Adorable CLAWbies up for adoption

Roger Caras said that dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. The love between a person and their dog is indescribable; the happiness, trust and loyalty are second to none.

Dogs (or any pets for that matter) have the phenomenal ability to brighten anyone’s mood, using adorable mannerisms or looking at you with their wide, innocent eyes to make you feel like there is nothing more important than the love you share.

The thought of anything bad happening to one of these beautiful creatures is heartbreaking. Strays and animal cruelty are sadly a lot more common than they should be, but luckily there are organisations that rescue and care for these dogs until they can find their forever homes.

One such organisation is CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare). This Durban Deep based sanctuary has the primary goal of providing veterinary care to animals that are abused, rescued or even have loving homes with families that cannot afford veterinary services.

Benji + Moon (B+M) is an online pet shop that works with local artisans to create collars (for dogs and cats), leads, bowls, beds, toys and more. This company has been in partnership with CLAW since it was launched in 2015, and donates 5 per cent of all its sales to the animal welfare NPO; recently donating R61 784, which CLAW will use for their medical expenses.

“We have been inundated with sick and surrendered pets due to the increasing number of jobless and homeless people in our communities. Our expenses have skyrocketed so this donation could not have come at a better time,” said Cora Bailey, CLAW’s founder.

A regular fundraiser and adoption campaign sees these partners host an adoption event, known as Date-A-Dog, where community members can come meet the dogs, play with them, walk them, and adopt them.

Few people will travel to Durban Deep to meet potential furry friends and the shelter is quickly filling up, so the B+M Date-A-Dog event aims to boost adoptions because CLAW’s priority is veterinary care rather than shelter. They will never turn the animals away but unfortunately, they are understaffed and under-funded, so they try to get animals in their care adopted as soon as possible.

The seasonal event is usually hosted at the Linden Market and was scheduled for 6 June this year, but needed to be cancelled due to coronavirus lockdown regulations. That is why Benji + Moon has moved the process online.

“With 74 dogs and nine cats adopted through the campaign, and thousands donated per event, we couldn’t let these kids or the cause down by not taking this online,” said the B+M team.

The talented Emma O’Brien took some stunning photos of the animals up for adoption and added them to the company’s website, which now has an adoption page specifically for CLAW. All the animals featured on the page are up for adoption from CLAW, and there is also a donation section.

The process includes filling in an online application form (found on the website), going through a home check, paying an R850 adoption fee that covers vaccinations and sterilisations, and then finally welcoming your new furry friend home.

To adopt a CLAWbie or to donate to the non-profit organisation, visit www.benjiandmoon.co.za and follow the prompts on the Adoption + Donation page. If you need help, send an email to karen@benjiandmoon.co.za and a team member will guide you through the process.

Alternatively, Cora Bailey can be contacted on 082 926 3627 and arrangements can be made for you to visit and adopt your new family member.