About Us

The first SPCA in South Africa was started approximately 125 years ago, and today there are 97 SPCA'S throughout South Africa, ranging from very small in size to very large.

Over the years, as the number of SPCA'S grew, their management teams realised that a forum was needed to address common issues as well as ensure uniformity, the maintenance of high standards of welfare and quality service to the community.

The result? The Federation of SPCA'S (now the National Council of SPCA'S) was founded in 1955 and the SPCA movement subsequently negotiated to have its own self-governing Act of Parliament in the early nineties. This was promulgated and enacted as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, No. 169 of 1993.

THE BIRTH OF THE KLOOF AND HIGHWAY SPCA
In 1965 Skit Field died and left almost his entire estate valued at R1.5 million to theSPCA to “as soon as possible after my death establish a branch of the SPCA on the property in Glenholme”. He left a large tract of land with its own water supply and enough money to build a dream SPCA – however the reality of the dream was not an easy one to accomplish. Initially there was a division of opinion on the opening of the SPCA in Kloof.
  
People did not want rows of kennels housing “yapping’ dogs in the exclusive and hitherto peaceful suburb of Kloof. Animal lovers said the SPCA has a right to inherit, yet there were those who owned valuable adjacent properties who felt the SPCA could build their kennels elsewhere and insisted the municipality enforce the bylaws. 

The SPCA was given notice to get off the property. The SPCA rejected this and this conflict continued for many years. Due to the legal deadlock money was trickling in and the SPCA was operating with totally inadequate facilities.

The Kloof Council sent out a referendum to ratepayers asking for their answer of YES or NO to the SPCA. The answer from the people of Kloof was a majority YES and so the Kloof and Highway SPCA began its journey on the worthy quest of animal welfare!

What does this mean to you, the consumer?
This means that each SPCA operates according to a set of standard regulations against which their performance and your expectations can be measured.

So what is the SPCA’S Mission?
It is exactly as our name indicates. Our mission is the prevention of cruelty to animals, by way of education, law enforcement, and pro-active and reactive activities.

This means that we are concerned with the welfare of all animals, from the tiniest mouse tight up to the largest blue whale.

In other words, we freely stick our noses in where there are domestic animals, farm animals, working animals, traction animals, animals reared for food, wild animals, animals used for entertainment and exhibition, animals used in sport, hunting animals, animals placed in danger, animals used for research and so on.

The SPCA is responsible for supporting the SA Police Service in enforcing legislation including but not limited to the Animal Protection Act and the Performing Animals Protection Act.

How does an SPCA Work?
Although your SPCA is a non-profit organisation (charity) it is run on business principles.

From the top down the SPCA comprises a Management Committee which oversees the SPCA. The Management Committee issues instructions to its Manager/Chief Executive Officer who in turn is responsible for ensuring that the SPCA under his/her command runs properly.

He/She does this by working in conjunction with the different units such as Inspectorate, Kennels, Equine, Education, Public Relations, Fund raising, Administration and Maintenance.

Basic Expectations from you SPCA 

• To uphold the standards of the SPCA movement.
• Clean facilities and vehicles.
• To be treated with courtesy and respect by the staff and volunteers of the SPCA.
• To know that staff and volunteers are handling the animals correctly with care and dignity and that they are setting an example to you.
• To respond immediately to an emergency.
• To respond within 24 hours to a cruelty complaint.
• To receive a telephonic report back of what has happened if you lodged a cruelty complaint.
• Not to refuse admission to an unwanted, abandoned, or stray animal.
• To be vigilant when finding homes for animals.
• To be given the reason if you are refused for adoption of an animal.
• To be provided with all known information about an animal that is up for adoption (other than the details of its previous owner).

Extremely high standards have been developed during the past 22 years of community service, benefiting animal welfare. In almost every case, education compliments prevention, the alternative to cure and to promote self-help and upliftment.

Kloof and Highway SPCA is here for the duration and has been growing since since 1968 from small humble beginnings where we were originally controlled by Durban SPCA with a budget of 200 000 to a budget now reaching 3 million. As the community grows and the population expands our workload is increased and although kennel space is limited our goals and visions are not.

Your dedicated support enables us to continue with our work in Animal Welfare and to prevent cruelty to animals; care for the vulnerable; abandoned; injured and to promote the humane treatment of animals by education and by monitoring activities which involve animals.