Latest news with #NSPCA
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Las Vegas shelter sees increase in animal dumping ahead of summer temperatures
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Video footage shared with 8 News Now shows two people dumping a dog in the parking of a Las Vegas valley animal shelter, making it one of two incidents in a week. NSPCA shared the video of an animal being dumped on their property. Associate Director, Ebone Smith said this year alone, they've seen nearly 15 animals dumped either in or near their parking lot. 'We reviewed our cameras, and we saw that two people drove up and left a dog in a crate at the front door. This was around 6 p.m. and then at 10 p.m. someone walked through the parking lot and saw the dog and took the dog with them,' Smith shared. NSPCA filed a report with Animal Protection Services and provided video of the people caught in the act. As for the other incident that happened the following night, NSPCA said they weren't able to get the dumping completely on camera however, they found a dog in their parking lot the next morning. That dog is currently being treated at their shelter. As for why the NSPCA thinks this is happening, it's unclear, but they say it's a problem. 'I don't know if it's fear of judgement or they feel like there aren't enough resources. If you need food or medical assistance, they are resources, you just need to pick up the phone or stop into the NSPCA and we'd be more than happy to help you,' Smith added. NSPCA'S Community Support Manager, Blake Hawk walked 8 News Now through the surrendering process online. Those interested can click here. It can cost up to $40 dollars to surrender your pet depending on if your animal is neutered or spayed, but fortunately, the shelter will work with you if cost is an issue. Smith added that while dumping an animal is illegal, with these scorching temperatures, it can be deadly too. 'Just because it feels cool enough to you, does not mean it's cool enough for a pet that's sitting on the ground in one spot, baking in the sun with no water or food,' Smith said. 'Unlike people where we can say, I'm hot and overheating. Pets can't so we have to pay attention to body language and behavior.' In the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, anyone who is caught dumping or abandoning an animal could face up to a $1,000 fine. With Reba's Law awaiting Senate approval, the hope is that the bill will strengthen penalties for animal cruelty in Nevada to include prison time and increased fines. As for surrendering an animal to The Animal Foundation, their fee is $10. Click this link for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Daybreak Foods enters business rescue as financial troubles mount and 2,800 jobs hang in the balance
State-owned poultry producer Daybreak Foods has started business rescue proceedings Image: NSPCA State-owned poultry producer Daybreak Foods has entered business rescue due to financial difficulties with Tebogo Maoto appointed to lead efforts to secure funding and protect around 2,800 jobs. IOL previously reported that the company sought approval from the Public Investment Corporation due to severe financial problems made worse by the culling of underfed chickens and protests from workers over unpaid salaries. Last week, Johannesburg High Court issued a final order against Daybreak Foods, following legal action by the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) over allegations of animal cruelty. The ruling, handed down on Friday, compelled the poultry producer to implement a series of measures aimed at addressing animal welfare concerns at its Limpopo facilities. The court rejected Daybreak's claim that a R74 million cash injection from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) had resolved the crisis. In a statement, Daybreak Foods said Maoto brings extensive experience in business rescue, turnarounds, and corporate restructuring, both within South Africa and across borders. 'The business rescue proceedings will focus on stabilizing operations while developing a turnaround strategy and addressing funding shortfalls,' the company said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Daybreak Foods was placed under voluntary business rescue on May 2025 after a resolution filed by its Board in terms of Section 129(1) of the Companies Act. 'We welcome the appointment of the BRP as part of the collective effort, together with the Public Investment Corporation to rescue the Company and save approximately 2 800 jobs," Daybreak Foods' interim chairperson, Dr Charlotte Nkuna said "We are confident that the business rescue proceedings will help Daybreak Foods to achieve a credible turnaround plan in the interest of all our stakeholders.' In terms of Section 133 of the Act, the poultry producer has also been granted a legal moratorium protecting it from legal and enforcement actions while the Board and BRP prepare proposals to rescue the company from financial distress. "The Daybreak Foods Board, in conjunction with the PIC, in its capacity as the shareholder and creditor, will support the BRP to develop and implement a sustainable business rescue plan that will be aimed at addressing its short and long-term funding needs, but also ensure future sustainability and profitability," the statement concluded. IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Chicken farm funded by PIC fails to reverse court order against inhumane practices
