NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SPCAs - NSPCA Cares about all Animals

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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SPCAsRegistration No. 003-189 NPOPATRONThe Honourable Nelson MandelaDIRECTORSJane Marston (Chairman)Annette Rademeyer (Vice Chairman)Hannes Van Den Berg (Vice Chairman)Marcelle Meredith (Executive Director)Rita McFarlane (Financial Director)Keith Ramsay (Department of Agriculture Representative)Christabel GelandDaniel StewartMichael HandsThea SmitPERSONNELChief Executive OfficerMarcelle MeredithDeputy CEOEste KotzeAdministrationNadine FerreiraBusi RunelliLucy LungwaneRiana GroblerMeggie WilsonAnimal EthicsErika Vercuiel (Manager)Lebo SentleTheresa LotterVanessa AndersonCommunications/PROChristine KuchFarm Animals - Inc. Equine & AquaCeleste Houseman (Manager)Riana GroblerBurt CoetzeeGrace De LangeMike AllenNazareth AppalsamyTshepo SebakeSociety LiaisonBernice Dyer (Manager)Vonny StrachanLorraine HornAnton du BruynBlessing SizibaJaco PieterseLizl PienaarMaggie MuddAffiliated to: World Society for the Protection of AnimalsHumane Society International Shelter PartnerAffiliated to:Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsHumane Society of the United StatesSpecial ProjectsAndries Venter (Manager)Alwyn MaraisTrainingMorgane James (Manager)Mirriam MofokengWebmasterDave ThorpeWildlifeBrenda Santon (Manager)Isabel WentzelAinsley HayWendy WillsonADDRESSPO Box 1320Alberton14506 Clark RoadFlorentiaAlbertonTelephone: (011) 907-3591/2/3Fax: (011) 907-4013E-mail: nspca@nspca.co.zaWebsite: www.nspca.co.zaBank DetailsAccount Name NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SPCAsAccount Type CURRENTAccount No. 201 032 015Bank STANDARD BANKBranch Name ALBERTONBranch Code 006 405Internet Specific AccountAccount Name SPCA NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SAAccount Type CURRENTAccount No. 220 639 744Bank STANDARD BANKBranch Name ALBERTONBranch Code 102 342Page 1Annual Report Sponsored by Identipet

CHAIRMAN'S REPORTAt the end of another year,I’m pleased to report thatthe NSPCA has not onlysurvived, but remains anorganisation to which weshould all be inordinatelyproud to belong. I don’t wantto steal the thunder of theUnits, their superb work,dedication and commitmentare evidenced on the pagesthat follow. I will restrictmyself to highlighting merelycertain issues.With the appointment of EsteKotze as the Deputy CEO,Marcelle has had more timeto concentrate on strategicmatters. A few months agoat an international Expo, shereceived an award from the HumaneSociety International for “ExtraordinaryCommitment and Achievement in AnimalProtection.” The money she receivedas part of the award she donated to afledgling animal welfare organisation inChina. I don’t have to tell you how badly avoice for animals is needed in that country.The problems that we experience withseals in Namibia, and the complaintsfrom Zimbabwe and Mozambique haveled her to deem it necessary to set up aregional animal welfare network withinthe SADAC countries. At Marcelle’srequest, the board has agreed to donateR68,000 to the Kindness Club in Malawi,on condition that the organisation initiatesefforts to improve conditions in thenation’s abattoirs. The problems with thesmuggling of animals across our bordershave served to strengthen her resolve.Obviously this is not something that will beset up overnight, but it is a project whichwe believe will have long term benefits forthe animals in our region.Interest has been expressed in thetraining we provide to our Inspectors,and we have been asked to assist intraining Inspectors from neighbouringcountries. As you are probably aware,the NSPCA also provides trainingto the SA Police Service, borderofficials, students at Onderstepoortand the Justice College, Animal HealthPage 2technicians, staff at prisons andprosecutors.When I first joined the organisation,we were a pariah among those whoconducted research on animals. Nowthey seek us out. Recently we co-hosteda conference on alternatives to animalresearch in Pretoria, which was aresounding success. Similar conferenceswere arranged at other major centresin the country in an effort to spreadthe message far and wide: there arealternatives to animals – use them.We have been spending a lot of time andmoney on dog fighting, working closelywith the police and the Director of PublicProsecutions. It is dangerous work -the people who fight dogs are not onlyamoral degenerates, but they are alsocompletely ruthless.The Liaison Unit has been activelyinvolved in assisting Societies in manyareas, but this has been the year of theno-kill “sanctuaries”. It is not my intentionto criticize all of these institutions, assome do exemplary work. However,Irwin’s and Happy Yappers have givennew meaning to the idea of hell on earth.Visions of suffering animals with maggotseating their infested flesh; animals insuch pain that they can no longer standor walk have joined the other nightmaresthat haunt our staff. To say nothing ofthe devastation felt by our Inspectorswhen a “caring” no-kill owner at such afacility insisted that animals, who wouldotherwise have had a chance at a happyand loving home, be euthanased ratherthan be handed over to the SPCA.The Wildlife Unit’s involvement atairports and borders has improvedconditions. Obviously, with over 60 portsand airports to cover(in addition to theirother work) they arethinly stretched, but thetraining that they haveprovided to the staff atthe airports in particularmeans that many ofthe issues are beingrecognised and dealtwith by the airport staffthemselves. As a resultof their efforts, theywere invited to present apaper at the InternationalWildlife Conference:Combating Animal RelatedBorder Crime.There have also beena number of outreachprojects undertaken this year. Areascovered include Marydale and Vioolsdriftin the Northern Cape, Springbok, Garries,Groblershoop, Alexander Bay, Keimos,Kakemas, Kuruman and Olifantshoek in theEastern Cape, and Mbuytje and Lusikisiki.In the latter case, we were requested toassist with the castration of horses, but werewarned that if we used local state vets ratherthan bring our own, they would not bringtheir animals to us. In total, over 714 animalswere assisted, including 407 animalssterilised. Thanks to Kloof and Highway andUmngeni SPCAs who assisted.The efforts of the Special Projects Unithas resulted in Sun City withdrawingtheir sponsorship of the internationalpigeon racing competition held thereannually. Emperor’s Palace has alsodeclined to become involved.We are currently challenging theconstitutionality of the provisions in thePerforming Animals Protection Act,which entitle magistrates to issue permits.The current system presents ongoingproblems and it is an issue long overduefor attention.In short, we live in exciting times. Read on.It is my pleasure to thank thosewho have given selflessly of theirtime and efforts: To Adv Les MorisonSC, Adv Tanya Eichner-Visser, AdvKevin Hopkins, Adv Liza Segal, andAdv Dirk van Zyl my appreciation andgratitude. The compassion, kindness andinvaluable ongoing assistance providedby Captain Dennis Adriao SAPS NationalSpokesperson, is, of course, priceless.Jane MarstonChairman

FINANCIAL REPORTDetailed copies of the Audited Financial Statements are available on request from the NSPCA office.Page 3

FINANCIAL REPORT continuedDetailed copies of the Audited Financial Statements are available on request from the NSPCA office.Page 4

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORTI am so proud of the teamand the difference that theymake to the welfare of animalsaround this country. What theyaccomplish is not alwaystangible in the sense that we canbring you the story in pictures – anegotiated change, a standardor code that has taken yearsto finalise or a precedent set incourt by our astute legal team.We are transparent about thematters we are dealing withand we never turn down anissue even though we are oftenstrained to find the resources.But what we don’t do is dupethe public into believing we areworking on issues when we arenot. Nor do we take on highprofile issues for the purpose ofraking in the money or exaggerate ourinvolvement in others to curry favourwith the public.We simply don’t compromise ourprinciples which are based on integrity andhonesty. This is what makes us formidable.When our PR staff takes on Allan Greywith regard to animals and advertisingwe are not popular. When we take onSouth African Airways for the welfareof animals in their ‘warehouse’ we arenot popular. Neither are we popularwhen we decline a research protocolbelonging to National Geographic.Of course every time we do this weeffectively eliminate yet anothercorporation as a possible donor. Yetsomehow we survive.Perhaps by virtue of a greater powerand certainly due the public generosity.The demand for our training isincreasing with requests for coursesother than Inspectors, Committee andField Officers training. Our trainingprogrammes are open to other welfareorganisations and also extend toneighbouring countries.We still do not have a budget for PR andmarketing but somehow we manageand are prominently featured, especiallyin the print media. We are proud of ournew website and the fact that we areable to man our Facebook page asefficiently as we do, albeit that this is anextremely time consuming task.Our Liaison Unit has its hands full withco-ordinating and controlling the policiesand standards of our 95 SPCAs acrossthe country. However, this does notdeter them from assisting organisationsoutside of the country – Mozambique,Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia andMadagascar. This year they attendedthe first International Conference on DogPopulation Management. Discussionsnot only focused on contraceptionmethods but also Rabies, which is anissue not taken seriously in South Africa.We finally have a number of alternativesto offer researchers. As opposed tobreeding and unnecessarily confiningand then terminating the lives of animalsin research, we hope to encourage theresearch facilities to purchase their ownmodel and mannequin alternatives.We would also be pleased to make theproducts we have purchased availableto interested institutions but this wouldrequire an injection of funds to increaseour stock.We have spent an inordinate amount oftime monitoring international airports aswell as road ports of entry across thecountry. We have trained the agentswho contact our Wildlife Unit whenin doubt. Some may argue that in ourdetermination to have animals leavein appropriate crates that we haveencouraged the trade but this is mostdefinitely not the case. We opposethe trade in wildlife but reiterate thatall animals must be transportedhumanely and compassionately. Wehave also spent time training theSAPS and Customs officials – everylink in the chain has its advantagesof assisting us to enforce the law.Some may say that fish are lowon the scale of welfare. We thinknot. They certainly feel pain andjust as with chickens, the sheernumbers utilised by man, demandour focused attention. We arepleased to report that due to ourendeavours the welfare of fish hasbeen included in the Fish FarmingWelfare Code.Although polo was not an objectivethis year, due to major concernswe have spent time implementingwelfare and looking at thestandards that control this sport.Crocodile farming has caused greatconsternation. This needless utilisationof these ancient creatures for thefashion industry is senseless. Fortheir benefit and to implement welfarestandards we are working with theindustry to achieve upgraded standards.Our Farm Animal Unit continues tomonitor emerging farmers and wequestion how many more animals wewill be forced to destroy and how manymore prosecutions will emanate.Let us not lose the passion that madeus take that first step towards making adifference in the lives of animals. Let ustighten those bonds that join us togetherand draw other like-minded folk into ourcircle.Let us carry the SPCA torch with pride.Accolades to our Board of Directorsand all of our Staff.Thank you.Marcelle MeredithExecutive DirectorPage 5

ANIMAL ETHICS REPORTAnimals in South Africa are used forscientific purposes in medicine, biology,agriculture, veterinary and other animalsciences as well as industry, teaching andeducation. It also includes animal use inresearch, teaching, field trials, producttesting, diagnosis, the production ofsubstances and environmental studies.The NSPCA Animal Ethics Unit (AE)is opposed to animal experimentswhich involve unnecessary repetitionsor are for scientifically trivial ends orwhich involve techniques to whichsatisfactory and humane alternativeshave already been developed. TheNSPCA is also opposed to the use ofanimals in the testing of non essentialsubstances such as cosmetics. We alsooppose all experiments or procedureswhich cause pain, suffering or distress.Unit StaffThe Animal Ethics Unit is privilegedto have four (4) Para veterinaryprofessionals working in the Unit; this isa first for this Unit. The constant increasein the number of ethics committees weserve on and the intense review processwe are faced with, called for additionalstaff. The staff currently comprises ErikaVercuiel (Manager, Veterinary Nurse),Lebo Sentle (BTech Veterinary Technology,BTech Pharmaceutical Sciences, andLaboratory Animal Technologist, pendingBTech project management), VanessaAnderson (Veterinary Nurse) and TheresaLotter (Veterinary Nurse). Sr Lotterjoined the Unit in August 2012; she hasextensive experience in dealing withresearchers and research animals. Herexperience with domestic animals addsto the Unit’s expertise when dealing withtraining of inspectors.Unit ObjectivesOur focus is gradually shifting moretowards the strict focus of implementingthe “Replacement” factor of the 3 R’s ofanimals used in Research.The 3 R’s include the total replacementof animals, the reduction in animals byminimising the number of animals usedin a specific project, and the refinementof animal use by minimising suffering anddistress in various ways. We focus a lotmore on the full replacement of animalsused in specifically education and training.InspectionsAnimal Ethics Unit personnel havePage 6continued a program of nationalinspections of animal research facilities.During the reporting period 78 inspectionshave been completed compared to 38during the 2010/11 year. Inspectionsinclude:• Routine inspections;• Follow up inspections at places whereconcerns were raised during the routineinspections;• Post approval inspections that aredone once a research project has beenapproved to ensure that what wasstipulated in the protocol is implementedcorrectly;• Animal Ethics Committee inspectionsthat includes all the members of thecommittee as membership changes andmembers are not aware of the changesin the facilities where projects are beingconducted;• Complaints as part of our inspectorateduties we inspect facilities that arescrutinised mostly by public complaints.Environmental enrichment is somethingthat the NSPCA Animal Ethics Unit isable to monitor, advise, recommend andeven enforce at institutions which houseanimals for research and testing purposes.Enrichment can and does contributeto the “R” of Reduction by preventingaggression, alleviating tension and fightingand resultant injuries or deaths, whichultimately reduces the number of animalsused in research, another important goal ofthe NSPCA Animal Ethics Unit.Warnings and Corrective action lettersWarning letters in terms of the AnimalsProtection Act were issued for issuessuch as unacceptable housing systemsand lack of environmental enrichmentat institutions. Four (4) warnings havebeen issued. Twenty one (21) correctiveactions letters have been issued duringthis period. Corrective action is requiredwhen conditions are not up to standard(according to the SANS 10386) andimprovement is needed in certain fieldssuch as housing conditions, insufficientbio security and security systems, lackof administration and monitoring and thelack of implementation of animal welfarescore sheets and humane endpoint scoresheets. The Animal Ethics Unit followsup on feedback dates to ensure that thenecessary actions are taken to improvethe welfare of animals used in research,teaching and testing.Institutions and Animal EthicsCommittees (AEC)The NSPCA Animal Ethics Unit serves ondifferent Institutional, Senate and AnimalEthics Committees, Sub Committeesand Executive Committees nationally.Executive Committees usually compriseselected members within a committeewho deal with urgent ethical decisions aswell as modifications and amendments toprotocols. The NSPCA is the only welfareorganisation in South Africa operating ona full time basis in the animal research,teaching and testing field.The Unit serves on 33 Animal EthicsCommittees nationally.The protocol review process hasbecome more rigorous and closereview and comments are expectedof us as reviewers. The Animal EthicsUnit continues to identify and contactnew institutions with regard to AnimalEthics Committee representation and/orinspection requirements. The Unit receivesinvitations from institutions to serve ontheir Animal Ethics Committees.One hundred and twenty one (121)Animal Ethics and Senate Animal Ethicscommittee meetings have been attendedduring the period under review comparedto 94 during the 2010/11 year.In addition to the routine meetings, specialmeetings were held by Animal EthicsCommittees and these were attended bythe Animal Ethics Unit in order to deal withand advise on specific protocol queries,protocol violations, disciplinary matters,animal ethics committee issues, strategicplanning, animal welfare improvementplans, post inspection discussions anddocumentation reviews. Satisfactoryoutcomes have been achieved.A very important meeting and a first ever,was the assembly of most of the majorUniversities Animal Ethics CommitteeChairpersons. The meeting provided asuccessful outcome for the NSPCA. Bycommunications with the chairperson ofthe National Health Research EthicsCouncil, it appears that all EthicsCommittees using animals in researchfor animal benefit (and not only theanimals used for human benefit) will beregistering with this Council and audits onthese committees will be done to ensurestandardisation throughout the country. Itwas argued and agreed at this meeting,that whether animals are used in the fieldfor veterinary research, or whether they

