Cries of distress led a Cape of Good Hope SPCA inspector to lift the lid off a steel drum and be greeted by a heartbreaking sight.
A pair of brown eyes looked up at him with an empty crisp packet, dirty blanket and teddy bear lying beside it.
Inspector Werner Taljaard found the distressed puppy after being alerted to the plight of a dog being kept in a “rubbish bin” at a property in Grassy Park.
“He reached out a hand and NikNax [as we named her] immediately retreated and flattened herself against the bottom of the drum before assuming a submissive posture with her tail between her legs,” said the SPCA.
“It took a fair amount of sweet talking and gentle reassurance before our inspector was able to retrieve her ... he couldn’t bring himself to put her in a cage at the back of his vehicle after her ordeal and so she rode alongside him in the cab ... by the time they reached the SPCA he’d completely won her over.”
An investigation is under way and the owner of the dog may face charges of animal cruelty.
The incident coincides with the recovery of a second puppy in a terrible condition two weeks ago at a dump site in Khayelitsha.
Puppy rescued from 'terrible ordeal' inside steel drum
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
Cries of distress led a Cape of Good Hope SPCA inspector to lift the lid off a steel drum and be greeted by a heartbreaking sight.
A pair of brown eyes looked up at him with an empty crisp packet, dirty blanket and teddy bear lying beside it.
Inspector Werner Taljaard found the distressed puppy after being alerted to the plight of a dog being kept in a “rubbish bin” at a property in Grassy Park.
“He reached out a hand and NikNax [as we named her] immediately retreated and flattened herself against the bottom of the drum before assuming a submissive posture with her tail between her legs,” said the SPCA.
“It took a fair amount of sweet talking and gentle reassurance before our inspector was able to retrieve her ... he couldn’t bring himself to put her in a cage at the back of his vehicle after her ordeal and so she rode alongside him in the cab ... by the time they reached the SPCA he’d completely won her over.”
An investigation is under way and the owner of the dog may face charges of animal cruelty.
The incident coincides with the recovery of a second puppy in a terrible condition two weeks ago at a dump site in Khayelitsha.
Image: Mdzananda Animal Clinic
City of Cape Town staff at the dump flagged down a nearby animal ambulance operated by Mdzananda Animal Clinic. A medical assessment confirmed the three-month-old canine had severe mange and was malnourished.
General manager of the NPO Heidi May said, “On arrival the puppy looked like it had given up, but once she started receiving love and care from our staff, she started showing a bit of spirit again.”
TimesLIVE
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