The Public Investment Corporation gave Daybreak Foods R74 million to rectify conditions at the farm but the NSPCA were not satisfied. Daybreak Foods and the Public Investment Corporation have failed to prove that they should be allowed to continue their chicken breeding operation unsupervised. The Gauteng High Court on Friday confirmed that the National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) will have the authority to monitor Daybreak's business until further notice. The respondents, Daybreak and the PIC, were given the opportunity to reverse an interdict handed down earlier this month ordering the cessation of the inhumane treatment of their chickens. R74 million given by PIC The court had earlier granted an interdict against Daybreak due to the inhumane culling of the breeder birds, as well as the lack of appropriate food for the chickens. Breeder birds were being culled by wringing their necks and financial problems at Daybreak left the operation without food for the animals or staff to tend them. Daybreak denied any wrongdoing, but stated in their answering affidavit that the company was in a 'state of disrepair due to financial mismanagement'. Failure to pay staff led to casual workers being employed, with Daybreak stating that there were no resources to adequately train the casual workers which may have been responsible for the improper slaughter. The company argued that any injuries present on the chickens were due to the animals pecking each other, allegedly natural chicken behaviour. The PIC had given Daybreak R74 million to rectify the situation but it was not enough for the court to rule the situation had been remedied. Respondents to pay costs The PIC had confirmed earlier in the week that Daybreak had been placed under business rescue and that the company's board had been reconstituted. On Friday, the chicken farm and the PIC were required to address an action plan for cooperation with the NSPCA and their adherence to health and safety protocols. Daybreak and the PIC will be liable for the NSPCA's legal costs and must provide a remedial timeline to the animal welfare organisation within five days. Until the NSPCA is satisfied or the parties agree, Daybreak will not be allowed to breed chickens or place hatchlings at any affiliated facilities, and must properly care for their existing chickens. 'Our teams were on the ground on the Daybreak Farms in Bela-Bela and Mookgopong, Limpopo for 12 days, confronting the grim realities these animals endure,' stated NSPCA spokesperson Jacques Peacock. 'We will remain vigilant in ensuring Daybreak's full compliance with the Court's order and will continue to monitor the situation closely,' Peacock concluded. NOW READ: Business rescue for stricken chicken producer Daybreak Foods
Daily Maverick
22-05-2025
- Daily Maverick
‘It's a calling… someone has to do it' — NSPCA inspector on why she endures the danger and the heartbreak
Being an NSPCA inspector is a calling and not for the faint-hearted, as Sparky Moseki can attest, working in a landscape of legal loopholes, cultural clashes and sometimes dangerous confrontations. It's 6am and Sparky Moseki is somewhere between a city and the dustier edges of South Africa, heading to a property no one wants to see, to deal with something no one wants to face. 'You never really know what's waiting for you when you arrive,' she says. 'People think the NSPCA is just cats and dogs, but you'd be amazed. We deal with everything. Dogs, snakes, seals, livestock on ships, smuggled animals at borders, you name it.' Moseki is a senior inspector in the NSPCA's Special Projects Unit and with every rescue, every raid, every inspection, she carries something heavy: the look in an animal's eyes. 'You know when you see a dog that's been starved so long it can't stand up? And it looks at you like… please. Please help me. That's what stays with you.' For Moseki, this isn't a job. It's a mission. It's a calling. And it's heartbreak, over and over again. 'It's the law and it's people' Moseki's journey began at the University of Northwest, where she studied animal health. 'I always knew I wanted to work with animals,' she says. After a short stint at a vet practice in Johannesburg, fate nudged her towards the SPCA movement. 