Boksburg SPCA AGM reveals a marked increase in the number of animals surrendered
Boksburg SPCA’s response rate to cruelty complaints has risen.
A total of 903 dogs were brought in and 1 735 dogs were surrendered to the Boksburg SPCA during the period of April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018.
This was revealed by the Boksburg SPCA chairperson, John Penrose, at the Boksburg SPCA’s AGM meeting held recently.
According to Penrose, the 2017/18 financial year presented a number of challenges which with the sustained effort of the committee were dealt with.
Penrose said the Boksburg SPCA’s operational aspects of running the pound have overall been addressed and much credibility has been restored but financial pressures remain a serious issue.
“Operational costs continue to escalate, outweighing income and with the economic downturn affecting more people every day, this has resulted in a decline in donations received by the SPCA.
“The Boksburg SPCA’s clinic continues to work for the most part to be self-funding but a challenge faced is the influx of animals whose owners are unable to afford basic care at times,” Penrose said.
Financials
Penrose said the Boksburg SPCA’s income increased by 19.7 per cent while expenses increased by 20.8 per cent resulting in a surplus of R862 543.
“It should be noted that the Lotto Grant payout will need to be spent, so the said spend will result therefore in a deficit of approximately R300 000 for the year.”
Monthly, the Boksburg SPCA receives a grant of around R29 000 from the metro.
For the 2017/18 period, R134 163 was raised from street collection, R486 117 from the second-hand charity shop, R866 353 from the medical clinic, while adoptions to new homes raised R281 915, donations raised roughly R343 000 and boarding fees raised around R91 000.
Maintenance
“Our fleet continues to age and it is a challenge to the society going forward.”
Penrose said donations of parts, repairs and skills have kept the vehicles on the road and for each and every person’s assistance in this regard, the society is grateful.
“We are pleased to report that we have managed to replace our operating table, drip stand and spray cradle.
“The clinic upgrades are ongoing and we continue to look for avenues to raise funds to cover the necessary upgrades and improvements,” Penrose said.
Services
The following statistics show exactly how busy the society is, thus the need for this service is growing at an alarming rate.
Dogs: 903 brought in as strays and 1 753 surrendered; 278 homed, 225 re-claimed and 708 sterilised for underprivileged pet owners.
Cats: 900 brought in as strays and 883 surrendered; 81 homed, 15 re-claimed, and 49 sterilised for underprivileged pet owners.
According to Penrose, these numbers, compared to the prior year, reflect a marked increase in the number of animals surrendered which can be viewed in light of the economic downturn affecting so many people in the Boksburg and surrounding area.
He said the Boksburg SPCA’s response rate to cruelty complaints has risen.
“We are gratified to report that positive results have been achieved in the battle against dog fighting and that this unspeakable cruelty is now listed as a criminal offence.
“One of the challenges I think we face is the prospect of societies joining forces to improve operational efficiencies, reduce costs and overall provide a better service to the animals that are so much in need of care and protection,” Penrose said.
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