A month ago I was taken to this house in the bushes by the Fisantekraal Aerodrome.  Found 2 dogs chained and was told about the cat that came to the house for food.  I took all 3 animals in for sterilization.   2 weeks after I went back to take the stitches out and convinced the family that the dogs must be let loose as they are no threat to anyone.  You can imagine their joy being free BUT I forgot about the cat.  Next weekend Aletta told me they chase the cat away.  OK, on came the chains again and I promised them it would not be for long.

Saturday morning very early I was at the house in the bushes again, doggies still chained and Aletta tells me the cat is about 50 metres from the house, she has been putting her food down there.  With the basket in hand and me praying, Aletta went to the spot and came back with her in the basket!!!!!

I took her home, bathed her twice, she tolerated the soap and water with very little protest, purred during the towel rub and chomped away at nice chicken food.  Now it was time to be brushed and the purring got louder and louder.  She is not wild, wonder how the poor thing got there in the first place.

Please help me to find her a home where she can be safe and never have to sleep in the wind and cold again.  (The pictures were taken just after her bath so her coat is still wet).

By the way, doggies are free again, you’ve never seen such happiness!

My home no. is 021 975 6397 after 6pm. or 083 2273488.

Mr Herve Truniger (Trigger) of Cape Garden Design, left, and Mr Jan Bredenhann of FAW are here with the banner which will help to attract people to the Adopt-a-Pet stall.

Paws for thought

The Fisantekraal Animal Welfare (FAW) will once again display all its rescued animals for adoption at its monthly stall on Saturday 3 April from 10:00 to 14:00 at the Cape Garden Centre.

This Adopt-a-Pet day is hosted and sponsored by the organisation Paws for a Cause, which was founded by Mr Herve Truniger (Trigger) of Cape Garden Design at the Cape Garden Centre for this purpose.
Truniger went out of his way to prepare a well-organised area with holding pens for the animals to be kept and displayed in.
The project is co-hosted by Uitsig Animal Rescue Centre, which is the foster home of the FAW, where animals are cared for before adoption.
At the previous Adopt-a-Pet Day in March Ms Denay Saunders and Ms Heidi Swart from the Uitsig Animal Rescue Centre and Ms Rosa Pheiffer from FAW transported a total of 21 dogs and 12 cats to the event.
“Especially the dogs received a lot of attention and love from the volunteers and all the animals got a lot of exposure,” Pheiffer said.
About 20 dogs and the same number of cats will be at the even on Saturday again.
All the animals were rescued by some or other means, or were abandoned, neglected or abused.
“These dogs and cats are in desperate need of a ‘forever’ home.
“It is the mission and vision of Uitsig Animal Rescue Centre and FAW to place these forgotten and abandoned animals with good homes, with people who care for animals and who will give them the love and attention they so deserve,” she said.
Visit the website www.faw.za.org for more information about this event.
Anyone who would like to donate used dog kennels, can contact Rosa on 083 227 3488.

On Saturday 30th August, some friends of FAW (Kenn & Tracy Gibson) organised a very successful fundraiser for us at Citta & Pick n Pay, Willowbridge. We collected roughly 318kg of dog food and 52kg of cat food as well as 22 large and 10 small tins of wet food and approximately R800 in cash.

We had some amazing musicians (including Sean Curry, Hans Raubenheimer, SamJam & Kenn Gibson) who played free of charge in order to attract the crowds and help raise awareness of our cause - we’d like to extend to them our sincerest thanks and also to the owner of Citta for his tremendous support and for allowing us to use his coffee shop to host our “Music has gone to the dogs” fundraiser; we also owe a huge thank you to Pick n Pay Willowbridge and their managers for getting fully involved - not only allowing us to place a collection trolley in their store, but also handing out flyers and announcing our cause over the loud speaker and encouraging their shoppers to support us by donating dog & cat food. Last but not least, to all who helped out in making the event run smoothly and to everyone who donated food or money we applaud and thank you all.

Charmaine (Vet Nurse) and hubby, Martin, who took the picture, delivered food and blankets to Rosa’s house where they met Bella.  She was in foster care for 3 months and we almost gave up hope of finding her a new home.  Martin and Charmaine introduced her to the rest of their family (3 other dogs) and after a few growls and showing teeth, she calmed down.  All of a sudden she had friends to play with, lots of space to run and her own pillow to sleep on inside the house.  She could not have asked for a better home!

