CAPE TOWN – The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said that it is on high alert ahead of the expected severe storm on Sunday to Tuesday.
The South African Weather Service issued an Orange Level 6 weather warning on Friday for disruptive rainfall and flooding for the City of Cape Town, Cape Winelands, West Coast and the western part of the Overberg for these three days.
Responders mobilised
The SPCA said on Friday that its first responders are ready and that its inspectors are loading rescue vehicles with waders, wetsuits, carriers, blankets, animal feed, and other emergency supplies, in preparation. The team will operate around the clock, the non-profit organisation said.
“Floods do not give second chances,” said Belinda Abraham, spokesperson.
She added: “Our team rescues soaked dogs and stranded cats, but we also respond to horses bogged in clay, Cape fur seals swept ashore, baby birds blown from nests by gale-force winds, and even porcupines flooded out of their stormwater drain homes.”
The NPO is calling on the public to take immediate steps to protect the animals in their care. Pets should be brought indoors wherever possible, they said.
Where indoor shelter is not feasible, owners are urged to provide a waterproof kennel that is raised off the ground and turned away from the wind. Bedding must be checked daily and replaced if wet, as damp bedding can cause fatal hypothermia, the SPCA said.
Horse and livestock owners are also urged to move animals to higher ground if flooding becomes imminent.
The SPCA is available to assist should evacuation becomes necessary, they said.
Joint Operation Centre
Over the warning period SPCA responders will embed with the City of Cape Town‘s disaster risk management centre and serve at the Joint Operations Centre to coordinate and prioritise response to animals in distress; deploy proactively into flood-prone areas to move animals to safety before water rises; evacuate trapped pets, farm animals and stray animals from active flood zones; and provide warm shelter, food, and medical care to flood victims at their facility.
Members of the public can report animals without shelter or animals in distress 24 hours a day.
Call 021 700 4158 or 021 700 4159 or WhatsApp 021 700 4140.
Donations to support the SPCA’s flood response can be made at https://capespca.co.za/flood-crisis-response-be-their-lifeline
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