'That was 15 years ago, and here I am.' She's now a key figure in the Special Projects Unit – a team that operates in some of the most legally and ethically complex parts of animal welfare. 'We're the unit that deals with border control, checking for illegal animal trafficking. We inspect police dogs, prison dogs, private security dogs. We respond to cruelty reports. We monitor live exports. We handle dog fighting, illegal hunting, even tail docking.' She pauses. 'Every day is different. And some days it's overwhelming.' You're sitting there rewinding a video of someone stabbing a zebra, trying to spot a landmark, a licence plate. It wears you down. Unlike a vet's clean, clinical space, Moseki works in a landscape of legal loopholes, cultural clashes and sometimes dangerous confrontations. 'People don't always welcome you. You show up and it's 'why are you here? Who sent you? Get off my property.'' But the law is clear. 'Every animal in South Africa is protected under the Animal Protection Act. We're authorised to ensure their welfare. But if we're denied access? We have to go to court for a warrant. And I've never had a magistrate refuse us.' Still, paperwork is one thing. Reality is another. 'Sometimes you sit waiting hours for a police escort because the station has no vehicle, or you're walking into hostile situations, people threatening you. You have to stay calm. You have to stay focused on why you're there.' Asked what keeps her going, Moseki doesn't hesitate. 'It's a calling. You don't do this for money. You do it because you care, because someone has to.' People think we show up and take animals away and that's it. But they don't see the mental load, the emotional toll. It's a philosophy that's been tested, especially when she faces cruelty so severe it feels impossible to process. She tells the story of inspecting a live export ship in the Eastern Cape. 'That morning, we arrived and the rams' horns had been cut off too close to their heads. Blood everywhere. Animals were trapped. Crushed. It was a nightmare. We'd left them the night before and came back the next morning to this horror.' She shakes her head. 'You never forget that. Never.' And then there are the decisions. The impossible ones. The ones that tear you up no matter how many times you've made them. 'Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is euthanise,' she says quietly. 'When you look at an animal and know: nothing can save you. You've suffered enough. You deserve peace.' It's a burden few outsiders understand. 'People think we show up and take animals away and that's it,' she says. 'But they don't see the mental load, the emotional toll.' We're here to make sure no animal suffers in silence. That's why I wake up every morning. Even fear hasn't stopped Moseki. 'I was scared of snakes,' she admits, laughing. 'Couldn't even touch one. Then I got a call about a python, and I thought, I have to do this.' So afterwards she learnt and even completed a snake-handling course. 'Now? I can handle them no problem.' It's a theme in her work: confronting what others avoid. Whether it's snakes, smuggling operations or cruelty cases, Moseki faces it head-on. 'Someone has to. Someone has to be there for the animals.' Social media makes it worse – and better One thing that's changed in recent years is the rise of cruelty shared online. 'We get videos sent to us – WhatsApp, Facebook – people torturing animals, animals forced to fight, killing wildlife. And we have to watch them, over and over, to identify places, people.' She sighs. 'That's the part people don't think about. You're sitting there rewinding a video of someone stabbing a zebra, trying to spot a landmark, a licence plate. It wears you down.' But it also helps. 'People are sharing more, reporting more. So in a way, social media's made it harder for us, but also better for animals.' After 15 years, Moseki has complicated feelings about people. 'Some are cruel for fun. Some do it for clicks. Some do it because they've fallen on hard times and can't care for their animals anymore.' She pauses. 'But then you see the other side. People who rescue. People who care. People who feed stray animals from their own empty pockets.' She believes education is key. 'The more we're out there, the more people understand what cruelty really is. And maybe that means less cruelty in the long run.' At home, Moseki's world is quieter. She has a dog – a cross-breed border collie with heart. 'When I look into her eyes, I think, how could anyone hurt something that trusts you like this?' Her children share her passion. 'My youngest wants to be an inspector too. The older one wants to be a lawyer to advocate for animals. They see what I do. They've grown up knowing this is important.' She's lasted. And she'll keep lasting. 'At the end of the day,' she says, 'we're here to make sure no animal suffers in silence. That's why I wake up every morning. That's why I go out there. Even when it's hard. Even when it breaks me a little.' DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
