The theft of a large dog trap, used to rescue animals, has Tears Animal Rescue in distress at the thought of it ending up in the wrong hands.
Tears Animal Rescue founder and director Marilyn Hoole is requesting the public to be on the lookout for the dog trap that went missing on the weekend of Sunday 1 May.
“I’m devastated, my sister and I have been to Vrygrond to ask around and look for the trap. I just hope if we don’t get it back that it rather ended up cut up at a scrapyard and not in the wrong hands.
“It’s always been a fear that the trap could be used to trap animals or keep animals for dog fighting. I feel terrible about what happened.”
Hoole says that on the day she checked on the trap, which was placed on a field at the corner of St Georges Street and Prince George Drive. “We left the trap there, which late on Sunday and then early on Monday we checked on. A few hours later it was gone.
“Apparently two guys with pit bulls were seen pulling the trap in the direction of Vrygrond. We have alerted people on the ground, AFRI Paw as well has been alerted. We went back early the next morning and thought it would be fine because it was left in a bush.”
Hoole added that her sister had been helping her move the trap since one of the Tears Rescue vehicles was in a car accident two years ago.
“We also lost the Tears vehicle two years ago, it was written off in an accident so I also did not have a suitable vehicle to place the trap, which is why my sister was helping out. We do so many rescues and my sister has been assisting me.
“I’m feeling so distressed. It is a vital piece of equipment and it is very distressing to think that someone could be using it to trap animals.”
The large trap is 1,2 m long, 82 cm wide and 86 cm high.
“When using the trap, it would normally take a day or two to secure the dog and that particular one already helped to rescue at least 10 dogs.”
Meanwhile, a female dog that was meant to be rescued, with the stolen trap, is still on the loose.
“We are going to see if we can get her, she is still on the run. Twice we have placed food out with tranquilizer in the food. She is covering a huge area, Prince George Drive to Military Road, Capricorn Beach area and Costa da Gama, the dunes and the beach. Sometimes it takes us hours to find her, it’s been over two weeks since we started trying to trap her.”
If anyone spots the female dog which has since been named Georgie Girl, it is advisable not to approach her and to contact Tears Animal Rescue.
“She should not be approached and should not be fed.”
