25/08/2025
โจโจ๏ธ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ - Paws R Us: SAโจโจ
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง...
"It all began because of a remarkable dog, named SHAE. She overcame significant odds and a deep fear, to grab her chance at a blessed life." - ๐ถโ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐
๐๐
Please click on the following link, to read this beautiful story of Hope: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19t88ARSR2/
๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐:
๐. ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง ๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง?
I would have believed them. I've loved animals since I can remember. I was a junior member of the SPCA at 11, having happily launched an impromptu jumble sale on the pavement outside our house, selling items that belonged to my mom, without her having any knowledge of the plan at all! Needless to say, word spread quickly, the jumble sale was a hit (because I had no idea how to price things), and my mother wanted to send me to Siberia! However, the SPCA were very happy with the funds raised๐
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ?
My earliest memory of an animal was Wendy, the very first dog in my life / home. I also remember a dog I met on the beach when we were on holiday in Uvongo, KZN. He befriended us / me, and I remember that was a real highlight of the holiday!
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ?
The hardest part in animal rescue is trying to save lives with little to no resources and support, while also trying not to lose yourself.
It brings you up close with the underbelly, the darkness of the human species - and it is tough work processing what we are capable of. At times, you oscillate between disbelief, anger, rage, and a dissonance / sense of disgust at your own species. That is hard to reconcile. However, in all things in life, there is a yin and yang - light and dark - and despite the cruelty and 'throwaway mentality' that pervades our modern society, we must remember that there is goodness and kindness too. We must actively expand and help grow LOVE wherever we can.
๐. ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ?
Redirecting the course of an innocent, vulnerable life - changing fate - being part of the redirection from abandonment, neglect or cruelty, to being treasured as part of the family, being loved, being safe. The updates we receive from adopters is something magical - we see these souls running on the beach on holiday with the family, their eyes shining, the joy clear in their mad gallops, or learning to swim in the pool, or being celebrated on birthdays or adoption anniversaries - and there is nothing that competes with that visible testament to what love and belonging can do.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ?
On a personal level, the animals that are part of my family, the grounding my parents gave me, and my belief in that which is greater than all of us. On a team level, my co-Directors, and the people who have been rock-solid in supporting us over the years.
๐. ๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญโฆ.๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก, ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ? ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ/๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ.
Right now, we have an Africanis girl in our care - her name is Riley. She came into our care during Covid when she was barely 12 months old. When her human decided to surrender her to our organisation, my heart sank. Mixed breed dogs have a window of time in which they are still able to find homes - usually when they are pups or youngsters under the age of 1. However, as they become adults, that window of 'magic' starts to close, and they become invisible. It does not matter how amazing they are, how loving they are, how much potential they have... they simply don't get seen. It is heartbreaking to watch them when visitors arrive, tails-wagging, hope in their eyes - only to watch it wane when the people walk right past them. Today, Riley is 6 years old, and she has become one of the long-stay dogs in our care. We do the best we can for her, as we do for all the dogs in our care, but life in a shelter could never replace a home, and Riley really needs a home of her own, a family, and the love she so deserves. That is my wish, my dream, my prayer for our girl.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ - ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ โ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ, ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญโ?
Sure, the volumes are immense. We have a global and national pet overpopulation crisis. There are too many, and not enough good homes. However, the source of the problem doesn't lie there - that is simply just the result of a far bigger issue. Humans have forgotten how to care, how to have empathy, how to respect all forms of life. Coupled with this, too many humans don't do the homework, still walk around with many ignorant ideas, or are simply unaware. In our daily interactions with other humans - at work, at home, at school - wherever we are, we have the power and potential to open the minds and hearts of others. If we choose to find out more, separate fact from fiction, and then share what we know with others, wherever the opportunity presents itself, we can make a direct difference. We can shift and change the mindset of another. We need more advocates who use every platform at their disposal, to educate, guide and inform.
