PawPrint

BRAND NEW E-ZINE TM

Magazine KwaZuluNatal Issue 2 May-June 2012

What

Your Pets

are doing when you’re not

HOME!

Tragic World of Puppy

Mills!

Best Places to walk your dog?

Are You

Poisoning Your Cat?

Win a Doggie Hamper worth R1000!

Do gT re at s

38 David Rd Cnr Link Rd, Waterfall

on i t ec ery l l Co eliv &D

Cell: 074 882 5677 Tel: 031 762 1627

contents Welcome to the second edition of PawPrint Magazine!

We are very proud to be able to send this electronic version out and look forward to extending to the Johannesburg and Cape Town regions in the next few months.

The response to our first edition was amazing, and we have been blown away by the public interest in learning more about rescue, as well as the day to day lives of our pets!

We also feature details on South Africa’s own “Lost and Found” pet website.

This month we feature a special interview with prize winner, Tammy Meyer, who is owned by several rescue dogs. Read all about their lives and love!

Our article on puppy mills is aimed at bringing awareness to the thousands of animals bred for the commercial pet market, and the terrible lives they lead.

Our dog walking section features Natal, and we look forward to advertising special walking places in Johannesburg next month.

We hope that you will enjoy this month’s magazine and will follow us, as we move forward this year.

2 The best places to walk Your dog

8 What your Pet’s are doing when you’re not Home

4 Kill the Puppy Mill The tradgic stories of Puppy Mills in Southern Africa.

12 Are you Poisoning your cat?

Are the meals and the treats that we give our beloved cats really that good for them?

10 Your Dogs Mental Health for 2012

Mandy Barrett Editor PawPrint

1

THE BEST Places to

WALK Your dog in KZN!

D

aily walks are for dogs what television, internet and the after work glass of wine are for us!

There are loads of fun places to walk your dogs, but if you cant reach any of the ones below, try a brisk “ round the block” (and that’s not the block under your bed!).

And remember – SCOOP your POOCH’s POOP! Safety on walks is simple – •Stay in busier areas if alone •Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back •Take your dog with you!!!

Here are some cool places to walk in Natal!

Memorial Park, Douglas Road, Kloof.

A stunning park, with a lovely clean river and nice shady areas. Lovely to walk, picnic and play. Mostly busy and lots of lovely dogs to meet. Off lead park, and walkers are requested to take along plastic bags for poop scooping.

Shongweni Farmers Market (Saturday Mornings 06h30 to 11h00) On lead venue, great for meeting other dogs and a fun place to see! Not an official doggie venue but loads of dogs abound!

Dog friendly Beaches Walking your dog on the beach is such fun – be careful of old fishing tackle and hooks, and pick up after your dog! Be sure to have fresh water on hand for after the walk. It is a good idea to wash your dog off after running on the beach or swimming in the sea, to prevent any irritation to his skin or feet.

Durban Promenade (on lead) Briton Beach and Treasure Beach – the Bluff Christmas Bay (South Coast) Glenashley Beach La Mercy Beach (picnic area as well) Northern Beach Umhlanga (north of Breakers Hotel) Salmon Bay – Balitto Trafalgar Beach Ushaka Umkamaas Beach (South Coast) PawPrint

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There are lots of other fun parks and places to visit with your dogs in Natal.

details and story to whitedogwash@gmail. com.

If you have a special doggie venue that you frequent or you have heard that there is a little nugget nestled in KwaZuluNatal that is the perfect spot to walk your dog then please let us know. Email your

Next issue : Great places to walk in Johannesburg

Cats are Humanely Trapped, Vaccinated and Sterilised, Returned to their Original Location.

Tel: 031 764 3845

E-mail: info@kittenaction.org.za www.kittenaction.org.za

Reducing Homelessness amongst Urban Cats Jenny: 0741840004

jenny@jelliclecats.co.za

Lauren: 0721492051

lauren@jelliclecats.co.za

All Jellicle Cats are Sterilised and Inoculated PawPrint 3

KILL THE PUPPY MILL T

hat cute little puppy or kitten sitting in the pet shop cage could be a victim of a farm similar to a concentration camp! The same can be said for puppies sold in the newspaper classifieds and over the internet.