ANIMAL ETHICS REPORT continuedare used in laboratories for human benefit(such as zoological diseases studies), theymust all be taken account of. The NSPCAhas been working towards this goal for anumber of years.Legislation in South Africa and ourstanceThe safety and efficacy testing of vaccines,medicines, medical appliances andmaterials, agricultural remedies, vaccines,nutritional supplements, pesticides andother consumer products is mandatedby various Statutes in South African law.These laws are intended to promote theconcept of preventative medicine whichrequires such substances to be tested forsafety and efficacy before they may beapproved and registered for public use.The above statements make it clearthat the use of animals is not somethingthat will be eliminated soon; thereforethe Animal Ethics Unit’s objective is toensure the welfare of the animals thathave to be used. Since there is constantlyprogress in the development of newmethods for replacing animals in variousfields of research, teaching and testing,the mandate is not absolute. Our aimis to ensure that any proposed use ofanimals for research must be preceded bya rigorous search for a validated animalreplacement method.During this period the Animal EthicsUnit made use of the South AfricanNational Standard for the Care andUse of Animals for Scientific purposes.This was used as a guideline documentin various arguments such as guidingprinciples in the responsibilities ofresearchers and teachers. The documenthas been distributed widely especially inthe University sector where students andresearchers make use of the intranet andinternet.We had various meetings with membersfrom different backgrounds as to theway forward pertaining to legislation forthe use of animals in research, teachingand testing. It is an ongoing process andresearchers and chairpersons of AnimalEthics Committees had requested theupdating of the current SANS 10386.Nine hundred and fifty two (952)research protocols were reviewed duringthis report period. The average amountof protocols reviewed has increaseddramatically since last year. Monthlycollated statistics on the number ofand species of animals are being keptand updated. We found that during thereporting period we had to deal with awide spectrum of species, from wildlifeto aquatics that are used in research,teaching and testing.When reviewing research protocolswe ensure that all avenues have beenfollowed to investigate the use ofalternatives. We ensure that all methodsused are refined to ensure minimal stressto the animals involved. When there areno alternatives available we try to ensurethat the minimum amount of animals isused. The following are examples of howwe implemented the 3 R’s either by ethicalreview of protocols or by inspections.a) Minimising the use of metaboliccrates.b) Drawing larger volumes of blood (stillwithin acceptable ranges) from oneanimal to use it for another project -reduction and refinement.c) Alternatives advocated for ulcerativecolitis studies in rats by making use ofthe alternative method called “Gut ona chip.”d) Alternatives for footpad injections inmice.e) Rejection of the use of CompleteFreunds adjuvant, as this is asubstance that causes pain andstress, an alternative adjuvant isavailable.f) Reducing the number of animals in astudy by sharing negative and positivecontrol animal groups.g) Replacement of soft leg traps.h) Alternatives recommended andimplemented replacing the use of theDraize eye test.Conferences, Seminars, Lectures andWorkshopsWorkshops and presentations, which focuson the Role of the NSPCA on ResearchAnimal Ethics Committees, have beengiven and will continue in future as thedemand increases. More focus is beingplaced on the implementation of alternativemethods for animal research.The following Workshops and Trainingsessions have been attended/presentedfor the period under review:-a) The first Alternatives demonstrationwas held at the Johannesburg SPCAinforming staff of the content of theAlternatives Library and using the dogmodel to demonstrate various trainingmethods to improve skills, especiallylistening to lung and heart soundsand to practice finding veins for thepurpose of euthanasia.b) Airport training workshops have beenattended by Sr. Andersonc) The Vanderbijlpark SPCA receivedtraining in using the manikin dog“Jerry” to practice euthanasia methods.d) Training and information waspresented to two different Institutions(Onderstepoort Veterinary Instituteand University of Cape Town)regarding environmental enrichment.Samples of products (sponsored byLilico International) were handedand explained to the institutions andbrochures supplied.The following Presentations werepresented:-a) The role of the Animal EthicsCommittee, presented to uShakaMarine World.b) Animal Ethics, Acts and legislations,presented to the University of theWitwatersrand Zoology PhD Students.c) Blood transfusion “The Why, How andEthical Issues” was presented by Sr.Theresa Lotter at the first ever ParaVeterinarian Congress in the KrugerNational Park.d) The NSPCA Animal Ethics Unit’srole” was presented by Sr. VanessaAnderson at the same congress.e) A presentation was undertaken at theGrassland Society of South Africaon Ethics in Animal Research atGrootfontein, Eastern Cape.Documentation – Development andDistributionThe Animal Ethics Unit has developedguideline documents to the Animal EthicsCommittees, researchers and animal carePage 7

ANIMAL ETHICS REPORT continuedstaff when they consider research projectsinvolving the use of animals of all species.We developed documents that are neededas indicated in the SANS 10386 for theCare and Use of Animals for Research,to ensure that Animal Ethics Committeeshave all the necessary information at handand that the workflow of the committeesare streamlined to indirectly ease our work.Copies of the following documents weresupplied to various institutions:-a) Biosafety and emergency plans forinstitutions.b) Documents needed when starting anew Animal Ethics Committee.c) Nutritional requirements for rabbits.d) Farm Animal Welfare Code.e) Alternatives to Freud’s Adjuvant.f) Environmental enrichment ideas forcattle kept indoors.g) Monitoring of research projects byresearchers by using correct scoresheet systemsh) Severity classifications in research.i) Standard Operating ProcedureTraining document guidelines.j) Toe Clipping information.k) Adverse Reaction/Unexpected Deathsreporting form.TV InterviewsSr. Erika Vercuiel had an interview withKykNET project Aardwolf. The name of theprogram was “Die ding met skoonheid”.The interview focused on the use ofcosmetic products and general researchon animals. This gave the Animal EthicsUnit an opportunity to discuss the role forUnit, or mission and vision.Alternatives WorkshopThe highlight for the Animal Ethics Unitfor this period was the first ever SouthAfrican Alternatives to the Use ofAnimals Workshop that was hosted atOnderstepoort in August. Delegates fromall over the country attended the workshopPage 8which was hosted by the NSPCA inconjunction with InterNICHE. Theworkshop was followed up by seminarsat six Universities across the country.The main speaker, Mr Nick Jukes (fromInterNICHE) was joined by Dr. BarbaraGrune from the German Federal Institutefor Risk Assessment (BfR) and Dr. AndreMenache from Antidote Europe.On the first day of the workshop thealternatives in education and trainingexplored the pedagogical, ethical andeconomic advantages of human learningtools. Best practice and alternatives toanimal experiments, illustrated with videoclips and demonstrations of software,models, manikins and simulators was wellreceived by the delegates. A multimediaExhibition provided access to nearly 100learning tools from across the disciplines,many taken from the newly establishedNSPCA /InterNICHE Alternatives LoanSystem, based in South Africa. Delegateswere able to trail software networkedacross 50 computers.A live demonstration of laparoscopicsurgery illustrated the potential ofadvanced training tools for superiorsurgical skills acquisition and thereplacement of animal experiments.Specially prepared ethically sourcedorgans were perfused using the POP(Pulsating Organ Perfusion) Trainer fromOptimist and a full laparoscopy stack, todemonstrate a range of clinical proceduresand use of different surgical tools. Theorgans derived from a companion animaldog that had been euthanised for medicalreasons, following the InterNICHE Policyon replacement methods.On the second day of the workshop,alternatives in research and testingwere addressed.Barbara Grune introduced alternativesin these fields and provided a reviewof legislative developments concerninganimal experimentation such as the newEU Directive 2010/63/EU. She alsodescribed the work of AXLR8 and itsefforts to accelerate the transition to atoxicity pathway-based paradigm forchemical safety assessment. Finally shereviewed funding of R&D and validationof alternatives, and reviewed globalinformation resources and techniquesfor a reliable search on alternatives toanimal experiments.Veterinarian Andre Menache exploredthe use of animal models and humanbasedresearch in an age of personalisedmedicine. He reflected on ethicalcommittees and their effectiveness, with acall to establish a level playing field, andquestioned the use of sentient animalsin fundamental research, suggesting it istime to raise the bar.The FutureBy using the resources we have at hand(NSPCA Alternatives Library) we planon targeting specific role players atUniversities to ensure that alternativesare implemented in various fields suchas pigs used for surgery, and the useof frogs, rats and pigeons dissectionsand plan on approaching SPCA’s to givethem an introduction of the AlternativesLibrary so that they can approach theirlocal schools who still use animals fordissections. We also plan on being morestringent when doing protocol reviews, tofind alternatives for specific research byusing our external resources and otherweb based research methods.Conclusion“It fortunately happens that the animalsmost suitable for scientific research arethose that are healthy, tame, comfortableand contented and that wastefulnessor irresponsibility in dealing with themis as discreditable on scientific as onhumanitarian grounds” Major CharlesW.HumeErika VercuielManager

COMMUNICATIONS REPORTMEDIA, MARKET and MESSAGE arethe keys in this portfolio. We need tocommunicate with a wide audience andas many people as possible. Media isthe gatekeeper to the individuals andcommunities we need to reach to influencetheir thinking with regard to animals andanimal welfare but also to obtain theirsupport, be that moral or financial.There is also a need to nurture supportersand to keep them updated with information,news, developments and ways in whichthey can make a difference – especially ifthese are easy and effective.PUBLICITYElectronic communications have impacteda great deal on how we approach issues.Informative or campaigning newslettersare sent out regularly to the e-mailaddresses of our subscribers. Pressreleases, including visual material whenappropriate, go out electronically to over400 print, radio and television stations. It ispleasing to note the increasing presenceof our publicity on web sites. Statisticsfrom year-on-year indicate that our mediastatements appear on more web sites thanin print publications. This is consistentwith the use of the Internet as a primarysource of information and also in line withwhat strategists in the fields of media andfunding are advising:- greater presenceon web sites is needed if non-profitorganisations are to achieve publicity andgenerate funding.Articles on material initiated or submittedin entirety by ourselves have appeared inmagazines including the new publicationsin South Africa, Good Housekeepingand Goeie Huishouding. Others whopublished material either submitted byourselves or to which we contributed werethe SAPS magazine Servamus and theBritish Airways in-flight magazine, HighLife. We acknowledge Animal Talk, Drum,Huisgenoot, People, Shape, You, YourFamily and Women’s Health in this regardas well as confirming that material alsoappeared in the children’s publicationMini Mag and the electronic magazinesSoul Buddy and Elect:- both of which aredirected at youth readership.Ornico began to assist us on a pro bonobasis from February 2012. This is amedia monitoring service who enable usto keep track of all publicity. Their twicedailyreports keep us updated and enablespeedy response as required. Ornico’sservice also enables us to measure thedegree of publicity, to identify when andwhere it appears and also gives us anindependent “measure” as a Randsvalueis submitted for every item. Thisincludes radio and TV coverage so anadded advantage is that we receive ourown copy. The value of their assistanceis R24,600.00 excl VAT annually.Appreciation is also expressed to thedonated Vericlip service who monitor ourpresence on the web sites other than ourown and send copies of that information.It was a year of looking for additionalgolden opportunities and we are delightedto report success.We reached young people through schooltext books. Permission to reproduce theregistered SPCA logo plus approval of thecontent were given to the following, notingthat amendments were requested duringthe process. It is pleasing that the editor andpublishers of each accepted our changes.“Sibo Saves a Stray” is the Departmentof Education’s Grade 3 Solutions forEnglish Home Language distributed to allgovernment schools.The SPCA movement features as inthe Maskew Miller Longman “Focus onAccounting” text book for Grade 11.Perhaps future SPCA Treasurers willemerge as a result.Published in August 2012, the OxfordUniversity Press “Oxford SuccessfulEnglish” grade 11 Learners Book alsoincludes ourselves.ADVERTISINGThe Blast advertising agency is thanked fordeveloping and producing three strategicadvertisements during the year on a probono basis. These tactical advertisementsare entitled “No Place Like Home” andrelate to the inadvisability of keeping exoticanimals as pets – or in captivity.RMS Media have been an enormousassistance to us. They have now workedfor us on a pro bono basis for overten years. They supply copies of ouradvertising and promotional material to allpublications and motivate placement.A statistical survey was commissionedby RMS Media in July 2012, using ACNielsen and Ad Dynamix to evaluate theextent and value of our advertising. Theresults were extremely positive. Duringthe twelve calendar months to the end ofMay 2012, a total value of R4,480,004.00in pro bono advertising had beenallocated to ourselves. The breakdownwas R185,356.00 for magazines,R2,426,240.00 on MNET, R1,550,971.00in newspapers and R327,356.00 on radio.The difference is Internet advertising. Thestreet pole advertising courtesy of Ad Reachcontinues to be displayed in and aroundJohannesburg. The value of it is not includedin the statistics above.Our thanks to all for helping us to spread themessage of compassion towards all animals.It is all about reaching the public. Mindsetscan be influenced. Compassion can bedirected towards meaningful actions andcampaigns can be supported if they arepublicised and motivated.A feeling of being involved and theknowledge that an individual is making adifference are important factors to bringinto consideration. Not only does the MYSCHOOL/MY PLANET initiative generatemeaningful and regular income but italso gives the card-holder a feeling ofbelonging. In July 2012, everyone witha card to benefit the SPCA National Fundwas sent an e-mail with details of our work,projects and aims. This kind of feedback ismotivational. We confirm that whenever aMY SCHOOL card is swiped, an average of2% of what was spent when the card wasswiped is allocated to the nominated charity.The Pick n Pay Smart Shopper card andthe Investec Dividends Rewards enablepeople to redeem their points in our favourfor which income is received. The formeris relatively new but we acknowledge thatincome is being received. The InvestecPage 9

