When the Tshwane SPCA announced that their kennels were empty for the first time in 114 years, many celebrated, but a few doubted. We spoke to the team to get the truth.
Tshwane, South Africa (31 July 2025) – South African news is often hard to stomach. We’re faced with stories of heartbreak, hardship and hopelessness far too often. So when a piece of good news pops up, it’s easy to understand why some people might question it. When we’re used to hearing the worst, the best can feel.. too good to be true.
Last night, we shared the incredible story of the Tshwane SPCA Centurion Branch achieving a historic milestone: for the first time in their 114-year history, their kennels were completely empty (for a moment). Nearly 40 adoptions in a single month. A rare and beautiful moment in animal rescue.
The response was overwhelming. Thousands celebrated. Many shared similar stories of shelters overseas, inspired by events like the “Clear the Shelters” weekend in the US. Others believed a rise in dog adoptions may have been influenced by the recent Superman movie featuring a loyal dog companion.
But not everyone believed the news.
A few social media users voiced doubts, some even accused the SPCA of euthanising the animals to create the illusion of an “empty” shelter. It’s a heartbreaking accusation, especially considering the work these organisations do and the weight they already carry.
To address this head-on, we spoke to Tebogo Maswanganye, the General Manager of both Centurion SPCA and Waltloo SPCA, which together form the Tshwane SPCA.
When told about the accusations, his initial reaction was one of shock, followed by a sadness you could hear over the phone.
“WOW. That’s interesting,” he said, pausing. “And that is absolutely not true.”
“The SPCA works under the armpit of the law. We follow the rules. And our biggest rule is that we are anti-animal cruelty. Some may think that all we do is ‘put dogs down’, but our main aim is to rehome these animals that have been abused or left in our care.”
When asked about the narrative around the SPCA being a “kill shelter”, Tebogo explained that it’s important to unpack that with compassion.
“The SPCA does sometimes perform euthanasia but this is not taken lightly. It’s never done to “clear space”, and never without deep consideration, veterinary input, and when necessary, as an act of mercy.”
Their job is not easy, and the burden is immense. But at its core, the SPCA exists to prevent cruelty and to find homes for animals in need.
And that is exactly what happened in July. Tebogo confirmed that in this month, the Centurion SPCA saw 40 successful adoptions, a record for the branch and enough to momentarily empty their kennels. But as anyone in rescue knows, those spaces never stay open for long. More animals have already arrived and the work continues.
“Come visit the SPCA,” he said. “You are welcome to come visit us. You can look through our stats and check for yourselves that all of these dogs were adopted in July. You can also visit our Facebook page, where we post every single adoption. You can count all 40 for July, actually.”
The truth is, this good news is real. And even if it was only for a few short days, those empty kennels meant that nearly 40 animals were no longer waiting. They were curled up in warm beds, with names instead of cage numbers. Loved, chosen, home.
That deserves to be celebrated.
In the background of the call, we could hear the barks of new arrivals, dogs who are safe now, who will be cared for, vaccinated, fed, loved and hopefully adopted into homes of their own.
But if you’re still unsure of the original story, take Tebogo up on his offer. Visit. Ask questions. Count the adoptions. And while you’re there, maybe meet your new best friend.
Because for every moment of doubt, there’s a dog still hoping.
by 
Let’s be clear, they killed them off. I was there fighting to get a cat out on adoption to save him I watched them throw dead animals in plastic bags and flining them into the backs of covered bakkies. In addition, all the cats had to be uthanised due to an outbreak of parvo. I spoke to volunteers who saw this all start to happen and then all of a sudden they were vorbinnen access to the Tshwane SPCA site (hence me having to fight to get the cat released without help I had up to the day before) THIS DIRECTOR IS A MENNACE