{"id":177370,"date":"2018-05-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/177370\/pit-toilet-puppies-given-second-chance\/"},"modified":"2018-05-02T22:15:08","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T20:15:08","slug":"pit-toilet-puppies-given-second-chance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2018\/05\/03\/pit-toilet-puppies-given-second-chance\/","title":{"rendered":"Pit toilet puppies given second chance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senior inspector Burt Coetzee and a cadet from the Germiston SPCA\u00a0rushed to the Marathon informal settlement, last Thursday, after receiving reports that four puppies were trapped in a pit toilet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe informant told the SPCA that the puppies had been stuck at the bottom of the long drop since
\nlast Wednesday.<\/p>

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\u201cThe man only noticed the puppies when he came home from work in the evening and immediately contacted us,\u201d\u00a0explained Coetzee.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ:\u00a0SPCA in need of donations<\/a><\/h4>\n

The team members were not quite prepared for what they encountered.<\/p>

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\u201cFrom the top of the long drop, the smell and sight were unbearable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unimaginable what torment the puppies had to experience being stuck inside the pit toilet for
\n24 hours or more,\u201d said Coetzee.<\/p>\n

One-by-one the puppies were rescued from the pit toilet.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother puppy, from the same litter, was taken in by the SPCA but he was fortunate enough not
\nto have landed in the pit toilet,\u201d Coetzee said.<\/p>\n

It is uncertain whether the puppies fell into the pit toilet or whether they had been thrown in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pups had some blisters and burns on their bellies due to the constant contact with the human waste,\u201d Coetzee explained.<\/p>\n

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The pups were taken back to the SPCA, where, after over an hour of scrubbing and washing and a bottle of shampoo they started to look much better.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the ordeal which the pups had gone through prior to their rescue, they were exhausted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was evident in the bath, as they would simply tip over every now and then due to exhaustion and sleep deprivation,\u201d said Coetzee.<\/p>\n

Once the puppies had been cleaned and dried they were taken to a warm area where they were able to enjoy a good meal before settling down in some warm blankets for some well-deserved rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast Friday the puppies were taken to a veterinarian to be assessed and to ensure that all preventative measures necessary were taken to keep them healthy after being exposed to the human waste.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring their visit their blisters and burns were also treated,\u201d explained Coetzee.<\/p>\n

The puppies are currently in quarantine to ensure that they are healthy and have had plenty of time to recover before they are put up for adoption.<\/p>\n

Coetzee appealed to the community to assist with donations so that the SPCA can continue to assist and rescue animals.<\/p>\n