BE WISE – STERILISE! (African Tails Report)
(Anyone who is doing sterilisation is part of the solution. Here is what African Tails in the Cape are doing.)
As we all (should) know, STERILISATION is the ONLY solution. Since the beginning of 2011 we have sterilised / funded the sterilisation of 637 dogs and cats. We’ll tell you a little bit more about how we have achieved this.
Earlier this year, we ran 2 mass sterilisation campaigns with Dr Yvonne Robson and Animal Rescue Organisation staff. A 3-day campaign in Joe Slovo Township and a 1-day mass sterilisation in Table View for the Du Noon dogs. Things then became tricky for us to arrange more due to drawn-out application processes as required by the SA Veterinary Council. So now we have to do things the hard way. Animal Rescue Organisation (www.animalrescue.org.za) has been indispensable to us and our heartfelt thanks go out to Karen de Klerk, Avril Thomas, Willie Powell, Shaun Williams, Dr Susan Van Niekerk and her able Animal Welfare Assistants for their dedicated support and amazing work.
As you all know, we employed Douglas (a Du Noon resident) a few months ago and he has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened to African Tails. He is on the ground all day, every day, helping dogs, getting them to the vet and delivering food and kennels. But his most important job is meeting up with the Animal Rescue Organisation’s Willie and Shaun every Tuesday to collect 10 dogs which then go to the ARO’s clinic in Ottery for sterilisation on the Wednesday and then returned to their homes, with their tummies full and their reproductive organs removed, on the Thursday. Douglas then also follows up on their recovery.
Once a week, our dear Kelley Nieuwoudt sets out for Eerste Rivier to gather names and addresses and make appointments with dog owners so that she has an organised list of 15 dogs and to be taken in to Stellenbosch Animal Welfare every Thursday to be sterilised by Dr Roos and her able staff.
It’s hard work! Up at the crack of dawn every Thursday morning, rain or shine, loading carrier crates (always required!) into her (privately owned Corsa bakkie and the African Tails sponsored Bakkie). Then she sets off, with either Lola or Angie Dunn (from Aniwell www.facebook.com/aniwellsouthafrica) or Zonia Ackermann (a volunteer) by her side. Then we go from house to house, and load the dogs up. We need to be back at Stellenbosch Animal Welfare by 10am to offload the dogs (and cats) and book them in. We then return at 3pm to collect them and deliver them, one by one, door to door, to their owners. By this time it is getting late and dark and it’s quite dangerous as well – but we do it because we know it has to be done and this is our only means to do it. Our contact details are given to all the owners and sometimes we are called about dogs removing stitches prematurely, which means Kelley returns to Eerste Rivier to collect the dog and have it re-stitched at Stellenbosch Animal Welfare.
It’s hard, physical, labour-intensive and dangerous work, but it is immensely rewarding and extremely necessary. We have no big, strong men to help us, we don’t have especially equipped vehicles and make do with what we have to fight the very real problem of dog overpopulation at its grassroots level.
At the end of every month, ARO and Stellenbosch Animal Welfare send us an account for all sterilisations which cost us in the region of R25 000.00 per month.
We then also assist smaller rescue groups by funding some of their sterilisations – for instance the Caspian Alexander Trust (10 sterilisations per month) and Zonia Ackermann who does rescue work in her own private capacity in other areas in the Strand and Macassar.
We have 1374 sterilisations outstanding to reach our goal of sterilising 2011 dogs and cats in 2011. This means we require R34 3500 to cover the veterinary costs. Thanks to many wonderful, kind, caring, compassionate people who have risen to Tony’s Challenge of creating a better life for all of Cape Town’s dogs and donated a total of R18 000.00. We have a shortfall of R34 1700.
So Tony is teaming up with Madiba himself in celebration of Mandela’s birthday on 18 July and pleading to you to please help the African Tails team help all the needy doggies out there! Instead of giving 67 minutes of your time, Tony would like to receive contributions towards the sterilisation of 67 dogs @ R250 each. Tony needs to reach his goal before he loses all his puppy teeth and he has already lost 2! So there’s no time to waste! Watch this space for the launch of Tony’s Road Show and first public debut along with Douglas our Dog Hero of Du Noon by his side!
Banking Details
Nedbank Sea Point
Account Name: African Tails
Current Acc no: 1069401978
Branch code: 106909(13) – if 8 digits are required please add the extra “13”
Reference: Your Name and Tony’s Challenge
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