On April 1, Brent Sanders takes over as general manager of the East London SPCA, filling a months-long vacancy caused by a national shortage of qualified animal welfare inspectors.
Sanders steps into the role officially from next month having served since January on a three-month contract, which the managing committee explains was necessary to avoid mistakes in the past which enabled the appointment of ill-equipped individuals into the GM role.
The EL SPCA’s GM position was vacant for the last four months of 2024, raising fears it might join other societies operating without managers due to a national shortage of qualified inspectors.
Qualified inspectors are preferred candidates for the role given, their knowledge and expertise plays an important role in keeping staff safe.
The ongoing vacancy was particularly concerning given the growing number of animals being handed over to the EL SPCA since last year as the cost of living increases evidenced by 300 cats and dogs handed over to EL SPCA for the period of November to December 2024.
National Council of SPCA’s media liaison manager Jacques Peacock had said at the time that according to the SPCA Act, employing a society general manager is not compulsory but it does elevate operations — a crucial benefit now as the available pool of donors and sponsors for animal welfare continues to dwindle.
EL SPCA managing committee chair Nea Venter said the committee was impressed with the work Sanders has done during his three-month contract and were confident he would make a positive impact at the society, which has been beleaguered in previous years with financial misconduct and poor leadership which almost prompted the 111-year-old society to close in 2023.
Venter said: “Sanders is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in management and customer service. He strives to create an environment where staff and volunteers work effectively to protect and care for the animals in need.
“His leadership skills, combined with his deep empathy for animals drive his mission to ensure every animal receives the care, shelter and advocacy they deserve.
“He has already built relationships with suppliers, donors, volunteers and the public. Prior to his appointment, the management committee worked hard on our public relations to repair whatever damages were caused by the previous managers and committee members.”
Venter added that it was the legacy of previous mismanagement which prevented the EL SPCA from holding its annual general meeting last year.
According to Venter, the current committee inherited unfinished financials as far back as 2021-2022 which forced the EL SPCA to cough up R32,000 to the auditors for these audits to be done. Venter confirms that once these were complete, the AGM would be called which should be in August.
For the latest financial year, Venter said the EL SPCA received an unqualified report but a deficit of R15,000, attributed to a shrinking pool of donors.
Venter said: “The challenge we had in completing the financials in the time for the AGM last year, came from the lack of supporting documentation that was not kept and properly filed by the previous management.
“But now we have people on board ensuring there is proper recording keeping procedures to avoid the disaster we have had to deal with over the last two years. We are now running on healthy and proper accounting principles, which will avoid a repeat of the past.”
Venter said this was especially important as the incoming 2025-2026 financial year was likely to see the funding pool continue to dry up as the number of animals in need rose. Venter said: “We are likely to experience the same deficit of the previous financial year. To survive, we make arrangements with our creditors.
“We run on an extremely tight budget every month and are 100% reliant on the public so we appreciate every donation of any kind.”
As the EL SPCA reaches capacity, local animal welfare shelters are being forced to take on the burden of unwanted pets, pushing shelters like Pet Pals to breaking point.
Pet Pals’ Tessa Boyd said the organisation spent up to R20,000 a month to feed the 200 dogs and 80 cats at the shelter. They are at capacity and have no space available until one of the animals is adopted or passes away.
Boyd said: “We have seen an increase in the number of pets being abandoned by families that move homes. We are at a loss to try and comprehend how people are able to move house and leave their animals behind.
“We need the community to please continue supporting us with donations, food or financial, in order to provide care for the abandoned animals in the city.”
Louise Impey from Spay a Stray said sterilisation should occur before unplanned litters, as more dogs and cats are born each year, adding to the burden on welfare organisations.
Many animals suffer from neglect, malnutrition, and preventable diseases, while female pets are bred relentlessly. Impey advocates for stricter breeding laws and mandatory sterilisation at six months to tackle the crisis, asserting that owning a pet is a privilege, not a right.
