TEARS Animal Rescue Issues Urgent Covid-19 Pet Food Appeal to Assist Vulnerable Communities
Cape Town ~ Following the announcement of the COVID-19 Lockdown and the economic impact on low income communities, TEARS Animal Rescue has launched a COVID-19 Pet Food Appeal to Cape Town based manufacturers to donate surplus edible pet food in response to the increase in requests from pet owners living in vulnerable communities as they struggle to feed their pets.
Says TEARS Animal Rescue General Manager, Lauren Carlyle, “We cannot underestimate the impact that the COVID-19 Lockdown is having on the most vulnerable members of our society, and have therefore launched a Province-wide appeal to address what is fast becoming an animal welfare crisis. The reality is that many people have been retrenched or been put on unpaid leave for the next three weeks, which has dire consequences on the people living on or near the breadline. We’re receiving dozens of pleas for help from pet owners in vulnerable communities who say they won’t be able to feed their pets over the coming weeks.”
TEARS issued a statement as part of a strategic communication campaign at the beginning of March, to emphasise the fact that animals have no direct connection with the spreading of the COVID-19 virus. Despite this, an increasing number of people have started to dump their pets after the release of fake news and misinformation surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic. This, coupled with the fact that economic downturns always result in increased rates of pet neglect, starvation and abandonment, means that the organisation will remain on high-alert over the Lockdown period to support animals in need. In 2018 over 500 cats and dogs were surrendered or picked-up as strays by TEARS, and last year this number increased to 683.
“Based on our experience, and as conditions continue to deteriorate, we expect to see a massive increase in the number of cats and dogs being surrendered, abandoned or left to starve as owners struggle to feed their own families. Dogs that are restrained on ropes and chains, to provide some sense of security to their owners, are often left without adequate food and care, and will most likely die slow and painful deaths, either from starvation or disease; and most often, both,’ says Carlyle.
Registered as an essential service during the Lockdown, and with its established infrastructure and operational footprint in low income communities in the Southern Peninsula of the Western Cape (namely Vrygrond, Ocean View, Redhill, and Masiphumelele), TEARS is able to collect and redistribute all pet food donations it receives to address the most critical needs in the communities it serves. Any surplus will be shared with other animal welfare organisations across Cape Town.
Says TEARS Operations Manager, Mandy Store, “We will be contacting our suppliers and partners directly with a request for assistance. All pet food donations received will be distributed to community leaders for redistribution in impoverished communities. We’ll work closely with other animal welfare organisations across Cape Town to make sure we’re able to coordinate a collective response to the increasing demand for assistance across the Province .”
While TEARS Animal Rescue will remain closed to the public for the duration of the Lockdown, it will continue to ambulance sick and injured companion animals, and rescue stray and abandoned pets within its operational footprint. In the case of emergencies only please call or SMS 071 864 4849.
TO HELP SAVE LIVES PLEASE DONATE AT: https://tears.org.za/donate/
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE – General Manager
Lauren Carlyle
Cell: 078 444 9952
Email: lauren@tears.org.za
TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE – Operations Manager
Mandy Store
Call: 073 525 9191
Email: Mandy@tears.org.za
TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE – Marketing Director
Lara Black
Cell: 083 326 1168
Email: lara@dreamteamworld.co.za
TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE – Marketing Coordinator
Luke Kruyt
Cell: 061 722 7903
Email: luke@tears.org.za
FACT SHEET
TEARS is a Pro-Life, non-profit organization, established in 1999 (registered in terms of Section 18a of the Income Tax Act) whose core aim is to rescue, rehabilitate, reunite and rehome lost, abandoned, abused and neglected animals, and to educate the communities within which we operate, in particular the children.
We strive to meet the needs of the low-income communities in the Southern Peninsula by:
- Providing free sterilisations, a mobile clinic, subsidised medical support that includes vaccinations, deworming and parasite control
- Providing a veterinary clinic on our premises, offering veterinary care for pets for almost any condition, illness or injury at a welfare rate.
We remain the only facility in the Cape Peninsula’s far-south that is available seven days a week to treat the hundreds of animals who need treatment each month for a variety of conditions, illnesses and injuries.
Our focus is on sterilisation to prevent unwanted animals from being born into a life of suffering, abuse and neglect and annually we sterilise in excess of 5 000 dogs, cats and rabbits. In addition we are one of the leading organisations in the compassionate sterilisation and management of the peninsula’s feral cat colonies through our Feral Cat Project. We feed, rehabilitate and care for up to 250 cats and dogs at our shelters. To date TEARS has homed in excess of 17 500 animals.
Source: TEARS
——————————————————————————————
Disclaimer: The information produced by Infurmation is provided for general and educational purposes only and does not constitute any legal, medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always seek the advice of your vet or other qualified health care provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you suspect that your pet has a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.
