There is a saying that a dog is a man’s best friend and this is the case of Ralph Machona (38) and his dog Sniper.
He took Sniper in when she was only a puppy and cared for her for the last three years.

Residents have fallen in love with the friendship Ralph and Sniper share. Where Ralph goes there you will find Sniper.

The RECORD met up with Ralph to talk about the theft of Sniper, their journey together and their reunion.

Stolen from him

On April 2 someone took Sniper from Ralph at the Randhart Shopping Centre after accusing him of abusing Sniper when he was drunk.

The incident took place in front of a local pub in the Randhart Shopping Centre and on CCTV footage you can see Ralph and Sniper with clients from the pub.

“Sniper loves me when I am sober and she loves me when I am drunk,” said Ralph.

He told the RECORD that he knows it does not look good to the community when he says that she is with him sober or drunk.

“Many people get drunk while being at home with their pets. I am well aware of the fact that when I am drunk I can cause something bad to happen to Sniper, but I love that dog with everything in me.

“When I am drunk and driving back home then Sniper shows me the way home with her eyes. I look after her and she looks after me. Sniper is all that I have. She is my comfort, my best friend, my child and the reason why I am living.

“No one has the right to just take away my dog. The claim about me being drunk and letting Sniper fall out of my arms and throwing her in the air and kicking her is false. I will never do that,” Ralph explained.

The people who took Sniper told him that they will bring her back the next day, but instead, they took her away because they thought that she was in danger.

Ralph and Sniper reunited

Ralph together with other concerned residents put up posters to find Sniper and went to the Alberton SPCA twice to look for her.

After a search operation conducted by Chevonne Sanders, Sniper was dropped off at the vet in Second Avenue on April 11.

“We’ve worked all day, everyday, gone through CCTV footage, drove through squatter camps, interviewed people who witnessed what happened the night she was stolen, got different leads everyday, and followed through with each and every one of them,” said Chevonne.

“Facts and evidence show that she was stolen, for whatever reason these people thought was reasonable.”

Ralph said: “I am just glad to have my best friend back. Now I can sleep again at night. But I also see this as a life lesson. I should be more careful and considerable of Sniper while drinking.”

According to him, Sniper went crazy when she saw him and she was just so happy to be back with him.

“I thought I was dreaming, because in the moment everything felt good but also so unreal. I am just glad to have my baby back,” he explained.

“First of all thank you to God for guiding us and leading us in the right direction.

Chevonne said: “A big thank you to Nicci Bala for fighting this with us. Thank you for walking door-to-door with us and for everything else in between. We definitely couldn’t have done this without you. Also, a big thank you to Debbie Olivier and Karen Sanders.

“Thank you to the managers and staff members at Macy SPAR Randhart who kept an eye out for us. It is greatly appreciated. We all did this together.”

Three years of unconditional love

“Sniper is a female mixed breed and I got her from someone in the township. I had to bottle feed her as her mother passed away. She was this tiny little fur ball.” Since then Sniper has been going to work with Ralph daily.

“Wherever I go, Sniper goes and that is just how we do things. She is a part of me.” Ralph is a car guard at the Randhart Shopping Centre who works daily from 7am to 4pm.

While he is working Sniper is busy stealing hearts with her personality and love for humans. Once a week Ralph will take her to Suzane Dantu from Pooch Parlour so that she can have a bath. “All of my staff members knows Ralph and Sniper,” said Suzane. She also said that she has known Ralph for quite a while and she never saw him being disrespectful towards Sniper.

Help needed

“I have one more wish and that is to find a permanent job. I am a keen builder, gardener and painter and I am willing to learn. I am hard working and trustworthy,” said Ralph.

During the interview with Ralph, the RECORD noticed that he needs a cellphone and a new bicycle with a basket attached for travelling with Sniper.

Anyone who can assist Ralph with a permanent job or donate a second-hand cellphone or a bicycle with a basket can contact Chevonne on 072 720 6160.