Here’s Charmaine’s story:

The Veterinary Nurses Association of South Africa (VNASA) declared July Vet nurse’s month. The aim of this, was to create awareness with regards to the Veterinary Nursing profession as well as creating a platform for Vet nurses in practice to do something for their community. This made me think about FAW, and not expecting to have any luck with sponsorship, I phoned Nikki Louw, the rep for Royal Canin. They were on board immediately. Due to the public supporting this initiative by buying Royal Canin foods at Goedemoed- and Durbanville  Animal hospitals as well as The Corner Vetshop, Royal Canin was able to sponsor more than 300kgs of food!!! I also placed donation boxes in these outlets, asking for donations of blankets and towels. Once again, our customers came to the party!

On Tuesday, I could deliver a bakkie full of goodies and food for FAW. What a great feeling!! As a result of this, I met Bella, and my husband and I are a lovely dog richer!

Lekker dag!
Charmaine

Essay by Charlton Christians

My first day at Fisantekraal Animal Welfare shelter (FAW) was an eye-opening experience. I’ve learnt many things and I do not regret choosing FAW.

My expectations were totally different regarding the conditions and the conditions of the animals. I expected a square metre “prison cell” for each individual dog or cat, but that was not the case. Each animal had an appropriate area. I expected the animals to be severely abused but luckily the worst case was a starving mother Labrador trying to feed her 8 pups. Another dog, Cindy, had been axed, but her scars were not visible.

I was the first to arrive and I was immediately asked t wash dog bowls. Thereafter we picked up dog’s waste and fed the dogs. After the dogs were fed they were taken for a walk to the field and once let go they went crazy and ballistic. I felt good to see some of the animals enjoy themselves at the field.

After two and a half hours we were dismissed, but I stayed till four o’ clock. I was taken to Fisantekraal to see were the animals come from and where they store the food and equipment.

I’ve learnt that the reason why Jurie and André provide shelter for the animals is because they love animals and if they don’t do it nobody will and the cats and dogs have to be put down. I’ve also learnt that running an animal shelter s hard work. It’s a never-ending job and the owners don’t even get paid for it. They can never go on holiday because the animals need special care.

My favourite animal was a dog named Leo. I had the privilege of walking him twice. The part I enjoyed most was walking Leo and giving the dogs the attention they need and deserve. The part that I enjoyed the least was picking up the dog’s waste, but I did it without complaining.

To conclude I think that the communities need to be educated and made aware about sterilisation and on how to take care of animals. Abuse and neglecting of animals needs to stop immediately. The FAW organisation is truly worthwhile, animals deserve a chance to live.

Essay by Sheldon La Grange

I arrived at 8 o’ clock at Jurie and André’s animal shelter, my first task of the day was to clean the bowls and cups that the animals ate from this was made difficult by the constant downpour of rain. Afterward I was given the task of cleaning out the pen of a female dog that had given birth to a litter of puppies; the job was messy and didn’t smell too nice when I was finished I was soaked and dirty. We soon realised that the dogs ate a lot when we had to dish out their food and we had to admire the way the shelter managed to provide for all the animals greatly considering they are a non-profit organisation, this job did not seem to have any upsides or so I thought until Jurie told us the story of how the dogs came to be and their sad tales that led them to this animals shelter. It was relieving to see that there are still some good people in this world who will take time and money out of their already busy lives to make a difference and help those animals who are in need and have nowhere else to go. Finally the time came for the animals to be taken for a walk this was the part we were looking forward to. There were six dogs and six of us and heck did we go for a ride, when we let them out onto the Durbanville field we realised two things: 1) That dogs are beautiful animals and need to be cared for and protected and 2) We were so unfit. Once we had caught the dogs again ad had them home we were told more about the FAW and the procedure that was followed before an animal could adopted and then we were dismissed. On this day I learnt that this job is not beautiful and is certainly not easy but it is very emotionally fulfilling after just a few hours of working I felt good and I am just glad there are organisations like this that will defend and protect animals when nobody else will.

Essay by Wade Ferreira

Today I went to help at the FAW, the Fisantekraal animal welfare clinic. There were lots of kind and gentle dogs and a few had a litter of puppies. Many of the animals were abused or mistreated in some or other way. One of the mothers was given away by her owner to her gardener and the mother wasn’t fed or looked after properly. She was very anorexic and her ribs were clearly visible. Another dog was hit over the head with an axe and now the FAW is looking after the dog. It showed me how cruel people can be to innocent and harmless animals. All the dogs were very gentle and loving which made it pleasant to help them out. What the FAW is doing is a really good thing and I was more than happy to help them aid their cause. If they didn’t look after the animals, they would have to be put down but the FAW is giving them a second chance. Today I had to clean out the dogs and cats’ cages and feed them. At the end of the day we all took a dog to the Durbanville High School field and we let the dogs run free and play with each other. It was very nice when we saw the dogs so happy and lively. I had to walk a dog named Dexter. He was the wildest of the bunch.

