Twinkles and
O’Grady learned that not all
humans are cruel and
uncaring. They learned how
good it feels to be groomed,
to get plenty of good food
and to canter around on
clean, trimmed hooves.
A further 104 equines were
rescued from similar circum-
stances this year and the Horse
Care Unit felt the harsh impact
of the drought which occurred
in the latter part of the year
and sent the prices of Lucerne
worst victims of abandonment
we had ever seen. Despite our
best efforts and around the
clock care, we could not
restore his broken spirit and
his loss left a mark on all of
us. Below an ode to Artist’s
Son from the pen of Anne
Boyce, his rescuer and primary
care giver during his stay at
our SPCA:
Don’t tell me not to cry - for Artist’s Son
I found you lying as before
My heart strings they tore
As you lifted your head
This you said
The final chapter is nearly read
I only wish to lie on my bed
The straw is soft and I feel well fed
Please do not tell me not to cry
I held your head in my arms
Beads of sweat on my palms
I told you humans are very bad
You blinked your eyes and said that’s so sad
But that you were really glad
You had this time with me
Please do not tell me not to cry
With a soft, mournful sound you had your
final say
My only wish is to get to play
If I may, for one more day
I wiped cool water over your dusty nose
This is not what you chose
Please do not tell me not to cry.
You have touched my soul
You have played your role
My heart is broken
But you have spoken
Please do not tell me not to cry
Over the pale cool moon you run
A ray of light marking where the sun
Abandoned the earth off on a different run
Your muscles ripple and your legs are strong.
22
Finding Loving Homes
Going for a walk was tough,
doorways, the leash and the
wind terrified him and left him
crouching, panting and
panicked. It took a great
amount of love, patience and
positive reinforcement training
from our skilled staff, for Tiger
to grow in confidence.
Eventually, our perseverance
paid off and we cried happy
tears when we finally watched
Tiger walking off with his new
owner and jumping into her
car as if he been doing so all
his life!
This is just one of 718 happy
endings that we were witness
to this year and in the coming
year, we will continue in our
endeavor to provide our
animals with the best possible
care to ensure they all get their
second chance at happiness.
Our newly constructed Animal
Care Centre officially opens its
doors in June 2016 and we
look forward to offering our
animals world
class comfort in
a structure that
by its very design
will provide for
the psychological
Until one has loved an
animal a part of one’s soul
remains unawakened
- Anatole France
and physical well-being of our
animals. Our new facilities also
offer vastly improved
delineation resulting in better
bio-security, a brand new
Charity and Vet Shop, vastly
improved civils, including a
water polishing moat and a
brand new high volume waste
water sewerage system. In
addition to this, we are able to
house 100% more cats and
75% more dogs than we could
before. This means that each
animal entering our facility will
now have a kennel to call their
own, reducing the risk of
kennel stress which animals
often develop as a result of
confinement. Underfloor
heating and individual indoor
and outdoor kennel areas as
well as enclosures for control-
led socialisation are just a few
of the amazing offerings our
new construction will provide.
We look forward to soaring
adoption figures in the new
financial year as the centre
lends itself to a positive
adoption experience with the
inclusion of viewing rooms -
cosy atmospheres in which to
meet and greet your potential
new family member as well as
private rooms for adoption
screening purposes.
The impact of the current
economic climate became very
apparent during the past year
as we witnessed a dramatic
increase in the number of
animals being surrendered by
owners who can no longer
afford to keep them or by
owners who have had to scale
down and move into flats
where their animals could not
be accommodated. We also
experienced an escalation in
the number of stray animals
coming into our facility, some
of them simply abandoned as
owners fled properties to avoid
paying rent.
The past year has been
difficult but was made so
much easier by regular
volunteers who help us to
lighten the load. We give our
heartfelt thanks to them as
well as all those who choose to
adopt a pet from us. In so
doing they are making a
statement in favour of shelter
pets and against the
unscrupulous breeding of
animals. With hundreds of
animals to feed on a daily basis
and a mandate to never turn
any animal away, we require in
excess of 4 tons of dog food
every month. We extend our
deepest gratitude to all our
donors and the various pet
food suppliers who donate so
generously, your ongoing
support is highly valued.
