An incredible journey

According to Merinda Brits of the shelter which is located just outside Diepsloot, they received a call from a pensioner in Hillbrow about an elderly dog that had wandered into her home and collapsed. Brits said the pensioner had originally thought the dog had died, but placed a bowl of water next to him, just to be sure. “The dog just started to drink as he was so thirsty,” Brits said. She said the shelter had no idea how long he had been walking for and he had no collar or microchip.

FourPaws took the dog to Paulshof Vet for a check-up where they x-rayed the dog and found that he had a broken shoulder. The vet decided that the most humane course of action would be to amputate the dog’s leg. The shelter made an appeal to all their supporters for someone to adopt Hero, but in the end the special boy captured the heart of his foster father, a volunteer at FourPaws, who decided to adopt him.

FourPaws is always asking for community support so they can maintain their shelter and continue to offer veterinary help to pets in disadvantaged areas. They are currently making a plea for someone in the community to help by lending the shelter a trailer so they they can pick up a collection in Gallo Manor.

The shelter also has many kittens in foster care from the ages of five to seven weeks old, and a litter of four-month-old kittens. They are appealing to the public to consider adopting one or more kittens. They are also making a plea for squares of grass which they would like to place in the cattery for the cats to lie on to keep them cool during the summer months.

Details: 083 377 3219; merinda@4ourpaws.org.za ;www.4ourpaws.org.za