The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has appealed to holiday-goers not to leave their pets unattended at home.

The SPCA has urged holidaygoers to plan in advance and ensure their pets are left in the hands of caretakers to avoid leaving them alone. 

Canine Care Coordinator at the SPCA, Kristen van Zyl, said they offer a variety of services apart from taking in stray or neglected animals.

"Most of the stray animals and surrendered animals that come into our care have to get vaccinations, be it deworming or flea and tick treatments as well. Our boarding animals – we feed them. We have to clean their blankets and clean their kennels, so all the staff have to be paid for that. There are fees for leaving your animals here for a short period, in addition to adoption fees."

Van Zyl said they take in any kind of animal that comes, and they are on a much safer side, as one of their staff members is a vet. 

A pet must be at least six months old or older to be accommodated.

"So, currently we do have some rabbits and some rats, but we are an open shelter, so we take in any animals that come in. So a lot of people tend to bring us little birds or injured birds, mice, and rats. We've had things like peacocks and tortoises. So any animal that comes to us, we take them in, and then from there we either keep them here, or if they need to be rehabilitated or released into the wild, then we do that accordingly."

Adoption and Community Associate Leopold Shekupe said pets are sensitive to loud noises and therefore advises that people who intend to light fireworks during the New Year's celebrations should keep their pets inside to avoid causing them panic or injury, as their first instinct would be to run.

"They have very sensitive hearing compared to us. So this noise causes a lot of anxiety and causes a lot of fear with them. So we always encourage people to keep them indoors when fireworks are taking place. We encourage owners to not tie them up outside, as these can lead to injuries and strangulation as well."

Shekupe hopes that some of the pets that are currently in their care will find new homes.