Well known in America, puppy and kitten “Mills”, also known as ”breeding farms” exist all over South Africa.

Often secreted away in seemingly peaceful agricultural settings, hundreds of dogs and cats are crammed into tiny cages, or runs and forced to have litter after litter. These poor animals are often starved, fighting to the death over morsels of bread, and left to their own devices. Some are never taken out of their cages, and have never seen or walked on grass.

One may wonder what drives a person to run such a farm.

The answer is money and a complete lack of empathy – a trait very common to many South Africans, who are taught that animals are commodities. Making money has never been easier for these self-made “breeders”! They simply get a couple of animals – often obtaining their breeding dogs from other puppy mills, or from unaware public members, who are looking for new homes for their dogs and cats.

Breeding is started as soon as possible and the life of a puppy mill dog begins.

Dogs are left without food, shelter, water, medical treatment and attention. Puppies are not socialised, dewormed, vaccinated or treated for external parasites. Mother breeding dogs are forced to have puppies every single season, and this coupled with bad nutrition leads to disease and often, a slow painful death. Should a breeding bitch require a caesarean, the “breeder” is unlikely to want to pay for this and these dogs are left to battle out a terrible birthing, if they are lucky or take weeks to die with dead puppies stuck inside their birthing canal. Puppies are victims of disease and brutal attacks by other bitches and dogs, as these setups often have many dogs in one area.

When dogs stop being useful, and no longer breed, they are shot, left to die, or dumped at the pound. Time and time again, welfare is made aware of such places, and animals are removed. The legal system makes it very hard to stop these people from starting up again.

Common practice is to fabricate vaccination certificates, stealing stickers from old certificates, and to make empty statements about the puppies being dewormed. Vaccination PawPrint

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certificates are easy to photocopy or fabricate.

Every time you buy a puppy from the newspaper, internet or a pet shop, you could be supporting this terrible practice. Even backyard breeders, who only have a few dogs breeding are part of the problem. People often buy sick puppies, which apart from costing a fortune, or dying, are not the breed that they were promised to be. Many a “beagle” puppy has turned into a Labrador sized, piebald cross breed!

One of the most common cons in South Africa is to advertise puppies of many breeds for sale, that are then shipped to you, or delivered to a nearby neutral place, like a garage. Anyone offering this service should make your warning bells tremble. Although some responsible breeders will ship out puppies, it pays to wonder why they are not interested in seeing your home. Surely if someone really cares about the pups, they would want to be sure of where they are going? Puppy Farmers will watch trends carefully and breed the most sought after dogs – at the moment, Labradors, Scottish Terriers, Maine Coone Cats, and Yorkshire Terriers are good examples of common puppy mill puppies., but it doesn’t stop there – any breed can come from a puppy mill.

A typical breeding farm advert may read as follows: Labrador-Scotties-Huskies Puppies for sale, males and 2x females. Innoc. And dewormed. R3000 parents are registered.

From this it is clear that the “breeder” has more than one breed on offer – a bad sign. Then you see that the parents are registered and not the puppies. To claim inoculations and deworming may come across as a huge bonus, but is a small cost. A more appropriate advert would be: Labrador Retriever puppies for sale, will be ready to go at 8 - 12 weeks old in (a future date). Two black males, and one chocolate female available to approved homes only.

Home check applies. Puppies registered with (name of kennel union or federation), papers are available. Parents available for inspection at any time. Must go to working dog homes, as are bred from good field trial stock. Price on application.

Here the breeder has insisted on correct ownership, and offered inspection of the parents, as well as proper registration. They also list the age of the puppies, what the parents have achieved, as well as the kind of home the puppies need. STOP supporting these Puppy and Kitten MILLS! Follow this list of rules to ensure you are not buying from a puppy or kitten mill.

•Don’t buy from adverts with many breeds of dogs advertised. Scan all the adverts to see how many times the same contact details come up. Most puppy mills pump out several different breeds.

•Never buy a puppy “second hand”, from someone who claims they can’t keep it any longer.

•Insist on seeing the parents, or sires, at the very least, the bitch, in her own home. Don’t trust anyone who won’t let you come to their home to see the dogs!

•Don’t let anyone “choose” a puppy for you and bring it to you. They don’t know you or your family. If you are unsure about making the right choice, take along a trainer or behaviourist to assist.

