MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay field officer Luciano Bayi spent last Thursday evening, 10 September, driving 50km on dark roads in the hopes of rescuing a single chicken from a property somewhere in Albertinia.
Bayi had received a video earlier that evening showing three children throwing the hen high up into the air and leaving it to fall to the ground.
The video also showed a string attached to her foot, and she was dragged around when she wasn’t thrown about.
Bayi immediately began making calls in a frantic effort to find out where the chicken was before getting into an SPCA vehicle with animal carer Kappel Koppies and making the long drive to Albertinia.
After finding the property on which the video was filmed, they had to track down the homeowner. They drove around the area until Bayi found a number for the man and was able to get hold of him.
When they met, the man explained that the hen actually belonged to a farmer nearby and was back on his farm.
And then it was off to the farm to ask the real owner to hand over the chicken to the SPCA.
However, the farmer refused, and so Bayi and Koppies made their way back to Mossel Bay, reaching the SPCA just before 21:00 that evening.
Following some discussions with and guidance from SPCA inspector Themba Malinga and Garden Route SPCA area manager Cheri Cooke, Bayi applied for a warrant the following day, 11 September, to seize the hen and any other animals that were seen to have welfare concerns.
Lucy is calm in the hands of Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay field officer Luciano Bayi. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Bayi and Malinga made the long trip back to Albertinia to collect the hen. Bayi said Malinga had issued some warnings about some of the other animals.
The hen is now safely at the SPCA. She luckily suffered no serious injuries and had no visible marks, and is doing well in her new, temporary home. The plan is to have a loving home adopt her.
She was affectionately named little Lucy by the SPCA staff, after her rescuer.
Bayi said travelling the long distances to rescue Lucy was the natural course of action, not only for him, but all field officers and inspectors at the Garden Route SPCA.
No matter the size, whether it be a horse or a chicken, or anything in between, Bayi said he and the other officers are ready to help, and this latest call-out is proof to his claim.
Bayi said his favourite thing about working as a field officer at the SPCA is seeing an animal go to a well-deserved home, especially when the animal chooses its new owner.
“Or when you see a missing animal returned to their owner. You can see the joy from both sides. It also feels great, of course, when an animal is removed from people who do not deserve them,” he said.
“I am not here to be liked. I am here for the animals and for their welfare, and I will continue to do my job to the best of my ability.”
Luciano Bayi, a Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay field officer, drove 50km from Mossel Bay to Albertinia to rescue Lucy. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Bayi is also the field officer who went out to fetch Caesar, the Ext 8 dog who was raped earlier this year, and made sure he was safely transported to the SPCA for veterinary treatment and a safe space while the case against his alleged rapist was in the early stages of investigation.
The case is now going to be heard in the Mossel Bay Regional Court on 29 September.
The next step for Bayi is to start training to become an inspector. He said he wants to make this move as he has seen more and more legal issues pop up around the area, and the need for inspectors who can rescue and assist where necessary is increasing.
However, training is expensive, and with the SPCA being a non-profit, Bayi has been trying to save money to become certified himself.
If you would like to support him on his pursuit of becoming an inspector, or would like to support the SPCA itself, call the SPCA on 044 693 0824 or send an email to [email protected].
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