Essay by Craig Versfeld

I woke up this morning cold and moaning about the weather. Not at all motivated to do the service. Although there was a feeling of excitement I did not feel up to it. But of course with much nagging from my mother I got ready and left. When I arrived it was pouring with rain and I was freezing. I was welcomed in and went into the kitchen to find two of my friends standing around as well. We got shown around the place and were put to work straight away. Yes picking up the dog discharge was not the best of times or washing the dog bowls but I started to grow quite the respect for these men who had basically committed their lives to doing this and keeping these animals in a healthy and loving environment. While cleaning one of the dens where a mother and her puppies were staying and me moaning about the smell, my friend said “look at them… what I would not do for them” I turned around and saw all these little puppies huddling together and looking around with their fluffy heads. Right at that moment I knew this was all worth it and I didn’t moan again. After walking some of the older dogs and running with them on the nearby field we were excused and could go home. I sat and thought for awhile how much I love my animals and it made me appreciate them more. I wish I could have taken all those dogs home for myself but obviously I can’t.

I’ve definitely found a new respect for this organization and I’m ready to help them again with no hesitation.

Essay by Martin van Kuik

I arrived at 08:00 and it was raining and cold. I met Jurie and André and they showed my friends and I around the animal welfare which was in the back garden of someone’s house. After that we got straight to work and started by cleaning the dogs’ bowls so that we could feed them out of clean bowls.

After we had finished cleaning the bowls we had to go around to all the cages and pick up the dogs’ poo and spray off the parts that we could not pick up. We then had to go to the kitchen so that we could put the food in the bowls for all the different dogs.

After we had finished feeding all the dogs and they had finished eating we had to change all the dogs’ blankets and pillows because they were wet from the rain. It was then time to take the dogs for a walk around the school fields and we each got a lead and we chose a dog and then headed off to the school fields, which were just down the road. The dogs were very good on the walk and they ran around the field twice and they also played in the water.

When we go back we were done for the day and we went home.

I learnt that some people are very cruel towards their pets and that if we do not do anything or help do something for the dogs they will have to be put down, so it is up to us to save these animals and help them recover from any injuries. The dogs are rescued by the recovering team situated in Fisantekraal and they go to Morning Star and Fisantekraal and look for abused animals in the neighbourhood.

Spayathon a success
by Esmé Erasmus

A total of 53 animals were sterilised in anoter spayathon in Fisantekraal by the organisation Fisantekraal Animal Welfare (FAW) recently.

“Unfortunately there are still puppies coming in from outside the area and FAW, which started about three years ago, has approximately 23 puppies to find homes for in the near future,” said Ms Wendy Herbig, a FAW volunteer.

“Another sad story is that of a young Golden Labrador who was given away by her Durbanville owner who moved house. The young dog was not spayed and is now chained up in Fisantekraal with a litter of puppies. She is so confused and sad. The FAW volunteers are feeding her and are trying to find a way to take away the puppies, but the new ‘owner’ wants to sell them,” she said.

The FAW was also allowed to use the new Fisantekraal Community Centre for the first time for the spayathon and it was a huge success. “With a facility like this, we can do so much more,” Herbig said.

She appealed to the public to donate old or new kennels. Several adult dogs and puppies also need homes. Anyone who wants to donate kennels or wants to foster or adopt animals, can contact André on 021 976 1788 or 083 226 0981.

We’d like to thank everyone who has donated toward hospital fees, however there is still a large amount outstanding - so I appeal to everyone else out there to please show your support, thank you.

We also urgently need donations of dry dog and cat food (pellets). Please contact Rosa if you would like to arrange collection/drop off of donations on 021 975 6397 (after 18h00) or 083 227 3488 or email rosap@foschini.co.za

Optel had been run over by a car, we suspect it had happened some time back (though the owners insisted that it only happened the day before). His tail was badly mangled (most of the flesh had been ripped right off), what was left was rotting away - it was horrifying and he was in obvious pain. The vet also discovered that his back leg was fractured. It is a very sad story, but Optel is now in doggy heaven.

Bullet’s concerned owner brought him to our attention because he was refusing to eat and was incredibly weak. He had to spend the night at the animal hospital and was taken to the PDSA the following day to continue treatment there. We will keep you updated as to his condition.

Now I must appeal to everyone out there who is able to donate (however small an amount - every bit helps) towards the vet’s bill which is currently sitting at just over R1000. Please we need your support. You have our sincerest thanks in advance.

BANKING DETAILS:
Fisantekraal Animal Welfare
Nedbank Cheque account no. 1039 094 171
Branch code 10 39 10
Reference: vet fees

Update: Bullet was brought home on Thursday and is recovering nicely. Thank you to everyone who has donated toward vet fees - your support makes it possible for us to give these animals the care that they need.