COMMUNICATIONS REPORT continuedinitiative is ongoing and well supported.We are a participating member andbeneficiary of the Giving Organisation, the“basket” of charities who raise funds jointlyand share the income equally. The primarysource is payroll giving. This incomeis generated from employees not thecompany itself although some corporatesare starting to “match” employeedonations. There are 92 participatingcompanies and ongoing efforts are madeto increase this. Other projects of theGiving Organisation include The Good Cardand the soon to be launched 100 Club.Her Serene Highness Princess Charleneof Monaco supported the GivingOrganisation when she formally acceptedthe role of joint Patron with ArchbishopEmeritus Desmond Tutu. HSH Charlenemade a donation of R1 million to theGiving Organisation. Our share wasutilised to undertake a working donkeyoutreach project in Limpopo.Over and above the obvious benefitof generating valuable income for thecharities, the principle of co-operation isan additional advantage especially as jointcommunications including newsletters aredistributed to contributors. Being visiblylinked to other worthy causes confirms thatnone of us work alone and that whilst thewelfare of animals is at the forefront of ourwork, we do not overlook the suffering andabuse of others, especially children.FUNDINGBranding, public relations, media relationsand marketing surely overlap and areall elements of this portfolio yet fundingremains the key. According to PresidentJacob Zuma in a speech on 16 August2012, there are around 100,000 nongovernmentalorganisations in our countryof which around 30,000 have registeredvoluntarily. So we have competition forfunding.Page 10We are mindful of shifts in personalpreferences and general trends. That is,people now tend to carry out transactionsvia their Blackberry, computer Notepad,laptop or cell phone. Taking cognisanceof this we look to launch our new 5 digitdonations line and trust that the ease of itsuse will be reflected in success.Potential funding initiatives are examinedon an ongoing basis and are evaluated.This goes beyond an examination of launchcosts, ongoing expenses and financialbenefits. We consider the value of ourname and registered logo with regard to thevalue of it to the potential partner comparedwith the possible benefit/s to ourselves.The issue of a moral standpoint has beenthe basis for several decisions during theyear. We put conscience, consistency andaccountability above all else. The website offering us R2 per kilo of beef sold orR4 per kilo of lamb was flatly turned downand the proposer was advised that underno circumstances may our name or logobe used.On moral grounds we also declined tobe the recipient of ongoing funds froma magazine’s SMS competition as theprize was made of leather. This at a timewhen our Farm Animal Protection Unitwas uncovering anomalies – if not blatantcruelty – in this very industry. Likewise, apotentially extremely beneficial promotionfinancially was declined as the “percentageper product sold” was from a companywho either tested on animals or could notprove that they did not.We have an ongoing battle against thetrading of live animals on web sites which,in our view, renders sentient beings intocommodities and by-passes welfareconsiderations. Yet one such web siteoffered us an endorsement deal and the“opportunity” to place our highly regardedlogo on their site. It was declined and anappeal made for a change in their policy.In terms of working with and throughthe advertising industry in general,issues have been addressed includingfilming without a qualified inspector in amonitoring capacity as well as advertisingwhich – in our opinion – breached theAdvertising Standards Authority (ASA)Code in terms of the perception to theviewer. In each case above, the matterwas resolved through direct liaison withthe company. We are appreciative of ourrelationship with the ASA with whom weare able to discuss issues of concern asthey arise.Recent discussions involved the growinguse of registering Trademarks which maymislead consumers. This arose from thedismissal of our complaint against Shopritein that “Certified Natural Lamb” was in facta Trademarked name, not a description.Certified Natural Lamb (Pty) Ltd is asubsidiary of LAW Holdings who supplylamb. The Trademark has been acceptedby the Department of Health. This issue isongoing as we now find that “Eco Fresh”has been trademarked by a dairy.This report ends with a quotation from asupporter whose photograph featured inan edition of Marie Claire magazine in2011. Readers could send an SMS costingR10 with the NSPCA receiving the income.The prize was a lunch date with Cameronvan der Burgh who is now an Olympicgold medal winner and world-renowned.This was a wonderfully supportive gestureon his part and we end with his words aspublished in the magazine. Speaking ofanimals, he said:-“Our bond is as close as the one I havewith friends and family.”We salute everyone who holds sucha view, who demonstrate compassiontowards animals and who support ourtireless efforts to assist animals.Christine KuchCommunications Officer

FARM ANIMAL PROTECTION REPORTThe Farm Animal Protection Unit strivesto inspect and keep abreast of all farmingmethods that use farm animals, regardlessof numbers or whether intensive or smallscale farming systems are being utilised.Millions of farm animals including cattle,sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, ostriches andcrocodiles are farmed in South Africa formeat, milk, eggs, wool, feathers and skin.We remain steadfast in accepting theresponsibility to stand in the gap for all farmanimals, ensuring that existing codes andlegislation are adhered to and we believewith our expertise we are able to make adifference for all the animals that fall withinthe ambit of our Unit. Our commitment tothese animals is to improve their quality oflife and to ensure that all facets are takencare of in the most humane manner fromthe time they are born to the time they areslaughtered, included rearing, transport,handling, restraining and ultimatelyslaughter.MEETINGS / TRAININGGauteng Department of Agriculture andRural Development and MpumalangaState Veterinarians – we attended twomeeting to discuss the modus operandirequired during the culling of pigs affectedby African Swine Fever in the jurisdiction ofGauteng and Mpumalanga.Department of Agriculture Forestry andFisheries, Import Export Policy Unit –accompanied by Marcelle Meredith, BrendaSandton and Wendy Willson, we attendeda meeting with the Department and KeithRamsay to discuss the difficulties we areexperiencing with the import and export oflive animals and that there certainly needsto be closer liaison between the Departmentand ourselves.Tarkastad Rodeo, Eastern Cape – wewere unable to meet with the organiser,but his colleagues were adamant that theywere not holding a rodeo but ‘boeresport’.The local magistrate concurred with theirsentiments and the rodeo went ahead.Crocodile meeting - two meetings wererequested by the South African CrocodileFarmers Association (SACFA) to discussthe keeping of crocodiles in individualpens at Metcroc, Pongola, electricalimmobilisation and other pertinent matters.The Unit attended the SACFA nationalmeeting held for members and nonmembers,mainly to discuss electricalimmobilisation and the use of single pens.There was a lot of tension and anger at themeeting as the majority of the crocodilefarmers did not welcome the topic fordiscussion or the NSPCA’s presence.Attended 50/50 studio to discuss ourconcerns about crocodiles and to decidewhich farms would be inspected. Theprogramme was aired in June 2012.Mpumalanga, Ermelo “Hein se plaas”,Stock Theft Unit Forum - we attended ameeting with various role-players withregard to stock theft, including the SouthAfrican Defence Force, South AfricanPolice, Stock Theft Unit, farmers and woolproducers. This was the first meeting ofits kind and meetings will be held every3 months to discuss stock theft relatedconcerns and to try and find solutions toproblems being experienced.Nu Laid Poultry – a meeting to discussthe continued problems we experience attheir hawking/cull facilities and we wereagain assured of their co-operation andcommitment to resolve the issue.Ferdinand Brecher Laerskool, Steinkopf,Northern Cape – the school is extremelyconcerned about the sodomising ofequine in the area and a meeting was heldwith the police, school governing body,teachers, Nature Conservation and StateVeterinarians. During a follow up inspection,we attended a meeting in the communityhall in Steinskopf and addressed theaudience consisting of scholars, parentsand other adults from the community. Theissues discussed were about the bestialityconcerns as well as the animal crueltytaking place in the township involving theyouth.At the invitation of the local radio stationNamakwa FM, we took part in a talk showdiscussing the above topics and givingadvice to the listeners. The station has alistenership of over 80,000. The feedbackfrom both the meeting at the community halland the radio show was very positive.National Department of Agriculture - wehave held two meetings with Keith Ramsayto discuss various farm animal/agriculturalissues, including the single crocodile pens,export, pounds and emerging farmers.Livestock Welfare CoordinatingCommittee (LWCC) – we attended fourmeetings which were fairly well representedby role players from the Milk ProducersOrganisation, South African Bureau ofStandards, Livestock Animal WelfareAssociation, National Wool GrowersAssociation, Red Meat Abattoir Association,Feedlot Association, Red Meat ProducersOrganisation and the National EmergentRed Meat Producers Organisation, SouthAfrican Veterinary Association and GautengState Veterinary Services.The core focus of the meetings was toaddress all animal welfare related issueswithin the farm animal sector and toimprove welfare standards of farmedanimals.Red Meat Abattoir Association – weattended the annual RMAA Conferencein the Western Cape. Abattoir ownersand employees, State Veterinarians andGovernment representatives attended theConference.Avi (avian) Africa Poultry Conference,Gauteng – we attended the three dayannual Poultry Industry Conference whichaddressed issues such as emergingfarmers, feed, diseases and a code ofpractice.South African Bureau of StandardsTransport Meeting, Pretoria – weattended two meetings to revise the existingcode in order to consolidate certain pointsand elaborate on others.Africa Agricultural Conference – Apower point presentation was deliveredto delegates at the conference. Thedelegates were from African countries. Thepresentation by the NSPCA was basedon general animal welfare and was wellreceived.50/50 Studio – we met at the 50/50 studiowith South Africa Rodeo to have a debatePage 11

FARM ANIMAL PROTECTION REPORT continuedpertaining to rules and legislation relatingto Rodeo. The programme was aired inAugust.South African National HalaalAuthority Conference, Midrand,Gauteng – accompanied by MarcelleMeredith, we attended the internationalconference at which Professor SiraAbdul Rahman of the World Organisationof Animal Health (OIE) delivered anexcellent presentation on the importanceof high animal welfare standards duringqurbani. The conference also hadpresentations on legislation pertaining tolabelling and branding, halaal tourism andIslam finance.DISASTERSGauteng, Devon & Brakpan - AfricanSwine Fever (ASF) – A three day cullingof pigs focusing mainly on the informalsettlements. A team of State Veterinariansand animal health technicians undertookthe culling, overseen by ourselves.Mpumalanga, Evander - after a furtheroutbreak of ASF we were required toperform the actual culling of pigs with theassistance of State Veterinarians andanimal health technicians.Hammersdale/Kloof, Kwa Zulu Natal- Due to Salmonellae, Coccidiosis andNewcastle wild strain, we were requestedto assist with the culling of chickens.Accompanied by the Kloof and HighwaySPCA the chickens were humanely culled.COMPLAINTSThe Unit has attended to complaints in allnine provinces of South Africa. The callshave been fairly varied and have includeddogs, cats, wildlife, horses, calves, camels,chickens, cattle, ostriches and donkeys.We have attended to complaints about littleor no water, downer animals and hobblingof equine. Several of the complaints wereundertaken during training with Societies orduring our trips and two of the complaintsresulted in prosecution.ABATTOIRSWe continue to monitor red and white meatabattoirs throughout the country. Someof the problems we have encounteredincluded being denied access to a poultryabattoir and having to obtain a warrantto gain access, excessive cutting withinadequate knives, incorrect bleed outtimes, no shelter provided, no lights atan off-loading ramp, stunning of sheep inthe eye, pigs not stunned correctly and atcertain abattoirs the stun to bleed was inexcess of specified time.COURT CASES• Standerton Sale, Mpumalanga – nowater and poor handling of farm animals.Case pending.• Kempton Park, Gauteng – rabbits kept inpoor conditions. Case pending.• Randfontein, North West – rabbits withno food, water or veterinary treatment.The accused had an attorney and wasfound not guilty• Ostriches, Western Cape – toe clippingof ostriches. The prosecutor declinedto take this case forward and was notprepared to give the reasons. The casehas been resubmitted for prosecutionand we await the decision.• Groot Marico, North West Province– feedlot/speculator. A complaint wasreceived via SAPS that cows werestarving. We found approximately 600head of cattle on the property, of whichover half were emaciated. Four cattlewere immediately humanely destroyedto end further suffering. No water or foodwas available for any of the cattle. Casestill pending.• Serfontein Case, Potchefstroom, NorthWest - The company was sentenced toa fine of R1,000.00 suspended for threeyears for the offence in terms of theAnimals Protection Act. The suspensionof the sentence is subject to the conditionthat the accused does not contraveneany of provisions of Section 2 of theAnimals Protection Act during this period.The Court ordered that R5,000.00 wasto be paid to the NSPCA’s Farm AnimalProtection Unit within 10 working days.A fine of R80,000.00 was imposed inrelation to the offence in terms of theNational Environmental ManagementAct. Of this, R40,000.00 is suspendedfor three years. An additional fine ofR10,000 was imposed in relation to asecond charge in terms of the same Act,wholly suspended for three years. Thiseffectively means a R40 000.00 fine andR5,000.00 payable to the NSPCA.• Opti Chicks, Lichtenburg, North West- live day-old chicks and eggs thatwere dumped at an open dumpingsite, some injured, some havingburnt to death in the heat of the sun.Eggs were still hatching. The chicksand eggs were sorted and taken formaceration. Case still pending.• Qurbani Camels, Lenasia, Gauteng– The animals were not adequatelyrestrained and the slaughterers werecertainly not competent or preparedfor the efficient and effective slaughterof the animals. The camels wererepeatedly slashed with knives priorto the cut being effective. The camelswere then post stunned by us.A case was opened but the publicprosecutor declined to prosecute – “...no chance for successful prosecution.Will be difficult to prove unlawfulness”.We thank Jane Marston for pursuingthis matter for us.• ‘How to kill a chicken’, KwaZulu-Natal- NSPCA investigations have led tocriminal charges being laid against twoKwaZulu-Natal schoolgirls who recordedand posted a video of themselvestorturing a hen as they giggled andsquealed with laughter. To no avail, weattended a meeting with the Director ofPublic Prosecutions to state our caseas the State took a decision not toprosecute as they felt that the children,who were under age, had already beenthrough enough with the media exposure• Geyerspan, North West – our personnelhad to intervene after a horse "in thering" had broken a leg. Organisers failedto put the animal out of its misery butled it away with its bone protruding. Wehumanely destroyed the horse. We havebeen informed that there is insufficientevidence of cruelty!• Bon Canard Farm, Lichtenburg, NorthWest – a warrant was obtained and araid was undertaken at the farm thatproduces pate de foie gras. One hundredand ten birds were removed and allwere humanely euthanased. We alsoconfiscated the force feeding equipment.Charges laid.• Siyaphambili Broiler Project, Piet Retief,Mpumalanga – Chickens were starvingand without suitable feed and water,resulting in severe cannibalism. Allthe birds were humanely slaughtered.Charges laid.• Metcroc Farm has built intensive singlepen enclosures to house crocodilesPage 12

