Abandoned mutt finds a home
2007-02-01
Lise Beyers
THE saga of the two small dogs who were found on Du Toits Kloof pass, presumably after being dumped there, has had a bitter-sweet ending.
It is suspected that the two Maltese-crosses had to brave the wilds, find food and fend off baboons for at least two years.
A kind-hearted passerby, Nicole Williams, saw the dogs on the pass two weeks ago when she was on her way to a meeting in Worcester.
Being an animal lover she stopped to assist them, but she could see that they were extremely neglected and aggressive.
It appeared that one of the dogs had an injured leg and the other one was very protective of his friend when Nicole tried to approach them.
Nicole reported the incident to the SPCA in Wellington, and chairperson Nicolette Williams (no relation) and committee member Lynne Olivier rushed to the site with her.
The dogs had, however, disappeared.
They eventually left food and water in the hope that they would return.
Meanwhile, the Paarl SPCA had been alerted about the dogs and they managed to catch one of them.
When Nicole phoned them to enquire about the dogs, she was informed that one had been put down due to mange.
“I was furious because I have doctored dogs which have been in a severe state of disrepair and I am convinced that I would have been able to do the same with this one.”
Nicolette was determined to catch the remaining dog and she placed sedatives in food to try and relax the dog.
Her trick was eventually successful and the severely malnourished and traumatised dog, without any front teeth and a former fractured leg, was captured.
After she was bathed, dipped, dewormed, medicated and her leg seen to, Nicole was notified last Thursday that she could adopt her.
“I was ecstatic because as soon as I laid eyes on the two destitute dogs in the mountain, my heart went out to them.
“I have called her Polly. She is still extremely nervous and is not quite sure what is going on around her.
“At first she wouldn’t eat, but she is slowly but surely settling into our home. She is showing signs of recovery every day and I am convinced that she will be fine.
“I cannot believe that people can be so cruel to animals.”
Polly isn’t the first dog that Nicole has saved from sure death.
She has previously come to the rescue of six dogs and feels very strongly about animal abuse.
“One of my babies is a sheepdog which I found abandoned and badly abused near Mbekweni.
“My husband was disgusted when he saw the dog, as he had hardly any hair on his body, his eyes could barely open from infection and he was full of mange. But I perservered and today he is a perfectly healthy, happy dog.”
Nicolette urges the public not to abandon unwanted animals, but to bring them to the SPCA and they will try and find homes for them.
The telephone number of the Wellington SPCA is 021 864-3726 and
the Paarl SPCA is 863-2720.
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