In February of 2016, an animal lover found Tiger living at a
junkyard. He was clearly neglected, skittish and unloved. One
of our Inspectors collected Tiger and brought him to the SPCA
where for the first time he received a proper bed to sleep in
and plenty of food to eat. Having never received any love or
affection, Tiger flourished under the attention of volunteers
and staff but he was afraid - of everything!
718 Animals Placed in Loving Homes
24
Winning Hearts & Minds
There is a well-documented
link between childhood cruelty
to animals and later criminality
and violence. Humane
education can break this cycle
and replace it with one of
compassion, empathy and
personal responsibility. It is for
this reason that our Education
Department works tirelessly to
change the way that children
view animals. We have made
great inroads into our relation-
ships with schools who we
believe, now recognise the
significance of humane
education as one of the
building blocks to a stable and
peaceful society. Our involve-
ment is welcomed and positive
feedback regularly received. In
trying to understand our
impact on the children, Kay-
Lee Gilmour, a grade 5 learner
from Cornflower Primary said it
best with her heartfelt letter
sent following our visit to her
school.
You can see by the beautiful
picture she drew that she
understood the very basics of
pet care; to provide fresh food
and water and adequate
shelter and she depicts her pet
as sentient with the capacity to
feel, perceive, or experience
subjectively.
Kay-Lee’s letter touched our
hearts and leaves us confident Teaching a child not to step
on a caterpillar is as valuable to
the child as it is to the caterpillar.
- Bradley Miller
that we make the world a
better place by making a
difference in the lives of
animals through the children
we educate!
We inspired the hearts and
minds of a further 11 299
learners at 125 schools during
the last financial year with our
award winning Ani-Pal
education programme which
we took to schools in Nyanga;
Cross Roads; Delft; Mitchell’s
Plain; Gugulethu; Phillipi and
Pelican Park. Spending a three-
week period at each school,
we presented our puppet
show to learners from Grade 3
- 5 and then conducted after-
school mobile clinics, offering
a free pet sterilisation service
to learners. A total of 541
animals were sterilised through
this and our holiday outreach
programmes.
Going forward, our aim this
year is to also reach out to and
work with informal farming
communities. We will be
meeting with them on their
own turf to interact, educate
and assist, in the hopes that
they become more responsible
and compassionate toward
animals that are not given the
respect and care that they
deserve. The education team
will also be placing special
focus on the very serious topic
of dog fighting in our
communities and will be taking
the message to our youth in all
schools, especially high
schools, that involvement in
dog fighting activities is cruel
and illegal.
We extend our sincere
thanks to ACSA (Airports
Company South Africa) for
their support over the years
and we remain forever grateful
to the many principals,
teachers and parents for their
fundraising efforts in support
of our society. Without you we
would be unable to continue
our programme and influence
the hearts and minds of our
youth.
In closing, our achievements
would not have been possible
without the passion, commit-
ment and teamwork by our
dedicated education team
whose efforts play such a
critical role in helping us
achieve our goal of preventing
animal cruelty and neglect. We
wish to announce our newest
addition to the education team
Junior Ngculu and wish him all
the best as we continue to
make a difference in
communities we serve.
11 299 Young Minds Influenced
125 Schools Visited
541 Animals Sterilised
26
United Against Animal Cruelty
General Information
Registration number 1939/013624/08
(Incorporated Association Not for Gain)
Fundraising number 003-244 NPO
Public Benefit Organisation number 930004317
Contact Information
Address:
Tel: 021 700 4140
Fax:
Web:
Bank Details
Cape of Good Hope SPCA
Bank: Standard Bank
Acc No: 071832858
Branch: Constantia
Author: Belinda Abraham
Photography: Trevor Rodney
Cover: Africa Tamed
Printing: Ascot Press
Cnr 1st Avenue & 1st Road, Grassy Park, Cape Town
086 674 3356
www.capespca.co.za
Email: [email protected]
Panoramic shot, pages 10 and 11: Robert Miller of Panascape
Design: Joan Sutton
Bequests and Trusts provide a much needed source of
income for major projects, as well as financial security for
the future of our Society. Therefore, although we are
sincerely grateful for all the donations we receive, we do
wish to acknowledge in particular, the gifts received from
the following Bequest Donors, Trusts and Foundations.