•Don’t buy puppies or kittens from pet shops. Responsible breeders will not use pet shops to sell their puppies. Correctly bred puppies will live with the breeder, be socialised and played with and exposed to all the correct stimuli whilst waiting for their new owners.

•Never buy puppies that look hopeless, or in need of a home – as much as you want to “save” the puppy, handing over money for it will only increase the demand and future breeding. If you are concerned about the conditions any animal is being kept in, contact your local SPCA or rescue shelter for assistance.

•Don’t buy a puppy from a breeder who cannot supply registration papers – don’t believe any stories about it being a second litter or the papers being “in the mail”. Ask for the parents registration papers and make sure they are genuine papers, either from the Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA) or one of the many Federation Clubs. You can always enquire with the registration body as to whether these papers are legitimate.

•Insist on DNA proven papers if you would like to show your puppy. Check the breed’s common ailments with your vet or online and insist on the correct tests BEFORE buying your puppy – some breeds have hip and elbow problems, eye diseases, or can be prone to deafness, and many other issues, including skin and digestive problems. There are tests available for many of these and responsible breeders will ensure that this is done.

•Insist on the number of the Veterinarian that the breeder uses, so that you can check that the vaccinations and dewormers have actually been done. Some breeders may do their own deworming and vaccinations to save money, but this is not a suitable practice.

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•Ask the breeder is there is a rehoming or rescue organisation for the breed, and if the puppies can be returned if required – any responsible breeder, who cares for the welfare of the breed would HATE to bring unwanted puppies into the world, and would like to be certain that your puppy will have a safe future. You may also be able to rescue a dog this way, and save a life.

•Ask the RIGHT questions ! Why does the breeder breed?

What kind of future does the breeder see for the puppies?

What kind of training would they recommend? How many puppies have they bred in the last few years? What attributes do the parent dogs have that encouraged the breeder to breed this litter? Is the breed really suitable for you?

•If your chosen breeder lives out of town, ask for prior buyers numbers to call and check that they were happy with the puppies. Ask the breeder if you can send a trainer or behaviourist in the area to have a look.

•Consider adopting a homeless puppy before buying one.

Your desire for one puppy means that eight or more may be produced – are you willing to increase the number of unwanted dogs?

Honest, caring breeders who breed for the love and improvement of a certain breed are hard to find, and registration with a Club or Union, does not necessarily mean that they are legitimate or run good, clean kennels.

It is always worthwhile checking it out for yourself. Many registration authorities do NOT do home checks on the breeders, and therefore cannot be certain of the actual conditions.

A genuine breeder, with the welfare of the animals in mind will not mind answering questions, or having inspections done, as they are also fighting to stamp out puppy mills and irresponsible breeding.

Although this article mentions puppy mills, kitten mills also exist and the same rules should apply when seeking out any new pet.

During this investigation, PawPrint discovered that there is a large “419” scam, whereby certain people advertise puppies for sale, set up the sale and delivery, take your money and of course, never deliver the puppy at all. It seems that they steal photographs from the internet! Be warned!

WHAT YOUR

pets are doing when you’re not

HOME!

Are they really sitting by

the door, waiting for YOUR return?

D

id you ever wish you could have a hidden camera in your house so you could see what your pet is really doing while you are away from home?

Perhaps you are foolish enough to think that your beloved pup or your darling kitty is patiently sitting by the door, waiting for your return. Boy, are you wrong!

Ever wondered who really took that last vienna from the fridge? or who’s reading those emails on your computer? What about all those missing socks fom the washing machine? South

Africans are extremely security conscious. We live behind bars and fences and have one of the fastest growing CCTV camera markets in the world! Perhaps we should turn those cameras around once in a while and monitor what is happening in our very own homes!

PawPrint scoured the Net and found some fantastic pics of what your pets are really doing when they’re home alone!

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with Dr. Tikara

Your Dog’s

Mental Health Dear Doctor Tikara For 2012 I am a desperate case! I am one year old. My family used to pick me up and kiss me a lot, but now they shout at me when I try to jump up and kiss them.