FARM ANIMAL PROTECTION REPORT continuedindividually for their last few months,prior to slaughter. This method is usedas it gives the skin time to heal if thereare any lesions, plus minimises anyfurther injuries and damage to the skin.The state declined to prosecute.• Krooncroc, Rustenburg, North West- we observed workers cutting thenape of the crocodiles, attempting tomangle the brain and then inserting awire along the spine towards the tail.The crocodiles were fully conscious.Charges laid.• Windpompfees, Naboomspruit,Limpopo – charges were laid against thelocal SAPS for not preventing greyhoundracing from taking place. The organisersof the event were also charged as wehad been in communication with themadvising that the planned event wasillegal, but they chose to ignore us.Although the case is still ongoing, one ofthe accused has since been murdered.• Beeserkraal, Laingsburg, Western Cape- ostriches not being fed and dying. Thestate declined to prosecute. We haverequested reasons for the decision.• Bela Bela, Limpopo – we receiveda complaint that a donkey had beenseverely beaten by a group of people.Upon arrival we found a donkey leaningagainst the wall of a house. Her headwas swollen and blood was runningdown the left side. She was unsteadyon her feet and swayed as she walked.We humanely destroyed the donkey.Charges were laid and the accusedwas found guilty. A R200 fine imposedsuspended for five years.HAWKING, CULL OUTLETS ANDSALEYARDSWe have inspected facilities in Gauteng,Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga,North West, Free State and Natal.Inspections were predominantly of poultrybut cattle, sheep and goats were alsoinspected. Warnings were issued at manyfacilities for non-treatment of sick or injuredchickens, handling problems, failing toremove dead chickens from the flock, andunweaned calves not accompanied by theirmothers.Three of the outlets in particular wereshocking and one of them is a NULAIDpoultry cull outlet. We have since met withNULAID and conditions have improved.IMPORT / EXPORTThe Barkly Pearl, East London, EasternCape – Two thousand and seventeencattle were loaded, being the biggestconsignment of cattle ever sent toMauritius.Accompanied by Carte Blanche and aTrainee Inspector of King Williams TownSPCA we flew to Mauritius to monitor theoff-loading and to inspect the conditions ofthe animals on the vessel.Many of the cattle in the bottom sectionswere recumbent and appeared weak andthere were also signs of heavy breathing.The lairages and the cattle were covered infaeces. There were numerous altercationswith the Mauritian handlers who were usingprodders on the testicles. Cattle were alsobeing beaten with planks even though theywere moving forward. They also had toendure tail twisting and being kicked in theface.The last bull left on the ship was so weakit was unable to lift its head and his eyeswere protruding from his head with apanicked look. We informed them that theanimal had suffered enough and was notto be moved. A few of the Mauritians randownstairs and when we got there theywere busy slaughtering the bull.The vessel took almost two days to load,was at sea for eleven days and took fifteenhours to off-load in Mauritius.In September the vessel again docked inEast London and we obtained a warrant toprevent any farm animals being loaded. Theexporters decided to challenge the warrantand that evening we appeared in the HighCourt where the exporter’s Advocateargued that the warrant we had obtained beset aside as they had witnesses that wouldprove that animals would not suffer, not tomention the enormous financial loss hisclients would bear if the vessel could not beloaded.We were cross examined at length andalthough we testified in depth about theconcerns of the previous consignment andexport as a whole, the Judge ruled that itdid not follow that the animals would sufferon this particular shipment, even if sufferinghad been proven on previous shipmentsand the exporters were permitted to load.INTENSIVE SYSTEMSThese inspections included emergingfarmers, agricultural colleges, prisons, emu,poultry, pigs, cattle and sheep feedlots,crocodiles, cattle and goat dairies, ostrichfarms and rabbits and foie gras production.Some of the concerns we encounteredwere -• Krooncroc, Rustenburg, North West– fully conscious crocodiles beingslaughtered. Charges laid.• Bon Canard Farm, Lichtenburg, NorthWest – force feeding of ducks. Chargeslaid.POUNDSWe inspected pounds in the Eastern Cape,Free State and Natal. Farm animal poundscontinue to be of grave concern as thereis little or no care given to the animals thatare impounded and it is extremely difficultto get any form of commitment from thepound masters to fulfil their responsibilitiestowards the animals in their care. Wewere pleased to receive a request from amunicipality in Natal to assist with trainingof their personnel, which we certainly will beinvolved with.QURBANITeams monitored in the Eastern Cape,Gauteng, Limpopo and Natal. At some ofthe sites in Eastern Cape, Gauteng andNatal we were requested/permitted to prestun the cattle.Generally in Gauteng, the problemsexperienced were less than during 2010and thankfully no camels were slaughteredthat we were aware of.In Natal we experienced severe problemswith handling, restraining and competencyduring slaughter.TRANSPORTATION CAMPAIGNWe held a transport campaign coveringfive border posts between South Africa andBotswana, and South Africa and Namibia.We worked in conjunction with SouthAfrican Police, Road Traffic Inspectorate,Customs, Department of Agriculture andVet services. Warnings were issued forinappropriate transportation of animalslike poor gridding or no gridding on thetrucks and incorrect stocking densities.Coordinated road blocks were also heldwith the aim of stopping vehicles carryingfarm animals. Many vehicles were stoppedand the campaign was very positive. All thegovernmental sectors that were part of thecampaign welcomed the NSPCA as theyalso learnt a great deal.Page 13

FARM ANIMAL PROTECTION REPORT continuedEQUINE REPORTRoutine inspections/complaintsWe have undertaken inspections in theWestern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga,Free State, North West, NorthernCape and Gauteng. The inspections/complaints included bush racing, equinein townships, riding schools, saddlehorses, security companies, donkeysbeing hobbled and horses generally inpoor condition.One of the worst complaints we receivedwas about donkeys, allegedly beingseriously abused by youths in the areawho mutilate donkeys by stabbing them,slashing them with pangas and evenpouring petrol over them and settingthem alight.TRACTIONWe have undertaken work with tractionanimals in Free State, Eastern Cape,Northern Cape and Limpopo. We havereplaced ill-fitting bridles and harnesses,Page 14educated owners and given advice oncorrect handling, feeding and generalhealth care.We would like to express our sinceregratitude to The Donkey Sanctuary,United Kingdom for once again providingfunding. This sponsorship has certainlybeen of great assistance in uplifting thewelfare of donkeys in the country.POLOWe have monitored games in the WesternCape, Gauteng and Free State and someof the problems observed were roughand abusive handling of the horses;inadequate or no water in the paddocks;lack of shade in paddocks; horses notbeing warmed up or cooled down as theyshould be during matches or practices;concerns that although there are rulesregarding polo pony welfare duringgames that no action was taken; and noveterinarian on site during games.MeetingsPolo - We attended three meetingswith different complainants and ridersregarding concerns at polo matches.CEO of Polo Association South Africaand the National Pony Welfare Officerof Polo South Africa – meeting heldat our offices with Marcelle Meredithin attendance. After discussing ourconcerns with the welfare of the poloponies, the association representativesadmitted that they have failed to enforcethe rules and guidelines of the PoloAssociation. They undertook, as amatter of urgency, to look into theseissues and take the necessary stepsto ensure that there are more stringentcontrols and adherence to the rules.They stated that they were committed toworking with the NSPCA in the future.President of the South African NationalEquestrian Federation and AssistantLaboratory Director of NationalHorseracing Authority (NHRA) – wehave met with both organisations withregard to anti dope testing of polohorses. The costs involved of sendingsamples to the Federation EquestrianInternational’s (FEI) laboratory overseasand the length of time it takes for theresults to come back means testingis only done on a small scale at thisstage. We were given a list of equestriandisciplines that fall under FEI regulationsof which polo does not. It now appearsthat polo ponies can be tested locally formuch cheaper and the results obtainedmuch quicker.RODEOWe have continued to monitor rodeoevents in the Free State, Gautengand North West. Where possible, withthe Magistrate’s consent, we obtaina warrant which prohibits the use ofbucking straps or any other equipment.Unfortunately, not all Magistratesconsider rodeo to be in contravention ofthe Animals Protection Act and we thankJane Marston for all her assistance onthis matter.Celeste HousemanManager

SOCIETY LIAISON REPORTThe Society Liaison Unit remains focusedon ensuring that all member Societies areconversant with the SPCA Act and Rulesand that all Committee Members, Volunteersand Staff uphold the NSPCA Statement ofPolicy. Inspectors from all NSPCA Units playan active role in training SPCA Inspectorsat all 95 Societies, through the provision ofregular telephonic advice with complex orspecialised investigations as well as withhands-on instruction when Inspectors andTrainees are invited to accompany the Unitson inspection and outreach activities. TheSociety Liaison Unit also assists SPCAswith establishing practical systems ofadministration within their facilities.We have noted that an increasing number ofSPCAs struggle to find dedicated individualsprepared to expend the necessary time andenergy required to manage an effectiveand efficient Society. Economic, work andfamily pressures leave few people withtime to devote to charitable works and wecommend those hardworking memberswho remain committed to combating crueltyand uplifting the welfare of animals throughthe establishment of a sound infrastructureand the engagement of skilled andcompassionate Staff.It has been a sad and repeated occurrenceover the past year that SPCAs have foundthemselves endlessly having to explain thepolicies of the movement to those who stillconsider that we should only be concernedwith the welfare of companion animals,including an outrageous call for SPCAs todiscontinue essential euthanasia.Unwanted, neglected and abandonedcompanion animals find themselves in anarray of animal welfare organisations, rescuegroups, shelters and foster facilities. Whenall the shelters and foster facilities are fullthey will also find themselves in SPCAs.We must pose the question – what happenswhen all the SPCAs, rescue organisations,shelters and fostering facilities are full –where will the endless flow of unwantedanimals go then? Who will take responsibilityfor their welfare?We shoulder this difficult responsibility andthe level of our concern for the welfare ofanimals dictates that we will leave no animalto an uncertain fate or imprisoned for the restof its natural life.We commend those organisations thatdo not mislead the public by referring tothemselves as ‘no-kill’, but like ourselvesas ‘pro-life’ and even beyond this, as ‘proquality-of-life’.SPCAs are the only organisation that bylaw may not refuse to accept any animal ofany species and who by law may also notrefuse to assist a sick or injured animal ofany species. A most onerous responsibilitythat we take very seriously.SPCAs and NSPCA expend all possibleresources on sterilisation but despite thecollective efforts of SPCAs and otheranimal welfare organisations dedicated tocompanion animals we cannot stem the tide.SPCAs at times find themselves being takenadvantage of by certain groups who supportCircuses and various competitive and timedevents for certain groups of working animals.Unscrupulous individuals endeavour to attaincredibility for themselves by associating theSPCA name with their activities. SPCAsneed to constantly be on their guard – themerest mention that animals ‘appear tobe in good condition’ ends up plastered allover the internet asserting that the SPCAapproves of the given activity.During 2012 a total of 35,224 companionanimals were claimed or rehomed and46,262 sterilisations were performed. This isa decline of around 7% in both cases whenwe would certainly like to see growth in thesefigures, but accept that there are a finitenumber of suitable homes available and allSPCAs are grappling with sustainability andraising funds for sterilisation campaigns.However, on the positive side, the statisticsreveal an increase in cruelty preventionactivities, our core function. Prosecutionsfor the year under review rose from 192to 230 cases, the highest number ofprosecutions recorded by SPCAs in oneyear. 523,287 animals were handled inrelation to cruelty complaints and 52,487proactive inspections were conducted bySocieties.The Liaison Unit continues to be a hiveof activity with a constant flow of crueltycomplaints and enquiries emanating fromall over South Africa and being fielded toSPCAs or NSPCA Units. Communicationsare received via e-mail, phone and fax aswell as postings on internet sites via smartmobiles. The electronic age means thatinformation can be relayed via an arrayof wireless devices but it is important thatmembers of the public rely on the most directmethod of communication to ensure promptreceipt and rapid response.Regrettably, the multiplicity of theinformation being relayed does resultin duplication of effort and issues going‘viral’. Reports and complaints continueto circulate long after they have beenresponded to and NSPCA and SPCAStaff find themselves repeatedly tiedup responding to an array of ongoingenquiries.During the year under review, the Unit fielded6,492 phone calls and the total of email andcorrespondence handled by all Staff withinUnit amounted to a staggering 33,701.692 Magisterial Authorisations were issuedto Inspectors of which 384 were to forInspectors at Societies and 308 were forNSPCA Inspectors. A total of 104 AnimalWelfare Assistant applications werecorrelated and submitted to the SouthAfrican Veterinary Council.During this period, 198 Society visitswere carried out, of which 67 were toconduct training and 64 to conductchecklist inspections or audits. The otherUnits also provided training to Societieson 43 occasions.We received 802 reports of cruelty and77 complaints about Societies, but wealso received 43 commendations aboutSocieties. The number of cruelty complaintsreceived increased by over 40%, the numberof complaints about SPCAs was static butthe number of commendations increasedby 150%.Pursuant to the SPCA Act, 46 Thirty-DayLetters were issued, of which 9 were as aresult of inspections, 4 for no Inspector and18 related to non or incomplete submissionof year end requirements, an improvementon the 26 letters issued for this reason theprevious year. Five (5) subsequent Ten-DayLetters were issued.10 Dispensations for not having a qualifiedInspector in terms of Rule 6.16 were issued.During the period under review, NSPCArepresentatives were appointed to serve, orcontinued to serve, on the Committees of9 Societies in terms of the SPCA Act, andPage 15

