The silent cruelty of snares

⚠️*WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT* ⚠️

This morning started with yet another heartbreak for the Lower South Coast SPCA.

A call came in from a concerned member of the public regarding a dog that was suspected to be caught in a snare deep in the cane near Margate Airport.

Inspector Maduna and Trainee Inspector Gumede rushed to the scene not knowing what they would find.

What they did find was devastating - a dog, a young mixed breed had been trapped for what must have been days.
The wire and cable snare had cut deep into his body - down to the bone, and infection had already started to set in. He was thin, dehydrated, and in excruciating pain. Yet somehow, he still wagged his tail when he saw them - broken, bleeding, and still trusting.

The Inspectorate team quickly and carefully cut him free and brought him into our Clinic for immediate Veterinary attention.

After assessment, our Clinic Team were shocked and saddened by the extent of his injuries.

The kindest thing we could do was to humanely end his pain.

He slipped away peacefully - finally free from the agony the snare had inflicted.

Snares are silent killers. They do not discriminate. They are set to catch our dwindling Wildlife, but all too often, they catch domestic animals and livestock.
The cruelty lies in the design: to trap and hold by pain, to tighten with every movement, to cause hours or days of unimaginable suffering before death.

Whoever set this snare may never know what pain they caused, but we know - we saw it in his eyes.

If you walk in nature and see a snare, report it.
If you suspect illegal snaring, tell us.
Speak up - be the voice for those cannot speak.