VRYSTAAT – Die Bloemfontein-DBV het ongeveer 90 hoenders uit ’n klein motorhuis op ’n plaas in die Glen-gebied 30 km buite die stad van hongersnood en die dood gered.
Hier is die volledige persverklaring:
The Bloemfontein SPCA rescue 90 chickens from a terrible death of hunger
90 Chickens rescued from a garage.
We are still very active during this lockdown. We do inspections at multiple places were animals being housed. We know that during the lockdown that agricultural facilities are available to buy food for all animals.
We received an anonymous complaint about chickens being kept in the back of a garage and that the owner don’t feed the chickens. And the person who should take care of the chickens carry every day dead chickens out the garage.
When we arrived at the farm in Glen about 30 km outside of Bloemfontein, we were shocked by what we found. 90 chickens were kept in a small space in the back of the garage with no food and water. There were no faeces on the floor which indicates that the chickens had no food for a long period. If these chickens had food we would have seen faeces on the floor where the chickens were kept.
“The first thing I saw was cannibalism, the chickens pecking on each other for food. They were full of blood marks” said inspector Duán Matthee at the Bloemfontein SPCA.
The chickens had no food for days explained the caretaker of the chickens. He told us that the owner gave him a bag of chicken food two weeks ago and told him that he should manage. The caretaker called the owner multiple times about the food that is finished and the owner did nothing about it.
We rushed to get a warrant and were pleased that the magistrate helped us with a warrant to remove these chickens, during lockdown.
“We were standing in the garage where the chickens were, and they were pecking on our clothes and shoes thinking that we had food. Chickens were dying of hunger, they had ammonia burns on their legs and some was covered with blood. It was sad seeing how these chickens had to live. “said inspector Matthee
We removed the chickens from the garage and took them to the SPCA and gave them food and water. “We had to feed them separately as they were fighting for food. It was hard to see how hungry these chickens were. We inspected the chickens and there is no meat on them just an empty crop and breast bone” said Matthee
We are in the proses of opening a case of animal cruelty against the owner of these chickens under the Animal Protection Act 71 of 1962.
No animal should suffer like this even if it is a little old chicken. We believe all animals matter and should be cared for. It was horrific seeing how these chickens had to live and had to go to cannibalism just to stay alive. We feel that humankind had failed these animals.
The chickens are now saved in our care. We watch them every day and make sure that they get stronger and stronger. Seeing them walk and feel grass makes us happy. We humbly ask for your help with these chickens. They need special food and medicine to get healthy again. We know it is an odd request and that it is only chickens but for us, it is an animal who deserves a second chance. We know it is a difficult time, but we humbly ask for a donation for these chickens, to ensure a better life for them.
