OPERATING HOURS: DOG CONTROL & CARCASS REMOVAL, 8:30am-4pm, with no A/H number. SANCCOB & LIVESTOCK, 24 hrs.
For further operating hours, A/H and alternate numbers, refer to the respective organisation’s website or social media pages. Please be considerate when making a call during normal office hours; some contacts have full-time jobs and volunteer their time to help animals however they can.
If there is a non-profit organisation in the Eastern Cape you’d like to see added, or a question and answer you’d like included, please get in touch. Our aim is to build a comprehensive list of the animal related non-profits in the Eastern Cape.
REPORTING
If the situation is in P.E., contact the Animal Welfare Society (A.W.S.) or the Animal Anti-Cruelty League (A.A.C.L.). For Uitenhage, contact the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.). Only certified animal inspectors may intervene. Take note of the details of your call: date, time, person taking your message, and always follow up.
For P.E. and the surrounding areas, contact the Dog Control dept. of the municipality.
A “backyard breeder”, as it is commonly referred as, is someone who, intentionally or not, permitted his dog/cat to have a litter of puppies/kittens. This is an irresponsible and illegal act and therefore punishable. Please report any incidences to the Dog Control dept. of the municipality; they enforce this law. Take note of the details of your call: date, time, person taking your message, and always follow up.
Dead animals found in public spaces must be removed by Carcass Removal. If you think the animal might have had an owner, and knowing that an owner would welcome closure, post the information to social media, being sensitive as to what you include (no pictures or disturbing details). Pictures should only be sent directly to the owners upon request.
ADOPTIONS
The Animal Welfare Society (A.W.S.), Save-a-Pet and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.) all have puppies, kittens, adult dogs and cats looking for homes. These are the organisations that have shelters you can visit. Each has their own rules and adoption procedure. Alternatively, you can contact or visit the social media pages of Port Elizabeth Animal Rescue (P.E.A.R.), Animal Outreaches, Cat Care and Domestic Animal Care (D.A.C.) – they will have animals in foster care. You may also email easte, and we can advise further. Please note that we only advocate the adopting of animals who have been found as strays, surrendered or abandoned by their owners or removed as part of a cruelty investigation.
LOST & FOUND
If you have lost a pet, contact the following organisations: Animal Welfare Society (A.W.S.), Save-a-Pet, Animal Anti-Cruelty League (A.A.C.L.), the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.) and the Dog Control dept. of the municipality (they may have removed the animal). Contact private veterinary clinics closest to where the animal went missing, then post your search on social media. Next, visit the shelters to make further enquiries. Animals entering their shelters must first be placed in quarantine, which means, he/she won’t be in their general area, with the other animals – you must speak to their offices.
It is important to note that the S.P.C.A. operates as the municipal pound, which means that any stray dog or cat that is removed from a public area, is placed at their shelter.
Owners only have a specified period of time in which they may claim ownership of the animal. Should you wish to claim the animal after this lapsed period, you would need to follow the respective organisation’s rules.
Animals have been known to appear at shelters months, even years after having disappeared. Keep in regular contact with the organisations, continue to visit them as well as social media pages.
If you have found a dog, cat or small animal, it is important that you take him/her to a shelter. This is the first point of contact an owner has in the hope of being reunited with their pet. If it is after the organisations normal operating hours, you could contact their A/H number for further advice. If you have decided to keep the animal overnight, keep him/her in a safe place, don’t handle any more than is absolutely required, and ideally, keep him/her away from small children and other animals. Private veterinary clinics can scan the animal to look for a microchip, this includes the details of the owner. You may not permanently keep an animal you have found, this is considered theft. Also bear in mind that the animal may have a pre-existing medical condition.
If you advertised the animal on social media, and someone comes forward claiming the animal is theirs, please use your common sense, ask them questions only an owner would know. For example: does the animal respond to the name they’ve provided? Ask for information regarding distinctive markings or a particular behavioural trait. And, insist on getting their particulars, place of work and contact number. It is always advisable to involve an organisation.