SOCIETY LIAISON REPORT continuedcurrently still serve on the Committees of7 Societies. A member of the Unit is alsoserving on a Society that failed to elect acommittee at their Annual General Meeting.It is of some concern that this number hasmore than doubled since 2011.We commend the NSPCA Staff members,Regional Directors and Committee Membersfrom Carltonville, Klerksdorp, Kloof andHighway, Letaba and uMngeni SPCAs whograciously accepted appointment to serve onCommittees at the behest of the Board.These statistics correlate with the increase inthe number of SPCAs that cannot meet theminimum requirement of having a minimumof 5 Committee Members, coupled withongoing challenges in engaging and retainingqualified Inspectors.It is a concern that we still have 18 SPCAsthat do not have a qualified Inspector on Staff.The NSPCA was represented at 21 RegionalMeeting and attended 20 Society AnnualGeneral Meetings. There still remains twoProvinces without a Regional Committee,as well as the five Societies within theJohannesburg metropolitan area, althoughinformal meetings have been held with aview to establishing a regional committeein Johannesburg. The Unit and Directorfor Free State continue to motivate for theestablishment of a regional body in thisprovince which faces many challenges.With most animal welfare organisationsremaining disadvantaged in neighbouringcountries, we continue to provide advice,documentation and emergency materialsupport to assist them with their efforts.During the past year we have assistedPage 16BSPCA in Botswana, Windhoek SPCA inNamibia, MAPS in Mozambique, ZNSPCAin Zimbabwe, SAWS in Swaziland andan initiative in Madagascar to draft animalwelfare legislation in that country.The Unit also advises local animal welfareorganisations and initiatives operating inareas of South Africa without SPCAs. Weencourage such interaction and co-operationwith groups that share our animal welfarestandards and policies.Advice has been given to LEAPS from theLamberts and Elands Bay area, PAWS inPlettenberg Bay, Thabazimbi and MatzikamaAnimal Welfare organisations, and Pet Hopein St. Helena Bay.The Unit also inspects various animalshelters or assists SPCAs to do so whichdoes on occasion lead to warnings beingissued or more drastic measures beingtaken should any serious contraventionsof the Animals Protection Act be detected.This may also lead to a war of wordsin the media but all NSPCA Inspectorsremain dedicated to preventing cruelty,even when this is found occurring in socalled ‘sanctuaries’ or ‘havens’. Everyeffort is made to work with the owners andprosecution is always a last resort.With ongoing co-operation from Alberton,Boksburg, Randburg and VereenigingSPCAs, 178 surplus healthy dogs weresigned over by SAPS as part of a programmeto responsibly rehome these animals.Apart from assisting with routine inspectionsat the Airport, this Unit monitors the SnifferDogs and Runway Dogs at OR TamboAirport to ensure their wellbeing.Twenty-four requests for educationalmaterial from SPCAs were processed overthe past year.During the course of their duties, Inspectorsfrom the Unit will also have to deal withcruelty cases, often encountered enroute to one of our 95 SPCAs across thecountry. The Unit responded to 101 crueltycomplaints throughout the year.We also actively assist the other Unitswhenever possible, including assistance withdisasters, emergency culls and events suchas Qurbani. We commend the other Units forregular assistance provided to Societies withspecialised cases and training. We thank theWildlife Protection Unit for arranging relevantpermits to enable SPCAs to transport wildanimals to rehabilitation facilities.We were saddened to have to interveneat the Sani SPCA where a member ofstaff was found to be hoarding cats. AnInspector from the Unit was assisted byInspectors from the Kloof and Highway andUmgeni SPCAs at a property in Underberg,KwaZulu-Natal, where over 125 felines werefound on the property of Joan Stevenson.Cats on her property had been donated tothe local SPCA but had been diverted toher home. The cats were mostly feral andwere breeding. They were living in parasiticconditions and filth. The stench in the housemade it difficult for the Inspectors whowere uplifting the animals. It was confirmedthat some of the animals had not receivedessential treatment and one kitten wassuffering from an extreme facial injury. MsStevenson subsequently signed over thecats to the NSPCA.Although it was with deep disappointmentthat the NSPCA discovered the situation,the NSPCA believes in transparency andon this basis, these facts are brought topublic attention, upon whose kindness andgenerosity the SPCA movement relies.All SPCAs and all who work for them inwhatever capacity are accountable. Therole of the NSPCA is to protect animalsfrom cruelty and this includes the inspectionand monitoring of the homes of Staff andCommittee Members.Three further Committee Memberswere required to resign from their SPCAcommittees. One was found to be breedingand selling exotic birds, one admitted toengaging in hunting and one to sportsfishing. Although it may be a struggle torecruit dedicated Committee Members, theSPCA sets the standard for animal welfarein South Africa and all Committee Members,Volunteers and Staff members must accordwith the Statement of Policy and take thelead by setting the right example.OUTREACH KZN PROJECTThis Pietermaritzburg SPCA has enteredinto an implementing agency agreement withthe KZN Department of Agriculture, aimed atestablishing a formal partnership between theDepartment and animal welfare organisationsin KZN, specifically SPCAs and AACLs. Thegoal is the establishment of a communityoutreach programme that will benefit allKZN citizens and their companion animals,particularly those living in rural areas.The OKZN Project will establish mobile unitsto facilitate primary health care. Throughthese Units, support services will be offeredto district veterinary offices, KZN SPCAs andAACLs and extend to areas where primaryhealth care has never been established.The project will focus on sterilisation,vaccination and deworming, as well as theremoval of unwanted animals. Education will

SOCIETY LIAISON REPORT continuedform an integral part of the field work, aimedat instilling a sense of pride and teachingowners to take responsibility for the welfareof their animals.Several SPCAs in the province have takenan active role in ensuring the success of theproject by fulfilling their quota of sterilisationsthrough their own Staff and infrastructure.STERILISATION PROJECT – KYAMANDI,WESTERN CAPEWith funding provided by the Western CapeDepartment of Agriculture, a pilot project tosterilise at least 70% of the estimated 3,500intact canines in Kyamandi is being led byAWS Stellenbosch with the funds beingmanaged by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA,who will also provide education to learners inthe community.It is hoped that the Outreach KZN Projectand pilot project in Kyamandi will lead tofurther programmes to more effectivelymanage the companion animal populationwith the support of provincial governments,to ensure that the majority of animalsare sterilised and vaccinated, particularlyagainst Rabies, and that any unwantedanimals are removed.FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEIN DOG POPULATION MANAGEMENTTo this end, the NSPCA was representedby the Manager of this Unit at aninaugural conference at the Food andEnvironment Research Agency (FERA)outside of the historical and picturesqueCity of York in England.180 delegates gathered from 35 countrieswith the object of the conference beingto bring the public sector together withecologists, economists and specialists inanimal welfare, animal health and educationto discuss Dog Population Management andZoonoses, with the emphasis on Rabies.The intention is that this Conference will bethe first of a series of events to be hosted ina different country every 2 – 3 years whilstalternative non-surgical or non-invasivemethods of sterilisation continue to beresearched and developed.TRIP TO NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCEA Senior Inspector from the Unit conducted atwo week trip to the Northern Cape Provinceand accompanied by the Trainee Inspectorfrom Upington SPCA attended to variouscomplaints that had been received fromthe province as well as inspecting animalshelters in the areas visited.The team covered over 5,000 km andtravelled to Groblershoop, Marydale,Boegoebergdam, Grootdrink, Keimoes,Kakamas, Vioolsdrift, Port Nolloth, Sizimile,Northville, Garies, Springbok, Brandvlei andAlexander Bay.The team met with the Station Commanderat Groblershoop to discuss marauding dogsthat were chasing farm animals and thenbeing shot by farmers.The SAPS provided information about aseriously injured dog with a leg missing. Theowner attempted to kill the injured animal byhitting it over the head with a rock. Thinkingthe dog was dead he took it to the municipaldump. The unconscious dog later recoveredand returned home. Fortunately the teamwere able to intervene and euthanase thedistraught animal.In Keimos the ‘owner’ of a young Vervetmonkey was convinced to sign the animal over.The team met with SAPS in Kakamas togo through the Animals Protection Act. Anaddress was checked and a person wasfound living with over 80 unsterilised cats.The owner eventually agreed to UpingtonSPCA returning and removing half thecats. A meeting was scheduled with theState Vet regarding the sterilisation of theremaining cats.In Vioolsdrift the team met with the Captainwho had been involved with stopping thepick-up carrying puppies crossing the borderinto Namibia. He was presented with a smalltoken of appreciation and commended forhis efforts.Wherever the team went, they receivedrepeated requests for assistance withsterilisation and unwanted animals weresigned over. Training of SAPS officerswas conducted and copies of the AnimalsProtection Act were issued.In total 158 animals were surrenderedto the team who distributed dog and catfood, blankets, dewormer, flea powder,educational materials, sun visors andstationery. Assistance was provided withestablishing running chains and minorailments were treated.We acknowledge the assistance of Alberton,Parys and Vereeniging SPCAs who donatedblankets and food for this successful trip tothe Northern Cape Province.EASTERN CAPE OUTREACHThe Unit was pleased to be involved with asterilisation outreach to impoverished areasin the remote northern parts of the EasternCape, formerly the Transkei. The team spenta week workingin Mbotyi andLusikisiki withthe aim ofassisting allanimals andthereby theowners.The warmth ofthe reception from the local communities washeartening and the team were spurred on bythe appreciation shown for their assistance.A total of 403 domestic animals weresterilised, vaccinated (including Rabies),dewormed, treated for external parasitesand a bag of decanted cat or dog food wasdistributed for every animal sterilised, aswell as a collar and blanket.A further 18 dogs who had alreadybeen sterilised were also vaccinatedagainst Rabies.257 cattle were dipped, 4 stallions weregelded and another 11 equine receivedmedical treatment. One dog had its eyeremoved due to a fight injury and a bitch hada hernia repaired.Nine cows were treated for mastitisand a further two cows were treated forconjunctivitis. Eight goats were treatedfor mange.Sterilisation, treatment, assistance andadvice were key elements of the outreach,coupled with all-important education onthe care of animals and the necessity forcompassion to ensure the health andwellbeing of animals and their owners.The NSPCA undertakes CommunityOutreach projects in areas where thereare no animal welfare organisations andno veterinarians whenever possible.We appreciate the challenges facedby these communities, brought aboutthrough lack of resources, often coupledwith high unemployment.The next targeted area will be the remoteimpoverished parts of the Northern Cape.We acknowledge and applaud all thosewho have remained dedicated to animalwelfare – all the Staff, Committee Members,Inspectors and Volunteers who all play a vitalrole in safeguarding our animal populationfrom cruelty.We salute you all.Bernice DyerManagerPage 17

SPECIAL PROJECTS REPORTThe Unit had some staff changes due toa resignation. A replacement was foundin March 2012, which meant that theUnit operated with one Inspector for 6months. The Unit defined its objectives tofocus on issues that needed finalisation,which included the Sun City Million DollarPigeon Race, pigeon racing, PerformingAnimals Protection Act application reviewsand aquaculture.In July 2012 the Unit received a boost whenthe NSPCA employed a Trainee Inspectorwith an Honours degree in Aquaculture.PIGEON RACINGObjective: To establish a new NationalPigeon Welfare CodeThe South African National Standardthrough the South African Bureau ofStandards (SABS) declined to draft acode since the SABS does not establishstandards for sporting purposes. Aproposed code was still preparedby the Unit which the South AfricanNational Pigeon Racing Organisation(SANPO) has accepted, with their ownamendments. The document is a majorimprovement to their previous standard.We continue to serve on their Board asa welfare guide to the industry. Achievedwith SANPO.Objective: To stop the Sun CityPigeon RaceMembership of SANPO is voluntary,however to be a recognised pigeon racerone has to belong to an organisationregistered with the FCI (FederalColumbophile Internationale), whichis an accreditation through SASCOC(South African Sports Confederationand Olympic Committee). Flight resultsare thus not internationally recognisedunless one is a member of SANPO. TheSun City Million Dollar Pigeon RacePage 18(SCMDPR) is therefore not recognised.This strengthened our case to applymore international focus on the race. InJanuary 2012 the Sun City International’sOperations Management in SouthAfrica placed certain measures andrestrictions in place for the 2011/12 race.The Unit issued a five page warning tothe legal representatives of the raceorganisers. A report was submitted toSun International, which resulted in therace being banned from Sun City and thelofts had to be vacated.We were informed that the raceorganisers had approached Emperor’sPalace for the 2012/2013 race eventto be hosted from that casino. The Unitmade representation to the PeermontGroup, who owns Emperor’s Palace, whothen declined to host the race.We also met with the State Veterinarianresponsible for import quarantine of thepigeons as the quarantine conditionswere not complied with. This resultedin a late withdrawal of the quarantinefacility accreditation by the state.Achievement in progress.AQUATIC ANIMALSObjective: To bring Welfare into theFarming of Fish in South AfricaDue to the scientific research indicatingthat fish do react to pain and/or stress,combined with the growth of fish farming,aquaculture remains at the top of ouragenda. The Unit spent several weeksin the Eastern Cape inspecting fish farmfacilities and attended meetings with theMarine Fin Fish Association of SouthAfrica (MFFASA).NSPCA was co-opted as a member ofMFFASA with special interest (welfare).MFFASA is also the body recognised bythe Department of Agriculture, Forestryand Fisheries to represent the privateaquaculture farming sector in South Africa.Inspections at some of the farmsrevealed that slaughter methods wereunacceptable and when this wasofficially addressed, humane methodswere implemented by the farms’management. Achieved.Objective: To create a WelfareStandard for the Aquaculture IndustryThe South African Bureau of Standards(SABS) has officially acceptedour submission to have a NationalAquaculture Welfare Code developed. Atechnical committee has been appointedand a first draft has been submitted by usto the SABS. Achievement in progress.Objective: To ban the use of GarraRufa fish in health spasThe status of health spas utilising flesheating fish came to our attention and wasfollowed by an investigation into the useof these fish.Since these fish are displayed, thePerforming Animals Protection Act no.24 of 1935 was utilised and enforced.The facilities made application to theirrelevant magistrates. Representationwas made to the Magistrates not toapprove these applications, based oninternational concern that the use ofthese fish could spread disease and/or affect patients with weak immunesystems. The relevant Magistratesupheld our submissions, pending anoutcome of the Department of Health’sreport. Our submission to the Minister ofHealth was supported by the Allied HealthProfessionals Council of South Africa.The use of fish by registered healthprofessionals is also illegal in terms of theHealth Professions Act no. 56 of 1974.We made representation to both theNational and Regional Health Ministries,requesting the government healthdepartments to investigate the use ofthese fish and the effect it may have onpatients with weak immune systems andthe spread of disease.This practice was banned in someAmerican states and the UK healthdepartment is also looking at banningthe practice, based on studies showingthat the public’s health may be atrisk, although the National Council ofSPCAs concern rests with the generalwelfare, care and husbandry of the fishat the spas. In some cases, the fish areexpected to live only on the flakes theyfeed off of human skin, which holds nonutritional value for the fish. Achievementin progress.AbaloneAbalone poaching became a concernas it was highlighted in Parliament thatthe Department of Agriculture, Forestryand Fisheries (DAFF) submitted abudget, which depicts an incomederived from seized abalone and thensold off by the department.The question posed by us was welfarerelated as the abalone is left to bepoached and stacked.The sting/seizure operations are thenonly put in action when there are largequantities of abalone stocked at a site.Information regarding current legislationobtained showed that the legislation andhistory of previous court cases doesnot allow DAFF to stop and prosecutea person suspected of poaching untilafter the act has been committed. It ispossible to stop the poaching before ithappens via visible policing, if sufficientmanpower is made available, but this still

