The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is warning of an escalating pet overpopulation crisis that is stretching resources to breaking point and forcing painful decisions about animal welfare.

Kennels meant for temporary housing are now full, forcing staff to work tirelessly to care for hundreds of animals awaiting adoption.

Belinda Abraham, a spokesperson for the SPCA, said the surge is driven by financial hardship, irresponsible breeding, and pet owners relocating without making arrangements for their animals.

The organisation is appealing to the public for adoptions, donations, and responsible pet ownership to ease the crisis. Without urgent help, many animals face an uncertain future.

Abraham, said the organisation is grappling with overwhelming numbers. 

“We are facing a pet population crisis on an unprecedented scale. In 2024, 23,621 unwanted and unloved animals came through our doors, far surpassing projections.

“As Cape Town’s only non-selective, open-admissions facility, we take in every animal brought to us, from the public who can no longer afford a pet to other welfare groups who bring in animals they deem unadoptable or quite simply are overflowing themselves. The reality is that there are far more animals than there are good homes. 

“This means that despite our best efforts, many healthy animals must be humanely euthanased, the most painful but sometimes the only compassionate choice to make when the alternative is a life of prolonged suffering or indefinite confinement.”

Abraham added that adoption, while vital, cannot solve the crisis on its own. 

“Adoption alone cannot solve the crisis because animals are being bred faster than we can rescue, rehabilitate, or rehome them. Economic pressures, housing restrictions, and low adoption rates across the country further compound the problem. 

“Our adoptions programme maintains a 99% placement success rate through home checks and post-adoption follow-up, but the number of incoming animals still overwhelms the number of homes available. Long-term kenneling is neither ethical nor humane, so the only sustainable answer lies in prevention through sterilisation.”

The scale of the challenge is underscored by global data.

“The State of Pet Homelessness Report reveals that millions of pets are homeless in South Africa, with adoption rates from shelters are at a dismal 9% for dogs and 19% for cats. 

“Compounding this, 15% of pet owners are considering surrendering their animals in the next year, while backyard breeders continue their indiscriminate breeding,” said Abraham.

The SPCA’s focus on sterilisation has shown measurable impact. 

“Sterilisation sits at the centre of the SPCA’s preventative approach. In the 2024 to 2025 financial year, we performed 13% more sterilisation surgeries and recorded a subsequent 12% drop in stray and relinquished admissions.

“This is proof that sterilisation is the answer to the numbers of suffering and the sustainability of the animal welfare sector.”

Abraham explained that every sterilisation comes at a cost to the SPCA. 

“There is no backlog as such, the limitation is funding. Every sterilisation costs the SPCA money, and while we perform thousands each year, our capacity is directly linked to available resources. 

“Many families want their pets sterilised but simply cannot afford the fee, even at our already subsidised welfare rates. With more funding, we could expand our reach, perform more procedures, and make a greater dent in the pet overpopulation crisis.”

Abraham sais community partnerships and education through sterilisation drives are central to their work. 

“Each sterilisation prevents thousands of unwanted births over an animal’s lifetime. We also work within schools, teaching responsible pet ownership and inspiring children to take their pets to be sterilised, an approach that led to 915 sterilisations this year from animals brought forward by learners.”

Recently, the City of Cape Town allocated R850,000 to the Cape Animal Welfare Forum for a mass sterilisation initiative in Subcouncils 4 and 6, with the SPCA actively assisting in the rollout. Internationally, Cape Town’s sterilisation-led strategy has been recognised at the United Nations World Urban Forum. 

“This is proof that humane, evidence-based population management can reduce suffering and build kinder, safer cities for all.”

Abraham emphasised the importance of continued support.

“Sterilisation is not free, the SPCA incurs a cost for every sterilisation and subsidises the cost for many who cannot afford the full fee. We also assist many other organisations by opening our hospital doors to them so that they can access sterilisation services at a welfare rate. The more funds we have, the more sterilisations we can carry out, until we realise our dream of a home for every animal.”

Animal behaviourist Nicole Nel, was present at the SPCA facility when Weekend Argus visited.

Nel who was monitoring two-year-old Lilly, a Spaniel, explained: 

“This is not an animal problem, it is a people problem.”

She noted that many dogs were once adopted as “cute puppies” but later abandoned when families realised the responsibilities involved. “One of the things that I’ve noted in my career at the moment here at SPCA is the growing amount of animals that come in, specifically unwanted surrenders.”

Nel said many animals arrive without even the most basic training. “They’re not born knowing how to walk on a leash and knowing that they mustn’t do this or do that. And that’s why there’s a huge emphasis on being a responsible pet owner, also investing time in training, behaviour modification all of that. Not just health, it’s all of those things too.”

For her, this neglect is heartbreaking. “These are unwanted animals where you can see humans have failed them.”

She reiterated that the issue is not only about overpopulation but about responsibility. “It’s not just, oh, there’s a pet overpopulation crisis. There’s actually a crisis with unwanted animals in the sense that people just get them as commodities.

“I think we live in a bit of a throwaway nation, even world.”

tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus 

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