A DARING rescue mission was undertaken by Namibian women to bring back at least 10 purebred dogs suspected to have been stolen in South Africa and smuggled through Namibia into Angola.
Magetta Viljoen and some of her supporters crossed the Angolan border earlier this week to see if they could retrieve some of the dogs.
By yesterday afternoon, a member of the Namibia Animal Awareness organisation who prefers anonymity said they were not very positive that the rescue group would get back into Namibia soon, since Angolan authorities that were first sympathetic and supportive towards the rescue mission had changed their attitude, which she said is an indication of possible involvement of Angolan officials in the alleged dog trafficking.
On the Namibia Animal Awareness Facebook page, frantic pleas for help were posted by the women who had ventured across the border.
One posted: “Help, help, help please help!!!! Message from the border: … Please guys they need help urgently does anyone have contacts in government… Please they are in danger … they are petrified.”.
Another posting read: “They are saying going to kill us sitting in [canteen] to keep safe huge fight want to shoot us …”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed of the situation these women find themselves in.
Benhardt Kukuri of the ministry yesterday said he would alert the Namibian foreign office in Angola on the women’s situation.
By yesterday afternoon, The Namibian had received word that two German shepherd puppies and one of the older dogs had died in the meantime.
The Namibian was informed that a truck was waiting on the Namibian side of the border to load the dogs that do make it across the border.
Private animal activists have worked tirelessly to save the dogs and were waiting for a letter from the Angolan embassy in Namibia to have the dogs released.
The activists were hopeful that the letter would arrive before the closing of the border yesterday. If not, it was hoped that the rescue mission could get back on track by today.
The Namibian was unable to contact the Angolan embassy in Namibia for comment.
But in the meantime Namibian Police Inspector Abner Agas would not confirm or deny whether the dogs – and the vehicles in which they were transported across the border – were indeed stolen.
An animal activist preferring anonymity on Wednesday said they had come across 50 dogs on the Angolan side of the border, which to her confirmed that there is a massive illegal trading operation in dogs stolen from Namibia and South Africa.
“A whole can of worms was opened. But we are doing what we can to get the dogs back,” she said.
Owners of dogs in South Africa were outraged that the Namibian authorities first allowed the dogs into Namibia and then let the dogs through the Oshikango border post to Angola.
They felt regulations were not adhered to with the vaccination procedures, which are very stringent in South Africa.
Namibian State veterinarian Dr Gordon Shenagoye, who was in charge of clearing the dogs at the Oshikango border post, said the dogs were allowed to go through because their health certificates were in order.
He did, however, acknowledge that there was a “problem with the vaccination” of the dogs, but since they were already cleared at Keetmanshoop, he felt the dogs should be let out of the country.
To move dogs across international borders, a permit must be issued by the agriculture ministry. Before that is done, proof must be provided that the dogs have been vaccinated.
There were no indications when the dogs were vaccinated.
When dogs are transported across borders, Shenagoye said, there must be clear indication of their origin – which was proven to be South Africa – and the destination given was Angola and Rwanda.
The rest, said Shenagoye, was left in the hands of the police.
~Courtesy of http://allafrica.com
-Posted by Catherine Sasman and Tanja Bause
Tags: Angola, Namibia, Rescue Mission