SPECIAL PROJECTS REPORT continuedwould merely decrease poaching.They must allow poaching to take placeso they can then catch the poachers andprosecute, win the cases and remove thepoacher off the poaching map for good.The Unit addressed these issues withwelfare comments submitted on thereview of the Marine Living ResourcesAct. The Unit also submitted commentson the review of the South AfricanNational Plan of Action for SharksConservation draft.Objective: To stop the sale of “MagicFish”The Homemark product, “Magic Fish”became a bone of contention when theNSPCA received more and more publiccomplaints about the advertising of theproduct. Due to our campaign whichwe launched not to keep fish in smallbowls we approached Homemark and ameeting with the CEO produced someresults in thatthey will selloff the stockthat had beenimported, withno more ordersto be placed byHomemark forthe import of theproduct. It wasindicated thatthe product willbe sold out bythe end of 2012.Achieved.Objective: Toreduce the riskfish are exposedto on roadtransportationAnother issueof concernwas the roadtransportationof fish. As aresult of WildlifeProtectionBirdsBirdsBirdsMolesUnit’s work with one of the largestcourier services, the transportation oflive animals by road was banned byone company. This ruling affected fishtraders and suddenly they had no way ofdistributing the fish across the country. Ameeting with the Pet Traders Associationwas attended and we refused to allowthe transportation of fish via road due tothe extreme road conditions the fish areexposed to and being packed amongstother cargo in courier vehicles. Achieved.Seal Pup Slaughter Feedback –NamibiaThe Namibian Ombudsman publishedhis report, after representation to hisoffice was made by the Unit in Namibialast year. His report is not in favour ofstopping the practice and states that hecould find no grounds for animal abuse,however in his recommendation hestates that the Namibian Governmentmust open the cull to Animal WelfareMonitors and must put in place strictermeasures to ensure more ‘humane’methods to be implemented by theslaughterers.NSPCA is embarking on a campaignto make the public more aware of thesituation. A famous band in South Africa,Van Coke Cartel, has agreed to beinvolved in the campaign.HUMANE PEST CONTROLThe Unit investigated several optionsrelating to pest control and the followingtable was published:Species Method Humane Reason AlternativeInsufficient data toVamoose Gel INHUMANE !show birds wouldNOInvasive/Contaminationnot be effectedRodentsAll Animals:Species mayinclude, but arenot limited to:Cats, Moles,Birds, Rodents,Baboons,Monkeys, etc;Sun Gun OneYESGas CannonNOTomcat MoleTrapNORodenatorPropane Gasexplosion intorodent tunnelNOPellet Guns /ShootingNOHUMANENon-Invasive, usingnatural resourcesINHUMANE !Invasive terrifying,cannot be applied withpermanent resultsINHUMANE !Invasive and possiblemutilationINHUMANE !Invasive, possiblemutilationINHUMANE !Invasive - InjuresTriangular sunmirror - no directinfluence, apartfrom diversionIneffective andbirds return only tobe terrified againNo-guarantee ofimmediate death,leaving moles eitherwounded or to dieundergroundInefficient /flammable and noproof of immediatedeath- prolongedsuffering couldresultInjures / maimsanimal whilst itescapes with severetraumaSECURITY DOGSObjective: To bring better controlmechanisms to the Security Industrythat utilises dogs for Safeguarding; -(Performing Animals Protection Act no.24 of 1935)Performing Animals Protection Actapplications have been streamlined asthe number of applications received fromacross the country increased significantly.A joint meeting with the Private SecurityIndustry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) andthe Safety and Security Sector TrainingAdministration (SASSETA) and ourselvesbore some fruit in that the process ofapplication and the applications to havea safeguarding licence and permit isjurisdictional based and not nationally valid.This makes the review of the applicationsmore controllable. Forty (40) applicationswere assessed by the Unit in 2012, incomparison to 13 in 2011. Achieved.DOGS IN SPORT AND DOG FIGHTINGObjective: To ascertain and assessthe use of Pit Bulls in power pullcompetitionsA report received from Advocate JacominaSwart, from the office of the Director ofPublic Prosecutions (DPP) on the methodsdeployed in power-pull shows resulted ina decision by the NSPCA managementfor monitoring of the shows by SPCAsto halt as the concerns are not alwaysat the shows, but rather on the trainingmethods. The NSPCA relayed theseconcerns to both the Pit Bull Federation ofSouth Africa as well as the Pit Bull Unionof South Africa. Itwas established thatthese events wouldneed to complywith the PerformingAnimals ProtectionAct no. 24 of 1935.Achieved.Husky Sledding(Dog Racing)Objective: To stopcompetitive Huskyevents – DogRacing is IllegalThe Unit was alertedto the epidemic ofsled dog racingearlier this year. Theevents were reportedto the relevantSouth African Policestations across thecountry which aremandated to enforcethe dog racingordinances.Our reports tothe police included an informationalpack, providing them with the necessaryinformation and legislation to ensure theyunderstand their role to stop the races.Some races were successfully stoppedas a result, like the War-Trail 150 Race,where dogs are forced to run 150 km overthree days. This race is based on the IdaEye reflectors such as Sun Gun OneAND Bird ControlTo be combined with nettingNetting and reflector methodsIf unable to get a live trap, useevasive methods by extending fencinginto ground as far as the level oftunnels are burrowedNatural Remedies / DeterrentsPreventative measures and orhumane live relocation programmesPage 19

SPECIAL PROJECTS REPORT continuedtrot in Alaska, where international welfarereports of injuries and deaths of dogs areextremely high. Smaller races like theGolden Harness Series, was also targeted.The sled dog racing industry hassince gone very quiet and two of theorganisations could face charges by theSAPS who are investigating informationof planned races and races held by theseorganisations, of which evidence wassubmitted by the Unit.Racing with animals is inherently cruelas competitiveness with the animals forthe owners’ fame and glory, places thewelfare of the animals last. The NSPCAis committed to assisting the SAPS in thisregard. Achievement in progress.CONCLUSIONThe Unit has recorded some majorachievements through constant research,attending meetings with the industriesand involving ourselves with every bit ofinformation available.It is for this reason that the Unit isreflecting some of its objectives andrelated achievements as we feelempowered by the fact that in one year,with few staff members and resourcesas well as staff changes. We were ableto dig our teeth (pun intended) into sucha diverse range of topics which enabledsome significant improvement affecting thewelfare of animals.Senior Inspector Andries Venter tookup the position as Manager of the FarmAnimal Protection Unit on 10 August 2012.As aquaculture is defined as a farmingpractice, the new staff member, whospecialises in aquaculture, was alsotransferred to the Farm Animal ProtectionUnit. This again left the Unit with only onemember of staff. The Unit has now beenincorporated into the Wildlife ProtectionUnit’s management.Andries VenterManagerPage 20

TRAINING REPORTOVERVIEWOne of the significant achievements inthis past year has been the renovationand completion of the new TrainingCentre opposite the National Counciloffices. Previously training wasundertaken in the NSPCA offices whichhad obvious limitations.The Training Centre Project was timeconsuming and at times frustrating whilebuilding and renovations were under waybut the end results are very pleasing.This is a warm, dedicated training centrewhich attempts to cater for our specifictraining requirements to provide the bestopportunities for delegates.Training Team – we are fortunate tohave a team of animal welfare specialistsat the NSPCA who provide training fordelegates on the various courses. Wethank them all for sharing their dedication,passion and knowledge to make thetraining successful.Certification of Trainees – inOctober 2011 we were very pleasedto present certificates of qualificationto 22 Inspectors to members of thefollowing Societies:- Boksburg (2),Cape of Good Hope (6), Durban andCoast (1), Garden Route (2), HighveldRidge (1), Johannesburg (2), Kloofand Highway (2), Kokstad (1), NSPCA(2), Phalaborwa (1), Roodepoort (1),Vereeniging (1).Seniors Certificates – none wereissued due to cancellation of the courseas there were insufficient delegates toundertake the scheduled course.Field Officers Certificates – certificateswere issued to 7 delegates from thefollowing Societies Alberton, Greytown,Mooi River, Pietermaritzburg, uMngeni,Westonaria and Randfontein.ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONSA total of 72 entrance examinationshave been written in this period acrossthe country. It is interesting to note thatthe majority of requests came fromKwaZulu-Natal followed by Gauteng. Itis encouraging that the Eastern Capeand North West Province had a markedincrease in the number of candidateswriting the exams.FIELD OFFICERS COURSEFollowing the first Field Officers Courselast year, we have presented anotherequally successful course to another8 delegates from various provinces:–Gauteng (1), KwaZulu Natal (2), NorthWest Province (1), Mpumalanga (1),Limpopo (1) and Eastern Cape (1).To date we have had some positivefeedback from the Societies that indicatesthe renewed enthusiasm and increasedskill level of the delegates and thatthey are achieving very positive resultsassisting animals in their communities.INSPECTOR AND REFRESHERINSPECTOR COURSESTo provide the best possible learningopportunity to delegates and to caterfor the specific needs of the differentgroups we no longer train the newInspectors with the Refresher Inspectorsand have divided the courses intoInspectors and Refreshers. We offered2 Inspector Courses during the yearand we accommodated 26 delegates intotal. We offered 2 Refresher courses –November accommodating 14 delegatesbut unfortunately the April course wascancelled due to the lack of delegates.Inspectors/Refresher Courses:- 4(2009); 3 (2010); 3 (2011); 3 (2012).Trainee Inspectors:- 29 (2009); 47(2010); 43 (2011); 26 (2012). RefresherInspectors:– 22 (2009); 1 (2010); 11(2011); 14 (2012). Other/Observers:–10 (2009); 2 (2010); 2 (2011); 1 (2012).Overall totals:– 61 (2009); 50 (2010);56 (2011); 44 (2012).INSPECTORS COURSEWhile the framework of the courseremains unchanged we try to improveand adapt the courses to provide thedelegates with the maximum benefitsin the short period available. Onesignificant trend is that the morepractical work undertaken, the more thedelegates request. The advantages tohands on learning experiences cannot beunderestimated as many delegates comefrom Societies where they do not haveother Inspectors to assist them and theNSPCA training courses provide themwith a wide range of opportunities in ashort time period and again this improvestheir confidence and skills level..Delegate comments :- “I think weneed more time, maybe three weeks sowe can do more practical’s”; “Coursewas interesting, inspiring – lecturersall passionate..” “everyone we dealtwith seems very passionate and welltrained”; “It was two of the best weeks of mylife”; “Suggest more practical’s for course andhow about snake handling, wildlife, specialistcourses for Inspectors?”;”More fieldwork”“Meer Prakties”; “Longer period and morepracticals”.“I live to serve the animals inPage 21

TRAINING REPORT continuedwhatever way the animals need me to,starting with education”’;“I am inspired tobecome more pro-active”; “It did inspire me,by giving me a bit more confidence, especiallywhen it comes to doing inspections”.REFRESHER COURSEThe personal objectives described bythe delegates, indicate the needs ofthis group and the common thread isspecifically in gaining more knowledge.Question -‘What objectives do you wantto achieve by attending this course?’Delegates comments:- “To refresh myknowledge”, “to further my knowledge”;“ To improve my knowledge”; “To keep upto date on the rules and regulations of themovement and to learn more about wildlifeand farm animals’; “To learn new things”,“To learn more to improve my Society”.SENIOR INSPECTORS COURSEWe were pleased to be able toundertake a Senior Inspectors TrainingCourse this year and 10 new delegatesqualified to attend and there were 6Inspectors re-writing selected modules.In 2011 the Senior Inspectors Coursewas cancelled due to lack of delegates.Senior Inspectors Course:- 11 (2009);12 (2010); 0 (2011); 16 (2012).Delegates comments: - “I wasmotivated to study and learn more”;“maybe specialist other courses onwhat we don’t know too much aboutto broaden our knowledge”; “Extendcourse”; “More practical”; “More practicalwork. Teaching to deal with situations inthe field”; “More hands on experiences”.COMMITTEE TRAINING COURSESThis year three Committee TrainingCourses were undertaken with a verypositive response from all of them.Each course is slightly different in thatall provinces have different challengesand discussion time is taken up withthese challenges.These courses encompass more thanjust course content, they providevaluable opportunities for Societiesto come together and discuss issuesand of course to build the relationshipsbetween all attending.Eastern Cape:- Cradock, East London,Mthatha, Port Alfred, Grahamstown,Amahlati, King William’s Town – 16participants. KwaZulu-Natal:- Eshowe,Amanzimtoti, Sani, Lower South Coats,uMngeni, Estcourt, Newcastle, RichardsBay, Pietermaritzburg – 24 participants.Gauteng and Free State:- Boksburg,Benoni, Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Sandton,Virginia, Harrismith – 15 participants.We appreciate that Committee Membersgive up their time and weekend to attendthese courses and we acknowledge theircommitment to their Societies and Regions.TRAINING COMMITTEE MEETINGThe Training Committee have had asuccessful meeting to discuss variousaspects relating to the training portfolio.Necessary changes and updates to theTraining Policy and strategies were reviewedand special thanks to Dr Theo Shippey forsharing his expertise with us.OTHER TRAININGInspectors Legislation RefresherCourse (Internal) – this course waspresented for the first time to 20 nationalInspectors. Marcelle Meredith andAndries Venter presented updates onlegislation and there was opportunity todiscuss cases, legislative difficulties andrelated issues. It is vital that Inspectorsare updated especially with legal mattersto ensure the greatest effectiveness inlaw enforcement.Introduction to Air Transport (InternalCourse) – the Wildlife Unit was assistedin preparing training to the second groupof NSPCA Inspectors – an Introductionto Air Transport of Live Animals. Fivemembers of staff completed this 2 daycourse (one day theory and one daypractical at OR Tambo airport).Airport Intervention Training – weassisted the Wildlife Unit in presentingtraining on legal responsibilities,consequences and appropriate action toselected SAA staff following the deathof birds in transit. This course was wellreceived and strongly supported bysenior management. Further actions andtraining are in progress.Stock Theft Unit Lectures – wecontinue to present lectures on theAnimals Protection Act to membersPage 22

