https://blog.fnb.co.za/2014/05/speaking-up-for-others-can-help/
Abandoned, abused and neglected animals are an all too common occurrence in South Africa. With thousands of animals in dire situations, Woodrock Animal Sanctuary is doing their best to help. Based in Gauteng, 150 homeless dogs call the sanctuary home. They actively work to rehabilitate and re-home animals.
Another cornerstone of the initiative is an educational programme which aims to teach people about responsible pet ownership. Regular sterilisation drives are carried out, which aims to stem the breeding problem, as Estelle Meldau explains: “There are just too many unwanted animals out there. The only way to stop this, is to make sure that as many animals as possible are sterilised – we aim for about 10 each month.”
There are many success stories to share. “Woodrock went on a call during a storm to find 3 new born fluff balls. There was no mum in sight. We bottle fed the babies. One of our team members went back to the river and hunted for 2 days to find their mother – thankfully we did.”
On another occasion, Woodrock was called out to assist a hit-and-run case. “We have so many of these cases, but the one that stands out is dog called Rupert. His back leg was snapped in 2 with the bone exposed – it was dry and an infection had set in. After months of intense medical attention Rupert’s leg had healed and he has been successfully re-homed to a loving family.”
Estelle explains why she decided to help: “Woodrock started as a childhood dream of both my husband and I – we understand the needs of orphaned animals. We are both passionate about helping those that cannot speak for themselves.”
In the future, they would like to build a memory walk, graveyard and doggie splash pool and they would love to employ the services of a full-time vet.
If you would like to donate towards sterilisations, SMS “dog” to 40733 and donate R10.
This is Estelle’s story of help. To find out how you can help:
#YouCanHelp
