Community members stand together to help pets in distress

A group of like-minded people whose sole purpose is to ensure that animals strive, came together to start the Hazyview Pets in Distress organisation.

Although the members have long been working hard to help animals out of unfortunate circumstances, the non-profit organisation was only registered by the end of March.

Hazyview Pets in Distress’ goals are to give a voice to animals that are in need of help. They ensure each animal under their care has food to eat, water to drink and is tick- and flea-free. The organisation’s executive committee are Lesley Barbeau, Nick Grabe, Michelle Roussouw, Juanita Tannah and Vivien MacKay.

According to the members of Pets in Distress, the owners generally do their absolute best to ensure their animals are well looked after, but there are those who think that pets are a means of protection against crime and believe making them more vicious through abuse is acceptable. “No animal deserves to be tied up.  They need to be exercised and trained. Nothing fancy, just basic commands,” said MacKay.

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The organisation consists of 20 people, but with the help of others in town, more than 70 volunteers participate to help every unfortunate animal. The members and volunteers keep up with the agenda consistently communicated on platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp groups.

The organisation solely depends on donations and sponsors. The committee believes that every extra step of effort taken is another bowl of food for a pet. The committee does outings such as attending the monthly market to sell second-hand tools, toys, arts and crafts for extra money for the pets.

“Our eventual aim is to have a law passed that only breeders with breeding licences may own unsterilised animals, and to ensure that the licence to breed is renewed annually so as to curb a female dog from being abused. Their health is as important to us as the homeless pets’ are,” said MacKay.

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According to the organisation, people contact Pets in Distress regularly about wandering or abused pets. The committee is working hard on finding a base of operations to shelter these animals that are in desperate need of change. Although there is no shelter yet, the committee still operates efficiently. “We help animals to be homed with a foster, or spayed, neutered and returned.”

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