Bibi’s Christmas Miracle

On 8 December 2015, one of our volunteers was called by a group of children in Fisantekraal: they had seen an elderly Boerboel being dumped in the streets near the police station (which is near our premises) the previous day. Our volunteer took the bewildered dog to the vet while we tried to track down her owners (not wanting to jump to the conclusion that it was the owner who had dumped her).

We didn’t know what to do – she was clearly old; she walked stiffly and her eyes seemed a bit milky. Her hanging teats and droopy ‘bits’ showed that she was probably used for breeding – many, many pups had been birthed by this old girl. She also had badly ingrown dewclaws which had become infected. It was obvious that whomever had had this dog had just used her and then tossed her out like a sack of potatoes when she was no longer useful – and a few weeks before Christmas. 

Our awesome supporters rallied around, with some very generously donating towards her care (thank you Mia Brummer and Lizma van Zyl!) and many sharing her plight. But what to do with her? We couldn’t send such a sensitive, depressed old dog to a shelter; she wouldn’t survive. We were desperate for a foster – not an easy thing to find at that time of year for such an old dog. Sadly, although there are so many Boerboel fans happy to buy puppies, we were not exactly indundated with people willing to help a dog who had provided many puppies and was now unwanted. 

Then a wonderful couple – Hilda and Johan – stepped forward. They drove all the way from Gordon’s Bay to fetch a sad, bewildered-looking Bibi (as we had named her – meaning Lady). They took her home and gave her the space and love to recover from her ordeal. Not long after Bibi spent her first Christmas in a home filled with love.

Today, she’s living comfortably with them and all their other rescue animals and is perky and doing well. She gets joint powder every day for her arthritis, and her health is being monitored; she eats well, plays with the other dogs, and sleeps like a log a lot of the time (which is as it should be for a senior dogizen!) 

Thank you to all who sponsored, supported, shared, and sent positive thoughts her way, and to TAH for caring for her while we tried to find her a place to go. And, especially, thank you to Bibi’s forever family.

We were never able to trace the owner despite advertising far and wide. The children who saw her being dumped say it was ‘a white man in a grey/silver big car’. Other than that, we don’t know anything further. 

Post script: Bibi passed away of old age in 2019 but this story still needs to be shared because we want people to understand what happens to many dogs that are used for breeding. Think of where you are buying your puppies from. Are you paying someone who cares? Or are you indirectly supporting neglect and abuse? 

Please consider fostering, even just as a short-term emergency foster, or adopting a senior dog. If it wasn’t for Hilda and Johan, we would have had no option but to euthenise Bibi before she ever got to experience a good life, after she spent hers pumping out money-making puppies for someone. 

THANK YOU to all those who donate, foster, volunteer (even if it is just to drive a dog somewhere), and support. Without this, dogs like Jessica would either suffer terribly or die. We are so very grateful to all our supporters. You can help change the world for animals like Jessica. Please visit our Get Involved pages for more info.