Man is not their best friend

A HOLIDAYMAKER on the coast recently came across a sickening sight – the burnt carcasses of cats and dogs at the old shooting range near Swakopmund Munipality’s rubbish dump.

Without any signs warning the public to keep out, the visitor was shocked by the sight of charred animal remains. Town Health Officer Clive Lawrence, who said the Municipality did not have an incinerator, said animals’ bodies were collected from the SPCA and vets once a week, and burned on Thursdays.According to the statistics for November, the carcasses of 17 dogs and cats were collected last month.The remains of more than 20 were seen at the site yesterday”.Normally the carcasses are completely burned out and only the bones remain,” Lawrence said, adding that the skeletons were covered every two months.”It is not the ideal situation, but in the absence of a decent incinerator, it is the best we can do,” he said.The Walvis Bay Municipality built an incinerator at its new rubbish dump two years ago and that is available for use by municipalities in the Erongo Region but Lawrence said it would be too costly to transport the dead animals to Walvis Bay every week.He said the municipality might install an incineration at a new dump being planned for Swakopmund.Dogs impounded by the Municipality, and not reclaimed by their owners after three days, are destroyed according to a municipal by-law.Town Health Officer Clive Lawrence, who said the Municipality did not have an incinerator, said animals’ bodies were collected from the SPCA and vets once a week, and burned on Thursdays. According to the statistics for November, the carcasses of 17 dogs and cats were collected last month. The remains of more than 20 were seen at the site yesterday”.Normally the carcasses are completely burned out and only the bones remain,” Lawrence said, adding that the skeletons were covered every two months. “It is not the ideal situation, but in the absence of a decent incinerator, it is the best we can do,” he said. The Walvis Bay Municipality built an incinerator at its new rubbish dump two years ago and that is available for use by municipalities in the Erongo Region but Lawrence said it would be too costly to transport the dead animals to Walvis Bay every week. He said the municipality might install an incineration at a new dump being planned for Swakopmund. Dogs impounded by the Municipality, and not reclaimed by their owners after three days, are destroyed according to a municipal by-law.