They seem to have changed my name from “Joe” to “No”. I don’t know what to do. I am so happy to see them when they come home. I tried to rather jump up on the car, and they were very angry with me, and changed my name again – but I don’t think I can tell you what they said, because my “mom” shouted at my “dad” when he said it, and said children shouldn’t hear that name. I just want to show my family how much I love them.

When they arrive home from the day out, it feels like it’s been a week for me, and I can’t control my excitement at seeing them. It’s fun because they jump around and yell a lot too! Sometimes I pee all over the place as well, which is embarrassing and my mom thinks that there is something wrong with me. Is there?

Please tell me what I can do!!!

Joe (the Labrador) – Durban North Hello Joe and well done for writing in, be sure to show your “mom” and “dad” this reply.

I have had many dogs write to me with this problem. The first thing to address is that when you were a smaller puppy, your owners picked you up and carried you and gave you lots of kisses. Being a dog, you enjoyed this bonding and because dogs greet by licking each others’ mouths, you presumed that this is how humans did it to.

Unfortunately, humans only like to kiss small puppies this way and prefer

patting bigger dogs on the body!

Your owners need to realise that you need to know this too, and need to slowly teach you to take this kind of greeting as the way that humans like to communicate.

It’s really hard for humans to understand how dogs work. A day away for them goes by very fast, whereas for you it seems like a really long time indeed – days and days! When they arrive home and yell and jump about, this seems like excitement for you, and winds you up even more. My advice to your family is to ignore you (yes completely) for the first fifteen to twenty minutes after arriving home. This way, you will learn to calm down, and not associate their return home with hysterical excitement.

You should attend some training and learn how to sit and lie down, so that they can rather get you to sit, than jump up! Many people think that by pushing you down, they are teaching you not to jump, but this actually seems like affection to you, and encourages you to jump. Your family should all turn their backs on you when you jump and ignore you until you are sitting and calm. Then you can be petted.

They can carry some treats in the car, so that you can sit and get a treat instead of leaping onto the car. Using a towel hanging over the car door can help while you are learning this, as it will protect the car from being scratched and calm the humans down (they really hate cars being scratched). It will be useful to have one person step out of the car if possible and get you to sit while the car enters and leaves the property.

This is safer for you in any event and all dogs should be taught to sit quietly.

As you are of working stock – a good working breed, you will need a “job” so I suggest showing your family some numbers for trainers in your area, and consider doing obedience or agility to get you really focused.

Good ball games work too, and balls can be used to play with you when they return home, after ignoring you for a while.

As far as the “pee” story goes, this is also a mixture of excitement and submission – you showing them you are happy they have returned and you still retain your submissive place as a puppy in the family. It is advisable for the family to be strict with ignoring you when they arrive home, you can use that time to watch them and let them settle down.

Then encourage your owners to great you on the grass (so you don’t make a mess) and make the greeting short and then a walk or game is advised.

These changes may take a few weeks to have an effect, so be patient and try to encourage your family to be helpful and understanding. Try to understand that humans “speak” a different language to dogs and need to be taught doggie talk....

Do you have a problem? Do you need someone to talk to? Before your owners bring out the electric chair - eh - collar - write to Dr. Tikara at DrTikkydog101@gmail.com and I will try and solve your problems.

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WIN WIN WIN!!! a

July June

A wide variety of Pets and Pet Products From Snakes to Cats, Cages to Dog Kennels, Pet Food & Pet Accessories!

Unit 2A Inanda link 58 Inanda Rd Waterfall

Tel: 031 762 1588 or 083 629 5581 email: info@waterfallpets.co.za

Are you

Are you

Poisoning your

Cat? POISONING

By Jeff Holbrook

your Cat?

L

et’s face it: Cats will beg and plead most appealingly while you try to eat.

Feeding your cat a tidbit of chicken or ham from your plate, is a practice you shouldn’t encourage as a regular habit for a few reasons:

Onions, & Related Root Vegetables

First, because cats need the nutrients specifically provided for them in good, premium cat foods, and any “extras” that they consume will take away their appetites for their regular meals. A sliver of ham or chicken from your dinner plate certainly won’t kill a cat, but you’re helping your cat develop bad habits.

These foods are members of the Solanaceae family of plants, which includes the Deadly Nightshade, and contain a bitter, poisonous alkaloid called GlycoalkaloidSolanine, which can cause violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms.