TRAINING REPORT continuedof the Stock Theft Unit. A total of 25delegates were addressed in October andMay and we are hoping to extend the timeand information provided. The challengesin protecting animals and animal crimesare growing and we need to ensure thatthe best possible co-operation betweenlaw enforcement agencies.Onderstepoort Veterinary Students –we are pleased to have the continuingopportunity of presenting lecturesto veterinary students with over 200Trainee vets addressed in the past yearon various aspects of animal welfarelegislation and the importance and roleof the veterinarian in animal protection.GENERALWhere possible we assist other Units inwhatever manner required.NSPCA Disaster Management Team– we serve on this team which isaddressing various issues, protocolsand strategies relating to disastermanagement both within NSPCA and themovement as a whole. We are pleasedto contribute to methods of improvingour service delivery and expertiseespecially with the new challenges fromchanging climates and social dynamicsin our country.Key thrusts of this team includeproviding rapid and effective serviceto animals and communities affectedby disasters and ensuring that SPCApersonnel are well trained and preparedto ensure their safety and efficacy.LOTTO – we have beenvery grateful to receivefinancial support from theLotteries and DistributionTrust Fund which has beenused to good effect andwhich assisted us in training personnel.The funding for this project has nowbeen exhausted.Operations Manual – atotal of 135 manualsand 31 CDs have beendistributed this year.Despite the OperationsManual receiving amarked upgrade lastyear there have alreadybeen submissions fornew inclusions and thisgives an indication of therapid rate at which newinformation is being sourcedand how research andtechnology is advancing ourknowledge base.We anticipate that changeswill be ongoing and thatthis valuable resource willcontinue to growand expand.METACO – weare grateful forthe opportunityof participatingin personalcoachingsessions whichwere verydynamic and aNeuro-SemanticsCoachingSkills course,addressing issuessuch as methodsof communication,managementskills andquestioning skillswhich will be used to aid in improvingaspects of the training courses.Dog Racing – unfortunately again wehave had to face attempts by dog racingproponents to legalise this abusiveactivity. We attended a meeting withthe Sub Committee on Gambling inParliament (Cape Town) to discuss dogracing. Promoters of dog racing hadbeen invited and were well preparedalthough we were only informed theday before the meeting allowing forinadequate preparation time.This meeting was not positive for animalwelfare and as a result the committeerecommended that dog racing belegalised but ‘with controls’. Under theguidance of Annette Rademeyer wesubmitted a formal submission on ourconcerns and lodged petitions to ensurethat we had a fair opportunity to commentand give input on this issue prior to theCommittee making a final decision.Special thanks to Annette Rademeyerfor her advice and input and to DaveThorpe who gathered, compiled andsubmitted the petitions.We were very encouraged to note howother animal welfare organisations andindividuals joined us in our stance tooppose the form of animal abuse andare confident that our united stancewill be blessed with the continued legalopposition to dog racing.South African National Standards(SANS) – unfortunately due to somerestructuring at the South African Bureauof Standards the co-ordination of thestandards was put on hold while a newCommittee Leader was appointed. Thetwo standards - Animal harnessing andAnimal Drawn Vehicles are nearingcompletion under the guidance of anexcellent SABS representative as wellas enthusiastic Committee Members.Morgane JamesManagerPage 23

WEBMASTER REPORTThe primary responsibilities of the Unitare website management, internet brandingand marketing, internet fundraising, Lottogrant applications, construction of theSociety newsletter, assisting with thee-Newsletter and campaigns.Staff complement comprises 1 full-timeperson plus a part-time assistant (MeggieWilson) who brings fresh creativity to ourappeals and work.Highlights this year are completion ofthe revamped website and the greyhoundpetition which received tremendousresponse in a very short period.The revamped website came togetherafter a great deal of research. A keyissue was reviewing the categories aspreviously we had utilised the differentUnits – the current redefined categoriesare resulting in greater ease of sourcinginformation.The e-newsletter facility is now a plug-inapplication called Graphicmail whichis powerful and is freely available toregistered NGOs, making an electronice-newsletter facility available to everySPCA in South Africa.We have also looked into requestsfor website linking and other websiterelated matters.Internet originated income for the12 month reporting period October –September recovered to a small degreeover the previous period with a totalincome of R718,738.90.Facebook and Twitter remaincornerstones of our internet marketinginitiative which bring us into direct contactwith supporters (and critics). We currentlyhave 7,240 (up from 5,781) and 2,140(up from 1,603) supporters respectively,bearing in mind when messages areshared visibility increases exponentially.Page 24We get orchids(mostly) andonions. Thelatter are oftenunderpinned bythe opposition ofsome people toeuthanasia forwhich some peopledislike us. Theircriticisms, subject tonot being personalattacks but debatingof issues, arewelcome as theyprovide an opportunity for us to clarify‘how’, ‘what’ and ‘why’ to our supporters.Facebook and Twitter are also used toedify SPCAs and the work that they do,this usually being linked to online mediaarticles which are kindly sent to us byVericlip.However, of concern due to incidentswe’ve dealt with regularly:-• despite sending out guidelines andreminders to SPCAs via postedcirculars and e-mails, there areSocieties who ignore them particularlywith regard to having internetspecific bank accounts displayed– as Webmaster I have a growingperception that this seems to be relatedto our South African attitude to rules,namely “I don’t like it so I’ll do it untilyou catch me”; and• despite warnings and advice beingdisseminated with regards toFacebook, Societies continue to waituntil it is too late to identify and resolveproblems.As you are aware, we shouted out oursuccess with the stopping of Greyhoundracing last year and when the TrainingUnit was taken by surprise by theDepartment of Trade & Industry with thedecision being reviewed earlier this year,we assisted with promoting petitions.In order for the petitions to be acceptedby Parliament they had to be signedmanually and include identity numbers.Using the e-newsletter (CommunicationsUnit) and Facebook/Twitter to appeal forsupport, in a matter of only 8 days wereceived 4,886 full petition forms, 2,532partially completed forms and 77 formswith no identity numbers demonstratingthe power of the internet and thedesire of Animal Warriors to make adifference.In addition this involved receipt andacknowledgement of 508 e-mails(miscellaneous), 413 e-mails with petitionsattached and 116 strategy e-mailsincluding those from other organisations.Talking e-mails the Unit deals with anaverage of 1,100 e-mails a month.The Unit also provided support tothe following fundraising campaigns:-Disadvantaged SPCAs; Hero; Outreach;Live Export; Border Wars; Mandela Dayvia - social media.We assisted some Societies withresolving Lotto issues arising primarilyaround progress reports and werecommended to all Societies that theyutilise the 2011 application forms toprepare for the next call which we believewill be in October or November 2012.Even though some of the Lotto applicationforms are likely to change it will be fasterand easier to migrate the preparedinformation to the 2012 forms.Lotto appear to have taken into accountsome of the recommendations made attheir Provincial Workshops and nationalIndaba by improving their electronicaccess and we were one of the NGOsselected to participate in testing this.In terms of the Society Newsletter wesent out newsletters in November 2011and January, March, May and Augustof 2012. This is an NSPCA team effortwhich we enjoy doing for Societies aswell as being an opportunity for Societiesto submit and share with their felloworganisations.The Unit prepared an assessment for thereprinting of education materials andprepared the tender forms – we wereable to save R84,101 on costs, partly bymoving away from recycled paper pluswe managed to arrange sponsorship froma Trust who supports NSPCA education.Following this process to the end wealso proof read and ensured that thedocuments were printed and delivered.We also participated in a workshophosted by Inyathelo during thedevelopment process of an IndependentCode of Governance for Non-ProfitOrganisations in South Africa whichincludes unregistered NPOs – supportis voluntary.As a result of the workshop we are nowaware that there are 85,000 registeredNPOs, a further 50,000 (estimated)unregistered NPOs and according towebsite resources, they are all competingfor funding from a base of only 5.9 millionregistered taxpayers.Dave ThorpeWebmaster

WILDLIFE PROTECTION REPORTThe Unit currently comprises four membersof staff: Brenda Santon (Manager), IsabelWentzel (Inspector), Wendy Willson(Inspector) and Ainsley Hay (Inspector).The services of Riana Grobler are utilisedfor administrative purposes.FIELD WORKWildlife InspectionsThe Unit undertook 152 inspectionsduring the period under review. Theseinspections took place on a national basisand included facilities such as elephant-backsafari operations, rehabilitation centres,zoos, aquaria, bird parks and predator farms.No prosecutions were necessary althoughwarnings were issued to some facilities onmatters concerning hygiene.As a result of their monetary value andthe need for their keepers to conform toProvincial Nature Conservation Ordinancesand national legislation, wild animals areperhaps better off than most, although theirmost basic need – freedom – is deniedthem. Therefore recommendations forimprovements at all facilities form partof the Wildlife Protection Unit’s ongoingstrategy to uplift the lives of captive wildlife.These range from environmentalenrichment, to enclosure design, improveddiets and the surrendering of releasableanimals to rehabilitation centres inpreparation for their return to the wild.It is encouraging to note that we havesecured the release of a number of animalsincluding vervet monkeys, meerkats,porcupine, jackal and birds. We havealso encountered visible improvements atfacilities where our recommendations havebeen implemented.Ports of Entry/ExitA nationwide investigation by the WildlifeProtection Unit into the movement ofanimals into, out of and within SouthAfrica led to questions being raisedabout the porous nature of our portsof entry/exit and constructive stepsthat could be undertaken to rectify theproblems encountered.Additional aspects such as theinterrelatedness of animal welfarecontraveners and individuals involved inother animal crime to further organisedcrime operations were explored, as wellas the challenges facing the ports of entryand exit enforcement staff in the executionof their duties.In 2011 the NSPCA embarked on anongoing awareness campaign as well asa training and skills development initiativeaimed at empowering the enforcementpersonnel at targeted ports of entry/exit. Where possible, their enforcementcounterparts from our neighbouringcountries were also invited to join thesepresentations. This approach has resultedin better co-ordination, communication,efficiency and operational support betweenthese departments as well as increasedinitiative and enthusiasm in bringingperpetrators of not only animal welfarecontraventions, but additional animal crimeand other associated illegal activities to book.The information gathered about theports of entry/exit dynamics and thesteps already taken to address some ofthe problems encountered are provinginvaluable to the enforcement agentsfighting the criminal activity and otherborder contraventions.In addition to the aforementionedinteraction, 24 airport inspections wereundertaken by the Wildlife ProtectionUnit during the period under review, and9 border posts were visited. Weeklyinspections of OR Tambo InternationalAirport continue with the assistance ofother national inspectors.Relocation of WildlifeDuring the period under review WildlifeProtection Unit inspectors have activelyparticipated in the capture and relocationof wild animals. In some cases theseanimals were surrendered by owners,while in other circumstances animals wereseized by the NSPCA in conjunction withNature Conservation authorities or the SouthAfrican Police Service.Species included mammals, primates,small predators, birds and reptiles. In mostinstances these animals were placed inreputable rehabilitation centres in preparationfor their release back into the wild.Support to SocietiesThe Unit continued to provide trainingto Societies by having local Inspectorsaccompany Unit inspectors on 62inspections undertaken in Societies’areas. Education is seen as the key toraising the level of expertise of inspectorsand Societies have benefitted from thesepractical sessions.In addition to training on physicalinspections, advice and assistance wasalso offered to Societies telephonically andvia email on 101 occasions on a varietyof wildlife related issues. The WildlifeProtection Unit has also assisted a numberof SPCAs with the transfer of parrotspecies to a sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay.LITIGATIONHenn CaseAfter a successful prosecution in respect ofexotic birds in 2002, the NSPCA instituted acivil claim for costs for the care of the birdsin question. On 15 August 2012 judgementwas given in favour of the NSPCA. The Courtruled that Michael Henn was to pay expensesof R56 510 incurred by the NSPCA related tothe care of the birds between their removaland conclusion of the Court case. Not allcosts were recovered but the issue was moraland ethical as well as financial.Wildlife in CrisisIn 2006 charges were laid against arehabilitator following an inspection of theabove facility and the subsequent confiscationof birds and a Cape Fox. Followingrepresentations by the Wildlife ProtectionUnit, the Director of Public Prosecutions,Office of the Northern Gauteng, ruled that thecase be prosecuted. A court date is awaited.AppreciationGrateful thanks are extended to Ms JaneMarston for the legal expertise she hasafforded the Wildlife Protection Unit during thepast year.Page 25

