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- More than 100 live chickens were confiscated from hawkers in Cape Town.
- Law enforcement officials and the SPCA removed the chickens after several warnings were issued.
- The SPCA says it will file charges of animal cruelty in the next few days.
City of Cape Town law enforcement officials, together with the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, confiscated 142 live chickens from two hawkers in Masiphumelele informal settlement on Friday afternoon.
The SPCA said it had issued several warnings to the woman and man for violating the Animal Protection Act, but that all warnings were ignored.
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"Inspector Jeffery Mfini obtained a court order from the Simon's Town Magistrate's Court to confiscate the poultry. The SPCA attempted to educate the perpetrator on human handling, transportation and safekeeping of the chickens, but unfortunately, they were not adhered to," said SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse.
Upon arrival, five law enforcement officials and the SPCA found the chickens in overcrowded crates, without any access to water, food and shade.
City law enforcement spokesperson Dwayne Dyason confirmed to News24 that its officers had assisted in the removal of the chickens.
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"We removed all 142 of the chickens. There were also several of them that were already dead-on-arrival. Unfortunately, due to the conditions of some of these chickens, there were some that had to be humanely euthanised," said Pieterse.
Inspectors managed to save a large number of the chickens with emergency interventions on site.
"Those still viable were rescued and immediately transported to our animal hospital in Grassy Park for veterinary treatment," Pieterse added.
The SPCA again reiterated that the sale of animals was now illegal, according to the new Animal Keeping By-Law, 2021, introduced by the City of Cape Town.
The SPCA said:
The SPCA said it would be laying charges of animal cruelty against the two hawkers early next week.
"Regardless of whether these chickens were destined for consumption or subsistence farming, no one has the right to subject any animal to cruelty. We care about all animals, no matter the species," said Pieterse.
Reports of animal cruelty can be made on 083 3261604.
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