The leaves and stems are particularly toxic.

(Tomatoes in pet foods are ripe, and should cause no concern because they appear in relatively small amounts)

The main reason you should discourage feeding cats “people food” is that there are a number of foods that are toxic to cats.

You may have forgotten that the gravy slathered over your Christmas dinner used broth that was flavoured with onion, among other things. While it is tasty and harmless to humans, onions are very toxic to cats.

The following is a list of foods that cats should never eat:

Onions contain a substance (N-propyl disulphide) which destroys red blood cells in the cat, causing a form of anemia called Heinz body anemia.

Green Tomatoes, Raw Potatoes

Chocolate

It’s becoming more widely known that chocolate is very toxic to both cats and dogs. Theobromine is the offending substance here.

Grapes and Raisins

These foods’ toxicity has mainly been

found in dogs, in quantities of varying amounts. There are still many unknowns with the toxic potential of grapes and raisins.

Dog Food

Many people feed their cats dog food because they feel that dog food is formulated the same way that cat food is.

This is False! Cat food has a higher protein content than dog food and cats require high volumes of protein due to their unique digestive system.

Milk

Although milk is not toxic to cats, it may have adverse effects. Simply put, adult cats fed a nutritious diet don’t need milk, and many cats are lactose-intolerant, which means that the lactose in milk and milk products produces stomach upset, cramps, and gassiness. If your cat loves milk, and begs for it, a small amount of cream may be okay, two or three times a week. (The more fat in the milk, the less lactose.)

The full story on milk goes like this: Kittens

produce an enzyme called lactase that helps them digest a sugar called lactose.

It’s found in all milk, including cow’s milk and cat’s milk. Kittens, of course, drink their mother’s milk and must be able to digest lactose.

But as the kitten gets older and he starts eating other foods, he begins to lose the ability to produce lactose. That means your cat will start having trouble digesting lactose, and therefore, milk will be hard to digest. This usually happens to kittens starting around 12 weeks old.

So what it really ends up being is, cats over 12 weeks are usually lactose intolerant!

And just like lactose intolerant people, cats will often get gas and diarrhea and even vomiting if they’re allowed to drink milk. So it’s a good idea not to give kitties any milk unless is lactose-free.

These are the most commonly seen “people foods” that are potentially harmful to cats. The bottom line is to feed your cat nutritious food developed around your cats needs and to choose treats designed for cats instead of table scraps or what you may feel is a harmless treat for your feline friend!

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By Mandy Crerer

1. A dog’s shoulder blades are unattached to the rest of the skeleton to allow greater flexibility for running.

2. The world’s first dog show was held in Britain in 1859.

3. The oldest dog in recorded History died at the age of 29.

4. Laiki, a Russian stray, was the first living mammal to orbit the Earth, in the Soviet Sputnik spacecraft in 1957. Though she died in space, her daughter Pushnika had four puppies with President John F. Kennedy’s terrier, Charlie.

5. Dog nose prints are as unique as human finger prints and can be used to identify them.

6. Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. Humans have approximately 9,000.

7. Countess Karlotta Libenstein of Germany left approximately $106 million to her Alsatin, Gunther III, when she died in 1992.

8. A dog can locate the source of a sound in 1/600 of a second and can hear sounds four times farther away than a human can.

9. The most dogs ever owned by one person were 5,000 Mastiffs owned by Kubla Khan.

10. Ancient Egyptians revered their dogs. When a pet dog would die, the owners shaved off their eyebrows, smeared mud in their hair, and mourned aloud for days.

The FUR-SIDE

by Jeff Holbrook I Know Bob! But Hey! That‛s our Culture!

Seems such a waste to kill Him and NOT eat the whole thing!

“Mark Limb Soup”

Jeff

Irresistibly Groomed

Bring Your Pet To Us To Be Groomed!

241 Victoria Road Pietermaritzburg Tel: 033 342 6464 Cell: 072 500 4703

Why Rescue is my favourite

BREED!