WILDLIFE PROTECTION REPORT continuedEXTERNAL MEETINGSDuring the period under review the Unitattended 69 meetings with external partieson a variety of issues which have demandedmany hours of preparation, travel timeand follow up on documentation, on bothprovincial and national level, to ensurethat the welfare of wildlife is adequatelyaddressed.NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANDPROVINCIAL NATURE CONSERVATIONAUTHORITIESAside from the field work undertaken, focushas been given to preventing problems, andthis has involved liaison with national andprovincial government officials under whosemandate wildlife legislation is managed andenforced.National LegislationA number of pieces of national legislation arepending implementation and the Unit hasbeen instrumental in providing the necessarywelfare input in this regard. This includes –(a) The Threatened or Protected Species(TOPS) Regulations and SpeciesList which are in the process of beingfinalised for approval to publish for publiccomment.(b) The Norms and Standards for DamageCausing animals have been revisedbased on comments received duringthe public participation process, butfinalisation thereof is subject to provisionsof the TOPS Regulations and SpeciesLists.(c) The (interim) Alien and Invasive SpeciesRegulations and Species Lists are in thefinal stages of approval to publish forimplementation.(d) The process to coordinateimplementation of the MinimumStandards for Captive Elephants isongoing.Provincial Legislation(a) The Unit provided comment to theProposed Cooperative Agreementbetween the Predator ManagementForum and CapeNature regarding thecontrol of bushpig, caracal and blackbackedjackal. Our comments were inline with those submitted in respect of theNational Draft Norms and Standards forthe Management of Damage CausingAnimals. These Norms and Standardshave neither been finalised nor publishedand we therefore objected to anyPage 26proposals by Provincial ConservationAuthorities, in this case CapeNature,to considering agreements relating tothis issue which will have long-termimplications for biodiversity.We objected to the agreement on thebasis that CapeNature will effectively beabsolving itself of the responsibility tomanage biodiversity and instead placethis responsibility and management onparties who have a vested interest in theblanket destruction of species – blackbackedjackal, caracal and bushpigs.(b) The Unit attended a workshop relatingto the Gauteng Nature ConservationBill, provided written input in respectof the document and also had a oneon-one meeting with Gauteng NatureConservation officials to provide welfareinput. The new Act seeks to address nonalignment of the current Ordinance tothe Constitution, inconsistencies with thePromotion of Administrative Justice Act,enforcement provisions and providingfor Gauteng specific issues that are notaddressed in national legislation.RHINO POACHINGThe Unit remains distressed about theongoing poaching of our country’s rhino.Alarmingly, 388 rhinos have been killedillegally since the start of 2012, which isclose to the number recorded for 2011 - 448rhinos! The Unit is supportive of initiativeswhich actively protect rhinos, which includehorn treatment, security patrols and themoratorium on all rhino hunting.By way of Facebook, the NSPCA newsletterand the website, the Unit has helped keepthis crisis in the forefront of people’s mindsand encouraged members of the public toreport any suspected activities regarding thisdespicable and cruel crime to the authorities.Rhino Horn Treatment ProgrammeIn February 2012 Wildlife Protection UnitInspectors were invited to the Rhinoand Lion Park in Gauteng to witnessa controversial treatment programmeinvolving immobilising a rhino to treat theanimal with a toxic cocktail of pesticidesto treat ticks to dissuade the consumptionof rhino horn. The event took a tragic turnwhen the elderly rhino had a heart attackafter being darted with a tranquilliser. Itshorn had been treated with a dose of thepesticide, and a DNA sample had beentaken and microchips had already beeninserted, but when the time came to bringthe rhino around, the veterinarian wasunable to do so.The Johannesburg Zoo is also consideringusing this measure to protect the zoo’srhinos and approached the WildlifeProtection Unit in May 2012 for an opinionon the programme. Feedback wasprovided to the Zoo stating that there areno welfare concerns with the programmeitself although anaesthetising wildlifealways comes with risks.First National Rhino ConservationDialogue WorkshopThe Unit was represented at the aboveworkshop, held on May 30th 2012, whichresulted in a clear picture of the issuesfacing the conservation of the rhinoceros.The process of discussion and dialogueculminated in the sharing of views andavailable information to assist in thedecision-making process for South Africain order to protect and conserve thisiconic species.The workshop was convened by theDepartment of Environmental Affairs incollaboration with Mr Mavuso Msimang,who has been appointed by theDepartment as a Rhinoceros ConservationIssue Manager. Mr Msimang was taskedwith convening a series of meetingscomprising a broad range of organisations,experts and individuals with a vestedinterest in the sustainable conservation ofSouth Africa's rhinoceros population.During August the Unit attended twofurther rhino conservation workshops andparticipated in the process to help createachievable safety and security solutionsfor the conservation of our naturalheritage treasures.The Unit also submitted written commentto the Department of EnvironmentalAffairs in respect of potential problemswhich may arise should intensive farmingbe considered.The NSPCA has been recognised as aleading role player and contact has alsobeen made with the Hawks who intendliaising with the NSPCA on the possibilityof including charges under the AnimalsProtection Act 71 of 1962 when arrests forpoaching are made.“Rhinos Under Siege”In May 2012 the Wildlife ProtectionUnit was interviewed by Clive MorrisProductions for a documentary entitled“Rhinos Under Siege”, which was

WILDLIFE PROTECTION REPORT continuedscreened on SABC3 and internationally atthe end of September 2012. The WildlifeProtection Unit’s contribution to theprogramme was welcomed since foremostin our minds is the welfare of these (andother poached animals) as opposed toother opinions and solutions, which areoften financially motivated.LIONESS ATTACK AT JOHANNESBURGZOO BREEDING FARMIn February 2012 the Unit gave writtensupport to the Johannesburg Zoo notto euthanase the lioness that killed azoo employee who entered the animal’senclosure. The Unit also supported theLionsrock Sanctuary in its bid to acceptthe lioness into their care. The lioness wassuccessfully transferred to this sanctuary inthe Free State in the last week of May 2012.PET SHOP SURVEYThe Wildlife Protection Unit sent out a onepage checklist to all Societies, asking thatthey carry out inspections of all pet shops intheir areas. It was difficult to gather completedata from the returned survey forms.Of the 95 Societies, 15 did not respondwhile 11 societies reported having no petshops. 69 Societies with pet shops sent inreplies, however 19 of these Societies did notfollow instructions and the forms submittedwere incorrectly or partially completed.After reviewing the information returnedby Societies it is noted Gauteng has thegreatest concentration of pet shops (50%).This is likely due to the fact that there isa higher concentration of Societies in theGauteng area.It was interesting to note that birds (33%)and fish (27%) remain the animals mostlyencountered in pet shops while reptilesfollow closely at 18%.Welfare problems encountered appearto be largely related to the feeding of liveprey, although this was again difficultto assess because the feedback fromSocieties was not conclusive.WESTERN CAPE WILDLIFE FORUMThe NSPCA was nominated to serve onthe above Forum, which was establishedat the request of the Western CapePremier to essentially address issuessurrounding the conflict between livestockfarmers and predators. This is a newlyformed Forum and a schedule of meetingdates has not yet been determined.CONFERENCESAnimal Keepers Association of AfricaConferenceThe Unit was invited to do a presentationat the above conference held at theJohannesburg Zoo on 4 October 2011.The topic of address was “Back to Basics”,which related to providing for the basicneeds of animals. The conference wasattended by animal keepers from zoofacilities around the country and was wellaccepted by conference delegates.IV International Wildlife ManagementCongressThe Wildlife Protection Unit wasrepresented at the above Congress whichwas held in Durban from 9 to 12 July 2012.This is the first time the Congress has beenheld in Africa. The first three Congressestook place in Costa Rica, Hungary, andNew Zealand in 1993, 1999, and 2003respectively. The theme of the 2012Congress was Wildlife Management acrossBorders: Learning in the Face of Change.Issues covered included climate change,wildlife health and disease, wildlifepopulation management, endangeredspecies recovery, trans-border cooperationand conservation et al. A WildlifeProtection Unit inspector presented apaper entitled "Combating Animal RelatedBorder Crime" which attracted a great dealof interest from delegates attending theCongress. The NSPCA was welcomedas a contributor to the Congress andrecognised as an important role playerin addressing border crime and relatedanimal welfare issues.First International Pet and AnimalTransportation Association (IPATA)Middle East/Africa Regional Conference(July 2012)IPATA is a non profit trade association ofindependent members who are dedicatedto the safe and humane transport of petsand other animals. The organisation isan international network of pet relocationspecialists and goods and serviceproviders that work together to provideprofessional pet transportation servicesworldwide.IPATA has over 350 member companiesin over 70 countries throughout the world.IPATA has a code of ethics by which allmembers have agreed to abide. Thiscan be used to evaluate or terminatea membership when the ethics of themembership are not upheld.The keynote guest speakers at theconference were Virgin Atlantic Airlines,NSPCA, SAA, Customs and OVI. TheWildlife Protection Unit presented onour role in animal welfare, the AnimalsProtection Act 71 of 1962 and the welfareconcerns, as well as developments overthe last year of industry interaction.IPATA supports the NSPCA’s ongoingwork at all the Ports of Entry and Exit andhoped that the conference would mark thebeginning of a fruitful working relationshipwith the aim to ensure the safe andhumane transportation of animals withinthe region.HUMAN-PRIMATE CONFLICTBaboons – Cape PeninsulaThe Unit was invited to attend a meetingwith conservation authorities who areresponsible for the management ofbaboons to discuss human-baboon conflictissues on the Cape Peninsula and inSouth Africa. This project was handledjointly by the Wildlife Protection Unit andthe Animal Ethics Unit who attendedthe meeting in Cape Town. The NSPCAprovided comment on the proposed controlmethods from a welfare perspective. TheNSPCA remains opposed to the brutal anduncontrolled use of paint ball guns andbear bangers as weapons to inflict painon and cause suffering to baboons on theCape Peninsula. We do, however, concedethat when these deterrents are usedcorrectly by properly trained individualstaking the welfare of animals into account,they may assist in preventing conflictand the resultant brutal force and humaninduced injury carried out in frustration.Vervet Monkeys – Northern CapeThe Wildlife Protection Unit wasapproached by the Coordinator of theEksteenskuil Landbou Koöperasie Bpkwith regards the damage caused by thelarge population of vervet monkeys inthe Eksteenskuil and surrounding islandareas of Keimoes. The area is occupiedby a number of up-and-coming farmerswith vineyards, lucerne, maize as well assome vegetables.Following a visit to the area andassessment of the problem the Unitproposed that a humane solution for thisenormous problem of monkey/humanconflict in the Keimoes area could beachieved by the employment of chasersin conjunction with a method of populationcontrol. With the employment of chasers,the simultaneous creation of many jobs willassist the entire community and ensurehumane treatment of animals.The Eksteenskuil Landbou KoöperasiePage 27

WILDLIFE PROTECTION REPORT continuedBpk subsequently submitted a proposalto the local municipal authorities inan attempt to secure funding for theemployment of chasers. The vervetmonkey population also needs to becontrolled and the viability of eachmethod is being investigated by a groupof veterinarians and researchers at theUniversity of Cape Town.SA PET TRADERS ASSOCIATIONA fruitful meeting was held with the SA PetTraders Association on 7 June 2012 whenvarious issues were discussed and a wayforward determined. The meeting washeld at the request of the SA Pet TradersAssociation (SAPTA) following the decisionby Time Freight (road transport) to enforcetheir decision not to transport any liveanimals, as well as an incident with thetransportation of fish through OR TamboInternational Airport. The meeting was alsoa follow up to a meeting held between theNSPCA and the SAPTA in 2011.SUN CITY PRIMATE MANAGEMENTPLANThe management of damage causingbaboons at Sun City was addressed withthis resort in 2009 when the Unit met withtheir Environmental Project Manager. Atthis time, the Unit provided advice andrecommendations on various non-lethalmethods to help address the problemsbeing experienced.On 18 June 2012 the Unit met with SunCity personnel to follow up on theirprimate management plan. We wereprovided with their standard operatingprocedure in this regard which involveswaste management, record keepingof incidents through a register, activechasing of baboons and well asawareness training amongst staff andguests. Burglar bars and other physicalbarriers have also been installed to denyaccess to damage causing baboons.The Environmental Project Manageradvised that the combination of strategieshas resulted in improved control andreduced conflict.ILLEGAL SALE OF ANIMALS ALONGSUN CITY ROADOn 23 June 2012 two Wildlife ProtectionUnit Inspectors spearheaded a successfuljoint sting operation with North WestNature Conservation officials and theSAPS. The mission of this operation wasto apprehend individuals selling indigenousPage 28wildlife on the roadside. The sting resultedin the successful arrest of two repeatoffenders and the rescue of chameleonsand tortoises. The animals receivedveterinary attention and were handed to arehabilitation centre for eventual releaseback into the wild. Aside from successfularrests, the only way to stop this crime isfor well meaning members of the public tostop purchasing these animals. The stingwas filmed by SATV 50/50 and aired on 9July 2012.SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONALSTANDARDS5-Year ReviewDuring March 2012 the followingStandards were received from theSouth African Bureau of Standards forreview and the necessary comment wassubmitted by the Unit:–• Zoo and Aquarium Practice;• Welfare of wild animals transported bysea;• Holding pens for wild herbivores atauctions and in quarantine facilities.Code for the Rehabilitation of WildlifeWork continues on the development ofthe code for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.The code will set standards for wildliferehabilitation facilities to encouragethe development of improved wildliferehabilitation programmes, developmentof better facilities and curtail theoccurrence of practices that lead tocruelty or the abuse of animals as resultof inappropriate facilities.Parameters measured would includelegalities, welfare, equipment, facilities,level of care, experience, and releasemethods. Requirements will be accordingto species dealt with and according todifferent conservation and welfare laws.PERFORMING WILD ANIMALSAt the request of various magistratesthe Unit continues to provide commenton Performing Animals ProtectionAct (PAPA) licence applications thatspecifically involve the use of indigenousand exotic wild animals, prior to licencesbeing issued. 10 PAPA applications werereviewed for the period and commentssubmitted to the relevant magistrates.TRAININGThe Unit has continued to present lectureson wildlife issues at the Inspectors’Training Course, Senior Inspectors’Training Course and the Field OfficerTraining Course.MARKETING AND FUNDRAISINGThe Wildlife Protection Unit remains activein contributing to the NSPCA weeklye-newsletter and newsletters to Societies.We have also assisted with providinginformation on a number of issues forthe NSPCA Facebook page to stimulateinterest and awareness. Articles have beenplaced in magazines and the distributionof media statements on relevant wildlifeissues have also been the order of the day.Brenda SantonManager

CREATE A LEGACY OF COMPASSIONA Will, even if you think thatit’s not worth it because you’renot wealthy, is the best wayto safeguard the future of thepeople that you love and thecauses that you care about.Your Will may be the mostimportant personal document youever sign, because it governsthe administration and disposalof all that you have strivenfor in life, and without which,your estate is wound up and theassets distributed accordingto the laws of IntestateSuccession.Family heirlooms and items ofsentimental value may be sold inorder to divide the assets.No-one outside your family willreceive anything, not even yourfriends or the charities youhave been supporting for years.This may also result in peoplewhom you did not wish to benefitreceiving a portion.It also means that your familywill have to face sorting outthe legal muddle you’ll leave ifyou don’t make a Will. There isno good reason not to make one.Naming the NSPCA as abeneficiary will create a legacyof compassion for all theanimals that we protect and youcare about.You could even sign over anexisting life insurance policyor take out a new one naming theNSPCA as the beneficiary.People often think that if “theSPCA” is stated in a Will, itis obvious to which SPCA thebequest should be allocated.But people move. The local SPCAwhere a person lived may not bethe same as the one in the areawhere the donor resided whenthey passed away.Be accurate at the start. Itis essential that the NationalCouncil of SPCAs (NSPCA) isspecified in your Will andit might be prudent to add“currently situated at (with thephysical and postal addressesincluded)”. Please use thewording: “I bequeath to theNational Council of SPCAs …”HELP CREATE A SAFER FUTURE FORANIMALS