I’ve recently been dubbed the “pet shop lady” by Meerkat, referring to all my dealings with local animal protection authorities, animal rights activists and supposedly concerned residents.
I’ve dealt with managers, inspectors, owners and responsible sellers of pet products, each of those mentioned more extreme or convinced that they are right. I’ve heard of a possible solution to shelter animals that are not adopted. Yet, Cataract could not give one decent comment, and the one time I told her that the call is being recorded, she dismissed the conversation and forwarded a half-hearted press release.
Is she really turning so much of a blind eye to the organisation’s defamation of their own name?
I’m talking about a bold press release stating that their services are only available to desperate, desolate Roodepoorters. Nevermind the well-meaning Florida Hills residents that earn a lot, sure, but that have big families and thus big expenses. The scapegoat of being an animal protection authority enables know-it-alls to judge whether or not you can afford a private veterinarian.
Don’t even get me started on the backlog of supposed charges that have been laid against the bad pet owners. Why do we never get a press release about how they were arrested or fined or seen to in whichever manner, Cataract?
Who has really ever dealt with the Animal Protection Act, or the Performing Animals Protection Act for that matter? Do you know that it expects you to look after your pet and does not expect you to pay thousands to do so? I suppose those Acts are decaying in dust in the corner of her office, for her perusal only when she needs to take on a big bad pet shop. We’re all quick to jump on our high horses over a pet farm not operating as it should or a Davidsonville doggy infested with maggots, but what about the protection of the average, responsible animal owner?
What about this average Astertjie?
I earn drie rand ‘n maand (so the office joke goes). Not that I’m complaining. But every time Darce Vader (Darcy, my beloved Jack Russell) needs an injection or looks pap I need to deal with it and I need to do so without spending all of my rand. And it can easily run that high, what with x-rays and IVs and you-name-it, if pup is really sick.
I respect the little waentjie they send out to a Lindhaven corner on weekdays. That waentjie has ensured that my puppy is vaccinated, time and again. It’s not like you see careless owners there, no – people are holding their pets or have been walking their pets there, some are veteran waentjie visitors. These people care. Yet, the uninterested organisation wants to chase them away to make space in the queue for owners such as the Davidsonville doggies. News flash, love, those people will never queue. They did not even care to bring their pet to you, they had you fetch it.
My uncle recently adopted Buksie from a colleague of mine. Healthy, cute cross-breed, certainly not considered a pavement special. He’s healthy because of that waentjie. He wants to play at 4am.
My suggestion is, if you really want to take the veterinary waentjie away from responsible Roodepoorters, replace it with one that finds and catches those that are not (if you still have funding, aren’t you running out of generous waentjie veterans?). Send me a press release of what happens to those bastards, would you?
