The Welkom SPCA has finally been forced to close its doors following the walk out of the chairman, Zack Rossouw and his committee of three, leaving destitute animals and staff in their wake.
On Wednesday, 3 May, they sent a message to a neighbouring animal welfare society to take over the reigns, which then necessitated the NSPCA to issue an urgent appeal for help.
“Despite desperately trying to keep the Welkom SPCA operational, the entire management committee of the Welkom SPCA resigned and indicated that they were unable to continue to serve in this capacity. The absence of a management committee as well as the lack of funds and funding has rendered the Welkom SPCA unsustainable,” states a media release from the NSPCA.
Based on this sequence of events the Welkom SPCA will be forced to close its doors.
After the furore in December when Rossouw resigned and then reinstated himself. The Welkom SPCA has been running on petrol fumes. The NSPCA did provide Welkom with an inspector to help out until a new committee could be chosen. This was four months ago. However, Virginia SPCA, together with Bloemfontein SPCA, had assisted Welkom almost daily from September last year up to December.
In March this year the NSPCA appointed an inspector to help as Welkom did not yet have a committee or an inspector. The inspector’s salary was paid for by the NSPCA so that the Welkom branch could elect a new committee to take Welkom forward. No committee was however, elected.
The NSPCA is appealing to anyone in the community who is passionate about animal welfare and who is willing to open an animal welfare organisation on the premises of the SPCA to provide a feasible business plan to the National Council of SPCA’s (NSPCA) as soon as possible. Proposals and business plans can be sent to liaison2@nspca.co.za by no later than 20 May for consideration.
