A mongrel which has been taught to beg is at the centre of a row between the SPCA and a street child who owns the dog.

The owner and other street kids, barefoot and dressed in T-shirts and shorts, are well known outside Cavendish Square in Claremont where they sit with the gentle but ugly, sandy-coloured dog which wears a hat, sunglasses and carries in its mouth a white bucket to collect the coins.

The dog sits on its haunches between 12 and 14 hours a day, seven days a week, begging. When the dog tries to lie down, the owner gently pushes it into a sitting position.

The SPCA has warned the owner to stop otherwise the dog will be removed.

Although the bucket is covered with SPCA stickers the organisation has not endorsed the practice. The SPCA has been inundated with phone-calls from concerned shoppers and passers-by complaining that the dog is being abused.

However, according to John Eaton of the SPCA the dog is in a good condition.

"We have a statement from the Blue Cross Veterinary Clinic stating that the dog has been under their care for some time now.

"They claim the owners are very fond of the dog and take appropriate care of it. The Blue Cross has also indicated that it would be unnecessary to remove the dog from its owners," Mr Eaton said.

"But our main concern is the fact that the dog is forced to sit and carry a bucket in its mouth, wear sunglasses and a hat for most of the day.

"People who work in the area say the dog literally sits on its haunches all day and is seldom allowed to lie down, and is only permitted to have the bucket out of its mouth when eating or drinking.

"The law unfortunately does not prevent the use of a dog for begging but it does prohibit the use of an animal for exhibition for performance without the necessary permits which the owner of this particular dog does not have," said Mr Eaton.

SPCA inspectors tried to take the dog to the SPCA in Grassy Park for a veterinary check and to educate the owner about the harm he is inflicting on his pet but "were mobbed" by shopkeepers and informal traders.

The keys of the inspector's vehicle were removed and they were stopped by an angry mob from taking the dog to the SPCA.

The inspectors were told that the dog had been with the street child since it was a puppy and that it was well cared for.

"Our inspectors were unfortunately forced to retreat as their lives were in danger," said Mr Eaton.

"One wonders how the well-meaning shop-keepers and other members of the public who were so vociferous in their opposition to what we were attempting to do, would feel if a child were forced to stand and beg for 12 to 14 consecutive hours with accessories like those used on the dog. I am sure that this would not be acceptable, yet in the case of an animal anything goes," he said.

The SPCA has also had reports that the street children spit at passers-by if they express concern about the dog.

"We agree that the dog is apparently in good health, that it has been vaccinated, is well-fed and loves its owner, but that is not the point. The dog is being forced to perform an unnatural act."

- Cindy Evans Viljoen