Footage from SAHARA animal rescue emerges amid calls for intervention

A blind dog sitting in a rubbish-filled kennel, a dog attacked by bugs – video reveals confronting footage of animals allegedly kept at a disgraced SA shelter. Warning: Graphic.

Confronting footage of conditions dogs are allegedly being kept in a disgraced SA animal rescue group has emerged as an animal welfare advocate pleads with the government to take action.

The footage shows two dogs – one with no eyes – at a property owned by the South Australian Humane Animal Rescue Association (SAHARA) at Morgan fighting off bugs, living among rubbish and with turned over or algae-filled water.

In one clip, a black and white dog can be seen visibly distressed as a plume of bugs continues to attack it.

In a second clip, the dog with no eyes appears scared by whatever bugs are touching it, consistently flinching as it sits in a dirty kennel.

But a spokesman for SAHARA says the footage is from a different part of the property that is not used by SAHARA, and described the facilities at the area that is used by them as “first class” and the animals there in “great condition”.

A dog fights to keep away a horde of bugs attacking it at a Morgan property allegedly owned by SAHARA. Picture: Supplied

A blind dog sits alone in a rubbish filled kennel at a property at Morgan allegedly owned by SAHARA. Picture: Supplied

He said animals were checked on and their enclosures cleaned twice per day.

The footage was sent to the RSPCA and the government on Saturday and again on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said the footage had been received and investigations were underway.

Animal welfare group Oscar’s Law, who made the reports, also sent images of the conditions to the Environment and Water Department and Environment and Water Minister Susan Close on September 20, and say their queries were not responded to.

By the date of the past two reports, when the footage was captured, they again contacted Dr Close alerting her to the dogs’ situation.

An Oscar’s Law spokesperson pleaded with Dr Close, describing their understanding of how the dogs were kept.

They said one dog, kept in an open enclosure, was being “tormented and constantly bitten” by insects.

“There is simply no relief or escape from the continual swarm of biting flies this dog is enduring,” they wrote.

“I feel the situation is so dire that without authorities taking urgent action and seizing this dog, the dog is going to die.”

The spokesperson said the condition of the second dog, which has had both of its eyes removed, was reported on September 20, but was still living in a “barren, filthy enclosure”.

“This dog … is still living in unacceptable filthy conditions with no access to freshwater,” they wrote.

“The dog is also being bitten and harassed by swarms of flies. Minister, I am urging you to please act.”

Drone footage from a property at Morgan allegedly owned by SAHARA shows a water container full of algae. Picture: Supplied

When asked by The Advertiser if she would intervene to have the dogs removed from the property, Dr Close said the Morgan site had been inspected within the past six weeks and the department would “continue to conduct regular inspections”.

“The organisation is subject to regular inspections to confirm there are no further animal welfare concerns,” she said.

The SAHARA spokesman said the RSPCA and the Environment and Water Department had inspected the Morgan property twice in the past month.

“(They were) impressed with our animals and facilities on both occasions, “ he said.

Earlier this month two founders and former directors of SAHARA, Carole Morris and Shane Jones, were fined and convicted for animal cruelty relating to animals in their care at the Morgan property, and a second property at Black Springs.

Across both properties, the court heard, Morris and Jones were caring for and feeding 450 cats and dogs, 130 horses, and pigs, sheep and goats and had “bitten off more than they could chew”.