We, the undersigned citizens of South Africa, call for urgent and systemic reform of the country’s animal welfare and emergency veterinary care system.

Across the country, animals are euthanized every day not because treatment is impossible, but because their owners cannot afford sudden and extreme veterinary costs. In moments of crisis, families are given an unbearable ultimatum: pay immediately or consent to euthanasia.

Even more troubling, animals brought to SPCAs and animal welfare organizations in medical distress are often not stabilized, leaving owners with no time to seek alternatives, raise funds, or transfer their animals to another facility.

This is not humane.
This is not compassionate.
And it is not acceptable.

Animals are living, sentient beings. They feel pain, fear, and the instinct to survive. Yet under the current system, an animal’s right to life often ends the moment money becomes an issue, even when basic emergency stabilization could buy critical time.

Euthanasia is too often framed as the “most humane option,” when in reality it becomes the default outcome of a broken system that offers no financial bridge, no emergency stabilization, and no meaningful alternatives.

The Core Problems

• No guaranteed emergency stabilization for animals in crisis
• No national emergency funding for animal medical care
• Euthanasia driven by affordability, not medical futility
• No regulated payment plans for emergency treatment
• Owners forced to make irreversible decisions under extreme pressure
• Fragmented and underfunded animal welfare services

Our Demands

1. Mandatory Emergency Stabilization at SPCAs & Animal Welfare Facilities
   All SPCAs and recognized animal welfare organizations must be legally required to provide immediate emergency stabilization to animals brought in with life-threatening conditions, where stabilization is medically possible.

   This includes, where appropriate:

   Pain management
   Oxygen support
   Fluids
   Temporary wound or trauma control
   Stabilization must be provided regardless of an owner’s ability to pay, for the purpose of preserving life and allowing time to explore next steps.

   No animal should be denied stabilization simply because long-term treatment cannot be afforded.

2.  A National Emergency Animal Medical Fund
   Establish a government-backed fund to cover or subsidise life-saving emergency veterinary care for animals when treatment is viable but unaffordable.

   This fund should work in partnership with SPCAs, private veterinarians, and rescue organizations.

3. Mandatory Treatment Pathways Before Euthanasia
   No animal should be euthanized for financial reasons without: 
   — Emergency stabilization having been attempted (where possible)
   — Clear documentation that treatment options were explored
   — Referral to emergency funding, rescue organizations, or alternative vets 
   Euthanasia must never be the first option simply because payment is unavailable

4.  Regulated Emergency Payment Plans
   Registered veterinary practices must be required to offer structured, regulated payment plans or delayed billing for emergency, life-saving procedures.

   Animals should not lose their lives because care cannot be paid for upfront in full.

5.  Transparency, Time & Informed Consent
   Pet owners must receive:
   — Clear, itemized cost breakdowns
   — Honest explanations of prognosis and options
   — Reasonable time to decide, without pressure toward euthanasia.
   
   Decisions about life and death must not be rushed under financial shock.
   
   

6.  Stronger Government Oversight of Animal Welfare
   Improve coordination and accountability between:

   — Government departments
   — The NSPCA
   — SPCAs
   — Private veterinary practices
   Animal welfare must be treated as a public responsibility, not a charity-only burden.
   
   

   Why This Matters
   No one should lose a beloved animal simply because they needed time — time to think, time to find help, time to raise money, time to move facilities.

   Emergency stabilisation alone can be the difference between life and death.

   Compassion should not depend on wealth.

   We urge the Government of South Africa to act now.

   Signed,
   Concerned citizens, animal lovers, and advocates for humane treatment