The Johannesburg Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) celebrated Mother’s Day this year by hosting a morning at their kennels, in Reuven.
Everyone was invited to come along on May 11 and show all the pets in their care some love. The morning was amazing. They opened their kennels and had members of the public join them in showing the animals attention and love.
JSPCA also had a Mother’s Day kennel sponsorship available for only R300, where people could sponsor a kennel for May and dedicate it to the mom in their life.
The funds raised from these sponsorships will be used to help the organisation purchase some much needed blankets for all their animals to enjoy over winter.
“Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who supported our Mother’s Day initiative. We had a great turnout and had over 20 dogs sponsored. It was also a great day for humans and animals alike,” said general manager, Celeste Horseman and the Johannesburg SPCA team.
“Ever wondered why we love our dogs so much? And dare we say as much as our children,” added Horseman. She explained that it’s called oxytocin, the ‘love hormone’.
“This hormone is an important part of mother-child bonding in both humans and other mammals. According to our brains, we bond with our dogs in the same way. When you look at your dog, your brain produces more oxytocin. It works both ways. Studies have shown that just looking at each other causes your dog’s oxytocin levels to rise as well.
“Our brains use the same neurological pathway to process our love for our pets and our love for our children. It’s the same love hormone. According to scientists, the same parts of the brain also light up when people look at photos of their children and photos of their dogs.
“So you are quite normal and it is mutually beneficial. Studies prove that the human-dog bond is mutual as we both experience happiness, and we both benefit,” she said.
