The article published in Vista of 16 March announcing the Welkom SPCA’s closure on 31 March was based on a statement from the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA).
Maggie Mudd, national senior inspector in the NSPCA, in a written statement to Vista on Tuesday, 14 March, gave notice of closure.
Mudd then telephoned Vista on 15 March to retract the statement, stating that the Welkom SPCA would indeed remain operational.
Unfortunately Mudd’s statement was too late for the article written according to the initial statement to be removed from the newspaper, which had already gone to print.
On Thursday, 16 March, Mudd released another statement, officially announcing that the Welkom SPCA would remain open.
Originally Mudd had stated that as a result of the SPCA’s closure, the local municipality would have had to fulfil its responsibility in accommodating all stray animals, including livestock, in the area.
She further said that the NSPCA would ensure that for the next three months, an official would be present at the Welkom SPCA to accept all unwanted, sick and injured animals.
No reasons were given for the decision to close the Welkom SPCA down, nor for the decision for it to remain open.
