Zwelihle’s Pied Piper of dogs

Writer & Photographer: Hedda Mittner.

The moment they see her, the dogs’ faces light up and they come rushing towards her, tails wagging, jostling for her attention. She knows each one by name, she knows their different quirks and personalities, their health issues and particular needs. When they get too rowdy, a few stern commands are all it takes for them to calm down. “We have a guest here today, so I want you to be on your best behaviour,” she tells them.

The dogs in Dubai are always overjoyed to see Yvonne when she arrives on her daily visits. When she leaves, her friend Bob has to distract them so that they don’t follow her and run after her car.

Yvonne in front of the shack where she now lives in Zwelihle, after more than a year in the informal settlement of Dubai.

I have accompanied Yvonne Wurster from Germany, who now lives in Zwelihle, on one of her daily excursions to the informal settlement known as ‘Dubai’, to feed the animals that live there. Yvonne, known as “the animal whisperer” since childhood, cares for up to 50 dogs and about a dozen cats that all depend on this heroic woman’s efforts for their survival and wellbeing. We met only days before the start of the national lockdown, which has not made her task any easier.

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