Judging a book by its cover is a mistake many make and so gems are often overlooked.
Dolphin Coast SPCA’s inspector and branch manager, Debbie Filmalter is one such gem.
“People think I am some big monster,” said Filmalter, who’s tough exterior masks an equally tender heart.
“I am like a Spaniel, hard shell, always on the go, but inside I have a marshmallow heart,” she said.
Her heart melts for animals, which is why she has always wanted to work with her four legged friends.
“My dream was to become a vet, but I was not good at maths, so I ended up going to hotel school and studied hotel management.”
Filmalter managed the banqueting side of La Montagne in the 90s, worked in Cape Town for five years, returned home and managed a local Mugg n Bean for four years. But her passion for animals remained, so in 2010 she managed to get her foot in the door at the Dolphin Coast SPCA, but still the job took some getting used to.
“For the first year, I could not look at the suffering animals that were found or brought in to us and it took me even longer to learn to cope with the everyday trauma we see and experience.”
She toughened up as one needs to and did her inspector course in 2014. But she says being an inspector is not as hardcore as the shows on Animal Planet make it appear.
“We cannot just burst into a home and take away a badly treated animal, we have to follow protocol, which is tough, but that is the way it is.”
Protocol prescribes giving people a chance to fix what they have done wrong and the inspector monitors their progress.
“Only if no improvement has been seen after two written warnings and follow up visits, we can apply for a warrant to remove the animal from a property, depending on the severity of the situation,” she said.
This fact is little known and as a result the SPCA is often seen as ineffective.
“Our mission is to prevent cruelty to animals, therefore a major portion of our job is to educate and train people to feed, care and treat their animals correctly.”
But sometimes education comes too late for the animals that are being mistreated.
Nevertheless, she loves her job, which is why she would not join the rest of her family, who have emigrated to Australia.
“Helping animals in need and educating the public about animal care is something I could not do without.”
Filmalter’s hard shell cracks easily and she sometimes has to hide her emotions for the job’s sake.
“My best is when lost animals are reunited with their owners, which often leads to me hiding in the storeroom with my tissues.”
Her other best is being at home in her music studio with her three poodles, Trouble, Gina and Lulu and her spaniel, Dexter.
“I am a music fanatic and that is how I relax,” she said. Any music will do, as long as it is not Josh Groban.
She now has her heart set on finding a new home for this SPCA, “where we can expand, have more kennels, home more animals and get more exposure.”
“Even with this terrible road and the inconvenience of our premises, we manage to home 15-20 animals per month, so imagine what we could do if we were easier to get to.”
Like a dog with a bone Filmalter said she will not let go until she sees this dream realised.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