T

ammy Meyer is one of PawPrints Prize winners, coming second in the photo competition in April! After chatting to her, we wanted to share her story with our readers, as it explains how she ended up adopting “Sheldon” the dog featured in the competition, as well as highlighting the learning curve that people go through when they become involved in rescue. We hope that by reading this interview, you will both get to know her and her dogs better, and consider doing some rescue yourself! As always – don’t breed or buy while the homeless die ……

PawPrint: How did you get your first dog as an adult?

Tammy Meyer: Once my husband and I had settled and had our son, we were thinking of getting our own pet. At that time, we lived in a complex and a neighbor kept complaining about a little Pug / Pekingese that kept coming to her house. She said every time she took it back to the owners, the animal would return a day later. A while later, she asked us if we could offer the little dog a home, as the original owner had threatened to drown the dog! I was absolutely horrified and immediately agreed to take in the poor little girl that we now call Angel.

PP: After Angel, you became interested in Huskies. What sparked that adventure?

TM: As ignorant as I was, I thought huskies were lovely and wanted to

get a couple to breed with. I saw a beautiful breeding pair available on Gumtree for about R10000 and a sterilized sister to go with the two for R500. This was it! We were going to buy a breeding pair and have cute little Husky puppies running around.

We brought our new 3 adult dog’s home but they were absolutely petrified of being touched. They wouldn’t let us near them and would even run away when it was time for food. I could not quite understand this, but thought that maybe they were just shy. The previous “breeder” had not warned us about Huskies and cats, and the new dogs almost killed my beautiful cat almost instantly.

PP: That must have made you want to do some more research!

TM: Yes! We had quite a large property and I thought of maybe getting another female to breed with. Doing a search on Huskies on Google I found the website for Husky Rescue SA. I was sbsolutely shocked to see so many homeless huskies! I immediately contacted Jasper from Husky Rescue SA and volunteered to foster and help out.

PP: So that started your relationship with Husky Rescue SA? TM: Well….. Jasper came to my home to do a home check and I was quite horrified as to what he had to say about my animals as well as breeding! Like so many people, I was oblivious to the fact that I would be putting more animals out on the streets if I started breeding. I was

in denial and thought I knew better.

Jasper also told me there was something seriously wrong with my dogs that they are so scared of people and that I needed an animal behaviorist.

PP: What a shock it is to discover the underworld of dogs!!!

TM: Indeed! After my discussions with Jasper, I decided to do more research on the whole “Rescue Thing”. I was not prepared for the magnitude of the problem! I found rescue site after rescue site, For a, CLAW, Pug Rescue, Angel Rescue, Kitty and Puppy Haven, Husky Rescue, Pekinese Rescue, Border Collie Rescue and …… well the list was endless!!

PP: So that was a life changing experience!

TM: I immediately decided I wanted to help! I sterilized my prized “breeding pair” and immediately started fostering huskies. My first foster was named Rona. We were both pretty scared when she arrived, she was totally shaved and very scared. I immediately fell in love with her and bonded with her instantly.

PP: And you ended up keeping her?

TM: During this time, I read up on and studied Clicker Training and had been working with my boy Storm.

Within a couple of months, after lots of work and chatting to several trainers, Storm had stopped being so afraid of me and was letting me

touch him and I had decided in that time that I would keep Rona, Now renamed Mishca.

PP: But it didn’t end there!

TM: No! That was the start! After that the fosters would come and go Annie, Andimar, Dakota, Zorro, Sasha, Sheba and Slade. It broke my heart to say goodbye to them, I wanted to keep them all.

PP: How did you get the aptly named “Lucky”?

TM: Month after month I would see the same dogs being circulated online, seeking homes. I constantly notice Lucky, a Husky cross Terrier that no one wanted as he was far too excited and didn’t even look like a Husky. After several months, I asked Husky Rescue if I could adopt him. He was so happy to be out of the kennels, to have freedom and friends to play with. He is the MOST excitable dog I have but I wouldn’t trade him for the world.

PP: And how did you come across Sheldon?

TM: My dearest Sheldon came along after a “quick” trip to Kitty and Puppy Haven. We just went there to look around and found this very sad, Labrador X Beagle sitting in the corner with a very badly damaged tail. He had come from a Squatter camp and was not very adoptable as he was no longer a puppy. We fell in love instantly and I HAD to have him.