IOL News
12-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Daybreak Foods workers call for management overhaul amid financial turmoil
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has obtained an urgent court order against Daybreak Foods, compelling the company to cease inhumane culling practices and provide adequate care for hundreds of thousands of breeder birds at risk of starvation and suffering. Image: NSPCA Banele Ginidza Workers at Daybreak Foods' farms have laid down a series of demands that centre on the immediate termination of Chief People Officer Tshepo Yvonne Mosadi's contract, alongside a comprehensive overhaul of the company's board and management structure. This demand comes as the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) on Friday injected a further R74 million into the embattled farming establishment in a bid to pay for outstanding salaries for April, buy chicken feed supplies, and for specific essential operational expenses. The R74m, which is part of the R250m financial support requested by Daybreak in February, was initially earmarked for capital expenditure. On Friday, the Daybreak Workers Union issued a letter detailing their demands and expressed deep concerns over past management practices. "To avoid suffering the same fate, we are eliminating that risk, and avoiding the new cash injection falling into the same hands that have already proven to be incapable and incompetent to run and manage the establishment," read the letter, which was seen by Business Report. Workers also voiced multiple grievances, including the accounting methods related to overtime, delays in payment of May salaries, and inadequate provisions for Personal Protective Clothing (PPE). Further, there were calls for revisions in production pauses to ensure better working conditions, alongside critical changes to the slaughter culture that could impact both worker safety and animal welfare. Mosadi, a nominee for the Chief Human Resources Officer Awards in 2023, has faced backlash, accused by workers of being disconnected from their plight. Sources indicate that the PIC, which recently authorised a R100 million emergency fund known as the "Sunday Account," aims to address the immediate liquidity needs that have left workers and the company in a precarious situation. This emergency fund, confirmed on Thursday and Friday, is a part of the overall financial package being arranged by the PIC. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Though the PIC on Friday announced the decision to provide immediate financial support to Daybreak Foods, it reiterated that the board and management of Daybreak Foods remained responsible and accountable for the company's operations and finances. "The PIC is strengthening the board and assisting it to strengthen management to help to bring stability to the company and to resume normal operations," said the PIC. "Daybreak's leadership is tasked to develop and implement a turnaround strategy and a credible turnaround plan to ensure long- term sustainability and growth, including how the company intends to avert job losses and safeguard the welfare of the livestock." Meanwhile, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) on Saturday obtained an urgent court order against Daybreak Foods, compelling the company to cease inhumane culling practices and provide adequate care for hundreds of thousands of breeder birds at risk of starvation and suffering. This followed a catastrophic welfare emergency currently unfolding at two of Daybreak's breeder farms in Bela-Bela and Mookgopong. An estimated 594 000 birds are at immediate risk of starvation, suffering from cannibalism, injuries, and prolonged neglect due to insufficient feeding and inhumane culling practices. According to a whistleblower report, the upheaval at the company stems from Daybreak's attempt to remove the PIC as mandate holder and appoint a private entity specialising in investors mandates. The report revealed that the PIC acts only as an investor mandate holder on behalf of these shareholders, not as a direct shareholder with the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), and the Compensation Fund (CF), each holding 33.3% of the entity. The complications have disrupted normal governance, with no Annual General Meetings (AGMs) convened since 2021 and a shocking turnover of four CEOs in merely four years — a clear reflection of governance failures. A whistleblower report has drawn attention to inadequate board oversight, failure to exercise diligent oversight of executive decisions, absence of consequence management enabled unchecked misconduct, deficiencies in fiscal management created vulnerabilities for mismanagement.
