Karin Erasmus of Pro Life Pet Rescue writes:
A big thank you to Madelein and Jimmy Osler for letting us use their 20 kennels in Plaston for free for more than a year, we would not have been able to rescue all the animals we had without your help.
We were so privileged to celebrate our second birthday and the opening of our brand-new sanctuary recently.
A big thank you to Madelein and Jimmy Osler for letting us use their 20 kennels in Plaston for free for more than a year, we would not have been able to rescue all the animals we had without your help. Also Meleen, Madelein’s mother, for always helping and caring for the dogs.
All the volunteers and fosters who helped over the past two years to rescue, sterilise and adopt more than 800 dogs and cats.
As far as the new sanctuary is concerned, thank you to Natasha Cussens for helping us to find this great piece of land. Eugene and Marina Cussens for donating the wooden structures we now use as an office, storerooms and Nkosi’s room. Special thanks to Eugene Sr for helping us with his TLB for free. Also all those who sponsored a camp at R15 000 each, Midfeeds, Van Wijk Street Bird & Animal Hospital, Swift Plumbing & Electrical, Plumbing Wholesalers, Toyota, Mica, Linda Jooste in memory of Yster, her beloved dog, Linda and Brian Jennings, in memory of Sasha, their beloved dog and Cranbrook Flavours in Johannesburg.
We still have one camp that has not been sponsored and invite you all to find a sponsor. We also have lots of space to expand and build more camps for dogs that need to be rescued.
Gratitude also goes out to Lesea, Matt, Annetjie and the rest of the Swift team for handling this project for us, from building, fencing, water and electricity and especially Matt who was always prepared to make a plan for me at the most awkward moment.
Mario of JVR Pools for building the most beautiful pool with pump and all the cleaning equipment and even grass. The dogs had their first swim yesterday afternoon.
Also thanks to Telecontrols for sponsoring all the electrical equipment (Nadine organised it all). Agrico for sponsoring a 5 000-litre water tank and pipes (which Nadine organised), Hentie of Laeveld Besproeiing for sponsoring the pump for the borehole, Juan-Louis for building and installing the shade areas in each camp, and Ica and Mark Minter for donating money to make it possible to finish the tenth camp. You are angels.
Then there were all the kind people who donated money into our BUCO and Pro Life accounts.
My very good friend Ingi Rakes for all her help, organising the garden at the entrance and her husband Adrian for donating 20 trees for shade in the kennels area which we will start planting next week.
Also to Susanna at Lowvelder for always helping and keeping people up to date with the latest news at Pro Life, Susan of Dirty Dogs for bathing and grooming Pro Life furries for free and helping to move dogs from Plaston to the new sanctuary. Also a huge thank you to all the people who helped on Thursday to make the move much smoother than we all expected.
Mariaan and Vely at Escom for making sure we have electricity today.
Coca-Cola’s Donna and Lauren. All the drinks for the day, all the children’s activities including a permanent jungle gym and drinks for the next year which is going to keep the staff happy and also help us raise much-needed funds.
Driekie for organising all the food for the opening of the day and also baking all the cupcakes. The restaurants who sponsored food were Upperdeck, Stoep, Mediterranian Riverside, Kokopelli, Fishaways and Galito’s.
The biggest thank you to Vicky Field for constructing the most beautiful cat camp in rescue I have ever seen. Vicky has been handling this project all on her own and did an awesome job.
I would like to thank God for giving us the love of animals.
My family, Pierre, Louis, Juan and Madelein. Pierre and Louis for always having to live with lots of rescued animals in our home as we had nowhere else to go with them.
Louis for helping me as he knew that it made me happy. Juan for coming from Pretoria for the launch to share this special day with me and Madelein for helping where she could even if she stays in Alberton, and for donating the beautiful serviettes and organising the company she works for to sponsor a camp.
Last but not least my husband Pierre for helping me for the past two years to realise my dream. I know you did not always enjoy the presence of all the dogs (we had 22 over the past two weeks) but always understood and helped where you could. I love you.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to everybody who attended the opening day to spoil the animals.
