HELP ALLEVIATE MISERY FOR ANIMALS IN CAPE TOWN

The cold winter months in the Cape Town community of Vrygrond are a particularly difficult time.  As temperatures dip as low as 8C there is only basic shelter for many community members, and even less for the animals.  However, the TEARS-Afripaw Community Pet Clinics continue every second Saturday providing primary healthcare, such as vaccinations and parasite control, as well as free sterilisations and treatment of illnesses and injuries.  The average treatment for every clinic includes 350-400 vaccinations, 60-80 patients treated at the clinic, and 30-40 patients transported back to the TEARS Veterinary Hospital for surgery, treatment and hospitalisation.  Food supplementation through the Feed Hungry Pets Programme and kennels are also provided as possible.

Further to the above, the tough economic times have resulted in an increase in animals being surrendered to the Mobile Clinic on clinic days.  One such dog was Inara who was surrendered because her owner was struggling to feed his family and could no longer care for her.  Inara, a young Husky-cross, arrived at the TEARS kennels with the Mobile Clinic Team in a sorry state. Her fur was matted and filthy, and it was clear she had been grossly neglected.  She was painfully thin and, at only 14kg, her emaciated frame stood on the TEARS Veterinary Hospital's scale begging for help.

Thanks to quality nutritional support from Hill's Pet Nutrition, and tender loving care at the TEARS Kennels, Inara has progressed well and now weighs a healthy 22kgs.  She was also adopted into a new home in September 2024.  Unfortunately, Inara is not the only animal that has been surrendered via the Community Pet Clinic, though this means that these dogs and cats are not being dumped and left to fend for themselves.  Sometimes surrendering a pet is the only option left for people.  

It is through the generous donations of our GlobalGiving supporters that this clinic is able to support families and their animals in Vrygrond, including dogs like Inara.  Providing primary healthcare and veterinary support for more serious cases the Community Pet Clinic is a lifeline for many pet owners in terms of caring for their family dogs and cats.  This project is vital on the Vrygrond community and will continue to make a difference in the lives of many animals and their families.  Thank you for helping make the Community Pet Clinic possible and for allowing this work to continue to grow into the future.  

Links:

• TEARS_Afripaw Community Pet Clinic
• TEARS Veterinary Hospital

GLOBALGIVING REPORT – JUNE 2024

HELP ALLEVIATE MISERY FOR ANIMALS IN CAPE TOWN

Dear TEARS Animal Rescue Supporters on the GlobalGiving Platform

Without funding for companion animal population control and disease management in low-income communities, there will be untold negative consequences for vulnerable pets, and indirectly, for people too.  Thanks to our donors, TEARS Animal Rescue is able to provide these life-saving services to the Deep South of the Cape Peninsula, and our outreach project in the impoverished communities of Vrygrond (Capricorn) and surrounding areas bears testimony to our efforts.

In collaboration with AfriPaw Animal Welfare, monthly Pet Clinics are held at Capricorn Primary School and these clinics have become very popular with local residents, who, on the second Saturday of every month, gather in big numbers to have their pets attended to by our veterinarians and animal health technicians.  As per our veterinary protocol, every pet owner has to agree to have their pet sterilised, and these pets are collected by our mobile clinic drivers and taken to our clinic, a distance of 18 kilometres away, and then returned to their owners the next day.  Spayathons are held weekly, and every Wednesday companion animals from Vrygrond, identified by AfriPaw ambassadors, are fetched by our mobile clinic vans and transported to our TEARS Clinic.  In this way, we can sterilise +- 60 Vrygrond animals at a time, alternating between dogs one week and cats the next week, while continuing with our sterilisation efforts in other communities too.

Despite these concerted efforts, working tirelessly with AfriPaw to control the overpopulation of pets in the greater Vrygrond area, we are faced with an overwhelming pet homelessness crisis, with countless stray, starving animals roaming the streets, while many others are surrendered as their owners cannot afford to feed them or care for them properly.  As part of our outreach, we do provide pet meals for hungry pets, and deliver well over a thousand meals per month, as part of our Feed Hungry Pets Programme.

The only way we can tackle the devastating reality of pet overpopulation and homelessness is through mass sterilisation and enforcement of the City of Cape Town By-Law, which states that all domestic pets must be sterilised by the age of six months unless a breeding permit is obtained.   This is where we are calling on you, our valued donors to stand by us and help us to fight the scourge of over-breeding, which results in misery and ultimately death for thousands of helpless community animals. 

Spaying and neutering is more than a medical procedure; it's a compassionate solution to a crisis. Pet overpopulation leads to countless kittens and puppies being born into hardship, and our goal is to break this cycle and make a significant stride toward addressing the heart-breaking issue of pet homelessness.
By sponsoring a sterilisation, you become a direct force for positive change. Your contribution enables us to provide no-cost spay and neuter services to pets in the underserved communities of Vrygrond.

Please consider donating towards our lifesaving work; your generous support plays a vital role in helping us give vulnerable companion animals a second chance at a happier life.   Here’s to changing the world, one vulnerable pet and pet owner at a time.

With heartfelt thanks for your generous support and caring.

MARILYN HOOLE

PROJECT LEADER

TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER

09.06.24