Generous helping hands for pets in need
2011-08-18
Lise Beyers
A COUPLE from a farm in Dal Josaphat is doing wonders for a small community and their pets. Yvonne Adams and Dirk Immelman of Shikana Lodge are giving basic pet care services to an informal settlement in Newton. Yvonne noticed the plight of dogs here shortly after moving to the farm three years ago. “When I drive on the Bo-Dal Road I often see animals running around which have been neglected. Being an animal lover and having trained as an animal behaviourist, I could not just stand and watch the dismal circumstances in which they were.” Yvonne runs a free-range pet hotel from the farm. She is in close contact with the Wellington SPCA which appreciates her selfless effort. “We decided to adopt this little area and improve the lives of the dogs and in doing so, teach the community the value of caring for their pets.” A great success story which Yvonne is proud to point out, is the story of Tessa. “When we came across Tessa a while ago, she was in a dismal state. She was all ribs and she had terrible mange. “She has a reputation of being a bit of a biter and thus her owner kept her in a very small enclosure between two homes. Here she had very little space to move in and no sunlight either.” Yvonne and Dirk had to convince her owner, Katie Afrikaner, to trust them with her dog, before she allowed them to take Tessa to the Wellington Animal Hospital for assessment. “This community is reluctant to let their dogs go, as they fear that they will not be returned to them.” So Tessa was treated for her bad skin condition and Yvonne dipped and dewormed her and gave Katie food to slowly feed the dog back to health. Today Tessa is a brand new dog and she has no signs of neglect. Katie is caring well for the dog and she will soon be spayed. They have also identified an area between the informal houses which is the right size and position where Tessa can be enclosed, out of harm’s way. All they now need is a donation of fencing. Yvonne says that just because a community is disadvantaged, does not mean that they are not allowed to have pets and do not love them. “If their dogs were removed, they would just find replacements. “I feel that it is our responsibility to educate these pet owners on how to give their animals basic pet care. I have noticed that the more they learn about this, the more they become nurturing towards their animals. This also rubs off on their general outlook on life.” Dirk and Yvonne now come here each second week to dip and deworm dogs. Yvonne has managed to raise funds for the sterilisation of six dogs and hopes to see that more funds are raised for this. For more information about her project, she can be contacted on 082 702 3493.
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