Dear Alan

Thank you very much for your call and concern – it was lovely chatting to you and we deeply appreciate your support for these equines.

Please see below details on this case.

Cape of Good Hope SPCA Chief Inspector Andries Venter and his team are on their way today (25 May 2010) to Worcester and will meet Courier Transport there who will bring back 14 horses to the SPCA's Horse Care Unit in Grassy Park. Of the 68 remaining on the farm (we brought back four on Friday) these 14 are also in a poor condition and need to be assessed by our veterinarians.

We would therefore be very grateful for any assistance possible, whether in cash or as food donations. The cost of feeding each horse is estimated at R65/animal per day.

Many thanks

Lamees Martin

SPCA takes custody of 72 horses at Breede Valley stud farm

Inspectors from the Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) and Breede Valley SPCA have seized on site, 72 thoroughbred horses at a stud farm in the Breede Valley, following the confiscation of six grossly underweight horses from the farm by the SPCA on Wednesday (19 May).

The SPCA handed over court order to the farm owner’s lawyer on Friday (21 May) and then immediately started carrying out more detailed checks on each horse, under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Of the 72, 18 horses were brought back to CoGH SPCA’s Horse Care Unit in Grassy Park for further veterinary assessment. Two have lost their teeth and another two have severe wounds.

Charges of gross neglect; failure to render veterinary services and abandonment have been laid against the owner.  The seizure order places the animals in the custody of the SPCA, which has a Senior Inspector living on the premises, overseeing the animals’ care until the situation is resolved.  

Donations of food were received from members of the Western Cape Equine Trust, enabling the SPCA to feed the horses over the weekend.  The cost of feeding each horse is estimated at R65/animal per day.  A delivery of food ordered by the farm management is expected to arrive at the farm on Tuesday (25 May).

The stud farm has been investigated and received warnings from the SPCA for failing to provide adequate food and veterinary care for the animals on the farm over the past four years.  In addition to the horses a number of chickens and sheep will also be seized.  

In 2006 the SPCA investigated the farm on similar complaints and obtained a court order to remove all the horses.  At the time the owner took the necessary action to remedy the situation.

In February 2009 veterinarians brought in by the SPCA assessed all 64 horses on the farm and determined that three, whose mothers had died recently, should be removed because specialized care was not available on site.  At that point a court order was obtained by the CoGH SPCA allowing them to remove the horses to the society’s Horse Care Unit in Grassy Park, but this was not enforced following promises by the owner that immediate remedial action would be taken.

Chief Inspector Andries Venter said that the seizure order was necessary to prevent further animal cruelty.  “Although the horses may appear to just be underweight, current poor farm management has the potential to cause the situation to deteriorate very quickly, especially since adequate feed and veterinary care is allegedly not available”, he said. 

 “We have tried repeatedly in the past to work with the owner and his management to put in place the necessary measures to ensure appropriate care of these animals and repeatedly we have found it to be lacking.  We have very serious concerns around how the farm is being managed and if the SPCA does not step in the welfare of the animals could be severely compromised”, he said.

Ends

Please help. Whether it’s a case of food or if you’d prefer to give cash, we’ll buy the food on your behalf. Please make a donation into the Cape of Good Hope SPCA bank account:

Bank: Standard Bank
Account Name: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
Account No: 071832858
Branch: Constantia
Branch Code: 051001

Reference: Horse Rescue

You can deliver horse feed to the SPCA in Grassy Park or if you have a big donation call us and we’ll make a plan to collect.

If you need more information, please call us on 021 700 4140 or e-mail comms@spca-ct.co.za

With thanks and best wishes,

Lamees

Lamees Martin
Communication and Resource Development
Cape of Good Hope SPCA
P O Box 3 Plumstead 7801
|Tel: 021 7004141
Fax: 086 6743356
comms@spca-ct.co.za
www.spca-ct.co.za