BEQUESTS
E C Roberts
A A Meyersfeld
M L Frylinck
C Martin
S A Ferreira
S A Allen
G Hirschmann
B Smith
J J C Gerber
A F Siegal
W M A Didcott
T C Magnin
N J P Garrett
R Bragg
R M De Villiers
G F Cortis
E M Bertoni
M M Van der Merwe
A W C Marsden
E B Manning
D De Ville Randall
D Alexander
P R Moss
M Downing
S M M Arnold
R M Dose
M F Payne
J G Woodburn
A S Jones
O S Wainwright
G L Carter
W H Neate
M M Wiese
J E Males
P E M Davies
TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
J B & J W Findlay Trust
Patricia Greutink Charitable
Trust
David Graaff Foundation
R Lewin Will Trust
I R Burrows Charitable Trust
Willmott Trust
M C Davis Trust
Dangwen Trust
Patricia Sheila Policansky
Testamentary Trust
F G Pay Trust
Vera Glegg Charity Trust
I D Du Plessis Testamentary
Trust
Margaret Joyce Stern
Charitable Trust
V W G Stone Will Trust
Allan and Gill Gray Charitable
Trust
Marjorie Cook Will Trust
Diane Kaplan Charity Trust
Hendrina Joyce Trust Fund
Yates Charitable Trust
C A Mabin Trust
A W E Larpent Charitable Trust
W M H Tichy Trust
Stavro Tsatsos Trust
H S Forrest Charitable Trust
E V M Dyer Will Trust
Eva Tonn Charitable Trust
Sheila Dakin Charitable Trust
E R Tonnesen Will Trust
John Kalmanson Copi Trust
Lynette Croudace Fund
W A Currey Trust
Cecil Jowell Family Charitable
Trust
Joan Walton Charitable Trust
John Kalmanson Family Trust
Douglas Jooste Trust
Din Din Trust
Pearly Trust
Rolf Stephan Nussbaum
Foundation
Mapula Trust
Mauerberger Foundation
Bob Langham-Carter Trust
C & D Robertson & M Howie
Trust
Susman Charitable Foundation
Pamela Barlow Charitable Trust
C A Jones Will Trust
Dr Sunshine Charitable Trust
C S Boulton Trust
Lily Ashton Charitable Trust
G M Pilcher Will Trust
Alexander Caspian Trust
Harry Crossley Foundation
W and J Weise Charitable Trust
Lou Orr Trust
Edward Daniels Charitable
Trust
Hyman Goldberg Foundation
Annamie Herbst Trust
Brian & Mira Robinson
Charitable Trust
ANIMAL SNAIDRG AU
D G OOF O H OE PP EA C
Let your
legacy
be their
protection
Become an Animal Guardian and help protect animals with a gift in your Will.
To find out more about remembering animals in your Will, please visit capespca.co.za/legacy
or contact Joette Emerton on 021 700 4150
or [email protected] to request a free information booklet.
Cape of Good Hope
How You Can HelpHow You Can Help
For further details on how you can help, please call us on
021 700 4141 or email [email protected] or visit
www.capespca.co.za. We would love to hear from you!
To report an animal in distress or get advice on animal
welfare issues contact 021 700 4158/9 during office hours
or 083 326 1604 after hours.
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Leave a legacy in your will
Make a regular donation via debit order or EFT
Make a once off donation
Adopt an animal from us
Shop at our Vet Shops and Charity Store
Become a volunteer
Make a donation of pet food / products
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Donate your unwanted goods
Join Team SPCA and cycle or run for the love of animals
Join The Tails Up Club
Sponsor our fundraising activities
Swipe your My School My Village My Planet card at participating outlets and make the Cape of Good Hope SPCA your beneficiary.