End of an era as SPCA chairperson bids farewell

After contributing four years of her life to saving and caring for abandoned animals, chairperson of the RandWest SPCA, Brenda Eloff, announces she will be retiring.

• Also read: RandWest SPCA in dire need of members

According to Eloff, she is bidding a bittersweet goodbye to the community to focus on her health.

It is with great sadness that I have to announce my resignation, which will officially commence on July 31. I have some health issues that I need taken care of.

“Also, since I live in Rustenburg, travelling between the two towns is getting a bit too much to handle after four years. It is very challenging to manage the different branches because of the distance. I cannot jump into my car and immediately drive through if there is a crisis,” she explained.

Even though she can no longer provide assistance for the SPCA, she will resign as a proud chairperson who made the impossible possible.

“The committee at that time took over an SPCA that was on the brink of closing its doors permanently. However, with pure dedication and long hours, we managed to keep the doors open. During that time, we also managed to upgrade the facilities for our animal staff,” she said.

Brenda believes that the SPCA is in a much stronger position than when she began. They now have a manager who has a huge passion for animals and capable staff with the correct tools to execute their jobs. She added that the SPCA is also blessed to have a community that always supports them.

During her government, the committee also faced a few challenges.

According to Brenda, during the first year, the committee had to purchase necessities like cleaning products and pet food from their own pockets. They also did not have a manager for the following two years since they could not afford one. The committee had to run both branches through telephone calls and branch visits over the weekends, and fundraising was struggling.

The stalwart expressed that she has learned a lot during her time in this role.

The satisfaction of knowing that you are making a difference in the animal’s life is very rewarding.

“Then, you have that one incident that makes you realise that you have to put your emotions aside to accomplish the goal at hand. Sometimes getting good results can be discouraging, but the love for the animals keeps you going,” she said.

For Brenda, there was more than one case that deeply impacted her life – Mika, a Greyhound dog they had rescued. Mika was found severely emaciated and kept in horrid conditions by her owner in 2023.

Brenda will still stand as a volunteer for the SPCA, and once she works through her medical issues, she would like to join an animal welfare organisation closer to home.

“At this moment in time, we cannot say who will take over as chairperson because committee members lay down their different positions at year-end and then vote again for the new year to fill the different positions. This is also why we are desperately looking for new committee members residing in Randfontein, Westonaria and Krugersdorp,” she explained.

“I wish to be remembered for the care and passion I had for the animals and our staff members. It was an honour and a privilege to serve your community. If you have time to spare, please consider helping your animal welfare organisations. They need your help,” she concluded.