Rural animal outreach a success

A group of 21 volunteers headed out to the Qwabe and Madlala areas to pre-arranged sites for the Harmony Hill Rescue Havens petcare outreach drive recently.

Four bakkies were loaded with 200 goodie bags containing feeding and water bowls, dry dog food, bone meal, and a blanket for each dog, tables plus dip baths, flea and tick medicine, brand new collars, leads and slip collars and 500 lollipops for the children.

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At each site, 50 dogs and puppies were vaccinated for rabies and 5 in 1.

As each team arrived at their sites they were greeted by queues of owners and their pets.

With their dogs on leads, string, wire, ski rope, free running, belts, and virtually anything that would go around a neck they had walked, ran, caught taxies, or even made use of a neighbour’s bakkie to seek help for their pets.

One site reported having to turn away about 150 dogs on the day.

“A great sadness indeed but we were limited by funds and equipment,” said Penny Taylor from Harmony Hill Rescue Havens.

“If 20 years ago someone had told me that I would be involved in helping rural folk take care of their dogs, I would have laughed. But through the kind persistence and understanding of friends and family, I have now found a calling to arrange outreach programmes specifically to vaccinate and sterilise dogs and cats.”

Penny said several truths became very apparent on the outreach programme, rural people do care for their dogs and they are prepared to walk long distances to get help for them.

“There is a chronic lack of veterinary assistance. The rural areas need as much help as can be given to them. Children are more often than not in charge of the family dogs – it would benefit both dogs and owners if an education programme in handling animals was initiated,” she said.

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