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www.thevillagenews.co.za
20 May 2020
HAWS introduces ‘virtual adoptions’ Writer Hedda Mittner
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he had loving eyes and I could tell that she was a smart dog,” says Sandbaai resident, Marion da Silva, with her new companion, Zinzi by her side. Zinzi has clearly found her forever home, thanks to a ‘virtual adoption’ from the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society (HAWS). The lockdown necessitated a new adoption process that maintains social distancing, but still allows potential new owners to get to know the animals they are considering for adoption. “Because HAWS has been closed to the public since the start of the lockdown, very few adoptions were taking place,” says René Dewar of HAWS. “Our staff members have continued taking care of the animals in our kennels and cattery, as well as feeding pets in the poorer communities and treating sick animals at the clinic. But with our charity shop closed, we have been struggling to survive financially and the adoptions almost came to a standstill. I knew I had to come up with a plan.”
René says she started looking at what animal welfare societies in countries similarly affected by the Coronavirus pandemic were doing in order to come up with a solution. “Before the lockdown we regularly had volunteers and members of the public on our premises, but we had to put a stop to that in order to curb the spread of the disease and to protect our staff,” she says. Since implementing a virtual adoption process, however, the abandoned animals at HAWS have been given a new chance of finding a loving home. René explains that people looking for a cat or dog to adopt should contact HAWS telephonically and specify their preferences, following which photos or videos of potential candidates will be sent to them, either via email or WhatsApp. Information on animals available for adoption is also shared regularly on the Hermanus Animal Welfare Society Facebook page. “Because we are no longer able to do home inspections during the lockdown, people interested in adopting also need to send us photos or videos of their home, which should have
an enclosed yard in the case of dogs, and where the pet will be sleeping, for example. If there is already another dog or dogs on the premises, we also arrange a ‘meet and greet’ to see if they will get on with a new dog or cat.” In Marion’s case, it was important for the dog to be cat-friendly, as it would be sharing its new home with a beloved cat called Zuzu. So the HAWS staff filmed Zinzi in the company of a few of their cats, and sent the video to Marion so that she could see how the dog interacts with cats. “It was important to me as my previous dog (Mister Stanley, who sadly died in January) and Zuzu had been very close. I was very happy to see that Zinzi had absolutely no problem with cats – and that was that.” So although Marion only saw Zindzi with her own eyes for the first time when she arrived to collect her, all the necessary information had been shared and both parties had been satisfactorily vetted. “We follow quite a strict process,” says René, “but it’s important for us to know that the animal is going to a good home. We don’t
want to be placing a ‘lockdown cat’ or a ‘lockdown dog’ now that people are forced to spend more time at home. What will happen to it when its owners have to return to work? An animal is a companion for life and not a commodity that can be returned.” Please support HAWS by donating good quality, used winter clothes to their charity shop. Call 028 312 1281 to make arrangements for dropping off donations. Financial support is also urgently needed to enable HAWS to continue feeding their animals and those in the townships, to pay their dedicated staff ’s salaries, and to buy medicines and supplies for emergency cases treated in their clinic. No matter how small the donation, it will make a big difference. Bank details: Hermanus Animal Welfare Society, Standard Bank, Account no. 082 263 310, Branch code 050312, Reference: HELP. Donors can also use PayFast or the ‘Donate’ link on the website, www.hermanusanimalwelfare.co.za.
Marion da Silva with Zinzi, the rescue dog that she adopted ‘virtually’ from HAWS. On the wall is a portrait of Mister Stanley (Marion’s previous dog that sadly died in January) which she commissioned from local artist, Petrus Viljoen. PHOTO: Raphael da Silva
Sculpture on the Cliffs will be back! At this time of year, The Village NEWS is usually brimming with news about the upcoming FynArts Festival that takes place annually in June. With another ambitious line-up of events for this year, however, Festival Director Mary Faure and the FynArts committee, together with the performers, artists and other partners have had to develop creative ways of conceptualising this popular festival within the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most important exhibitions on the FynArts programme has always been Sculpture on the Cliffs, with large public works installed at Gearing’s Point and along the cliffs above the Old Harbour. Residents and festivalgoers alike look forward, with much curiosity and anticipation, to seeing the new sculptures go up every
year. Which is why Mary is thrilled to announce that the 2020 Pioneer Freight Sculpture on the Cliffs exhibition, curated by Gavin Younge under the theme of ‘Vertical Animal’, will be the largest to date and one of the most exciting. “Installing this unique outdoor exhibition of large sculptures is never without logistical challenges for the artists and the FynArts team,” says Mary, “and this year the Coronavirus has escalated all these challenges. During Levels 5 and 4 of the lockdown, foundries and other workshops needed to finish off the sculptures are still closed. Transporting artworks, especially between provinces, is not considered to be an essential service and is therefore also not allowed. But we are exploring a number of avenues to make this happen as soon as possible.”
She adds that due to the unpredictability of the exact nature and duration of the lockdown regulations, it is not yet possible to announce firm dates for the installation of the sculptures. But in the meantime, all 12 participating artists are hard at work completing their sculptures, and the whole town is looking forward to seeing the creations of Jake Michael Singer, Collen Maswanganyi, Karin Lijnes, Wilma Cruise, Jaco Sieberhagen, Jean Theron Louw, Guy du Toit, Nanette Ranger, David Griessel, Right Mukore, Kevin Brand and Anni Snyman adorning our coastline – hopefully in the not-too-distant future. This year’s reimagined festival, Hermanus FynArts Select 2020, will be presented in virtual
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format during the festival dates of 5 – 16 June, by way of recorded and live-streamed events. “This will be followed by a number of stimulating and uplifting FynArts Select weekends at a later stage. Many of the events that are not possible to bring to the festival this year, for logistical and other reasons, will be included in the 2021 programme,” says Mary. Other good news is that the 2020 Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award and exhibition will go ahead this year when South Africa has reached Level 1 of the lockdown. The theme of the 2020 competition is ‘Biomimicry’ and the exhibition will again be hosted in the Bouchard Finlayson cellar. – Hedda Mittner