PP: He’s adorable! We fell in love with him instantly from the photograph! You must have had your fair share of heartbreak doing all this rescue work?

TM: Oh yes! I fostered a dog called Maxi, with three of her puppies. In the beginning, Maxi was terrified of me, as my own original dogs had been, and wanted little contact.

Having 3 husky puppies in the house was a lot of hard work but I loved every minute of it. I had decided to adopt one of the pups myself, as my husband fell totally in love with little Fang. I had managed to rehome Fang’s two siblings but no one wanted Maxi.

I tried, but to be honest I didn’t try very hard, I had fallen in love with her and didn’t want to let her go. In the end, I quietly took her picture off all the adoption websites and kept her. She belonged with her son.

Fang had become quite sick and after quite a few vet visits and a small fortune we found out he has what they call Laryngeal Paralysis.

I was faced with a tough decision.

Either cough up R20 000 or put your animal to sleep. How do you put a price on an animal’s head? How can you say sorry he is not worth it?

I called all my friends and thanks to Elke du Bruin I started collecting money. I put my pride in my pocket and begged people for donations to help me save my beloved pet. I was told by many people that I should not own a pet if I cannot afford it, but please tell me who in Animal

Rescue has an extra R20000 lying around. We only managed to raise about R1200 and then a friend came to my saving grace and paid for his operation. Fang recovered nicely and is a happy and healthy husky to this day. And then, in February 2012, Skyla, one of my original 3 had a tragic heart attack and passed away. I was absolutely devastated and did not think I would get over her.

PP: What an inspiring tale! You do such an amazing job with these rescues – do you ever yearn for a “normal life”?

TM: People often, ask me how is it that you live this way…well my answer is simple.

My dogs are my life, they have opened my eyes to a whole new world out there. They have taught me patience, tolerance, unconditional love and happiness.

They have shown me that we all need to stand together for the fight against animal abuse. We need to spread awareness to the ignorant people like I was.

My pets are not ‘Purebred’ but I would do anything for them. In the end, I am so honored to have rescued animals. I have made amazing friends through rescue, and connecting on Facebook. I wouldn’t change a thing.

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FEATURED HOMELESS PET

Briony

T

he Lost and Found site was originally launched in 2007, by Marita Du Plessis. Her need to help re-unite lost pets with their owners stems from when she was a child. Says Marita; “The first and only time I ever lost a dog, was a little Fox Terrier in Namibia (South West Africa) when I was a young child. We were travelling to Swakopmund from Windhoek on a family vacation, when our little dog got a fright from a big truck starting up at a service station in Usakos.

It was and still is a very small town, but no amount of calling and searching helped us to find the dog. My father then decided that we must abandon the search and continue with our trip. I can still remember how traumatized I was. This feeling is still with me today almost 50 years later.”

Then about 10 years ago Marita’s sister lost their very old dog from her front garden late at night. Although the family searched and searched, they never found the little dog. These two life changing instances, played on Marita’s mind, forcing her to think of ways to trace lost pets. She considered the fact that even though owners can microchip their pets, unless they are handed into an authority who checks for a chip, this is useless. An email that was sent to the website pointed out that a lost dog that had landed up at the SPCA was never scanned for a chip, due to the inspector thinking that the dog was in such bad shape that it couldn’t possibly

have a microchip. The idea of making a website, with a massive database, housing all the lost and found pets in SA was born.

So far the site has had some success, but getting the public to know about the site is essential to its development and full realisation of potential. Every pet owner, vet, SPCA and rescue organisation should know about the site and use it to post details of lost and found pets. Even those who don’t own animals should be aware of the site, in order to assist those who do!

All listings, complete with a photograph of the pet, can be placed completely free of charge.

As the site develops, Marita hopes to introduce more features to the site. These features will include priority listing on the home page, automatic SMS notification if someone lists a pet which may possibly match the description of your pet, a map of where your pet were last seen and automatic SMS notification if someone responds to your listing.

The plan is to charge for the premium listings, thereby creating an income for the site, enabling it to grow and reach a larger audience.

Please take a look at this site and add it to your listings and share it with friends and those who don’t use it already. Lets help re-unite animals and their loving owners!

To Advertise in this Ezine contact Mandy on 082 306 1606 or email: whitedogwash@gmail.com