HELP ALLEVIATE MISERY FOR ANIMALS IN CAPE TOWN

GLOBALGIVING REPORT - OCTOBER 2021

HELP ALLEVIATE MISERY FOR ANIMALS IN CAPE TOWN

Dear Caring Supporters of TEARS Animal Rescue on the GlobalGiving Platform

YOUR DONATIONS HELP US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE IN VRYGROND AND SURROUNDING SETTLEMENTS, TURNING TEARS OF SADNESS TO TEARS OF JOY

As a leading Pro-Life organisation, based in Sunnydale in Cape Town, TEARS rescues and treats approximately 1050 animals every month. Over 400 of those cases involve deliberate acts of cruelty and/or long-term abuse in the form of short chains, malnutrition, preventable disease, over-exposure, and includes dog fighting. Animal abuse and neglect is something that can only be countered through compassion education, pet care training and youth enrichment at a grass roots level.

TEARS launched an eight week pilot Community Education and Pet Care Training Programme in Vrygrond recently. The course is hosted at Capricorn Primary School for 15 children aged between 8 and 18 years old, by two TEARS Animal Welfare Co-ordinators and a registered TEARS Animal Behaviourist. The programme includes weekly practical training sessions and four weeks of caring class theory. Learners who registered for the pilot Programme were provided with collars and leads as part of their introduction to proper pet care, and will receive a certificate of attendance and graduation hamper, after successfully completing the course.  The programme aims to promote positive attitudes such as compassion, empathy and respect for all life, and includes free sterilisations and vaccinations of dogs and cats within the area, to prevent the spread of infectious animal diseases and curtail illegal breeding and pet overpopulation. (Image 1)

 The TEARS Veterinary Hospital has been working hard to increase the number of sterilisations that it performs, from an average of 484 per month last year to an average of 528 sterilisations currently. Sterilisation is one of our primary focuses at TEARS and it is only with YOUR support that we are able to extend our impact and reach, and we thank our GlobalGiving donors for helping us to achieve this impact.  Month on month, our greatest number of sterilisations are for animals from Vrygrond and surrounding areas. (Image 2)

Our Veterinary Hospital and Mobile Clinic teams have also been hard at work to increase the number of animals TEARS vaccinates every month. Vaccination prevents the spread of infectious and deadly diseases such as rabies, parvovirus, and canine distemper virus in dogs; and feline enteritis, feline panleukopenia and feline respiratory disease, or snuffles, in cats.   It also reduces the risk of zoonosis – animal borne diseases that are spread to humans.   Covid impacted our ability to vaccinate many animals in 2020, however this year we have been able to increase our vaccination numbers by 70%, thanks to continued support. (Image 3)

MEET SUKI  

Suki was rescued by TEARS in Vrygrond, suffering with extreme mange, secondary skin infections and an infestation of ticks, fleas and internal parasites.  Thanks to donations received, Suki’s life has been transformed from a compromised, depressed and very sick puppy, to a bouncy, bright-eyed and happy girl, who is now living her best life in her new forever home.  Your contributions enable us to rescue many animals in crisis, and provide them with the best veterinary treatment and rehabilitation support, until they can be homed. (Image 5)

 Heartfelt thanks to our GlobalGiving friends for your care and compassion in helping us to alleviate the misery for animals in Cape Town.  It is only through your donations that we can intervene, and turn tears of sadness to tears of joy for countless animals.

 Take care and stay safe and protected.

 With sincere appreciation and warm regards

 MARILYN HOOLE

PROJECT LEADER

TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER

25.10.21

 GLOBALGIVING REPORT – JUNE 2021

HELP ALLEVIATE MISERY FOR ANIMALS IN CAPE TOWN - PROJECT NUMBER 35445

Dear Animal Lovers and Friends of TEARS Animal Rescue on the GlobalGiving Platform

 SINCERE APPRECIATION AND THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Our Project Help Alleviate Misery for Animals in Cape Town, on the GlobalGiving Platform, has been active for two years now, and we express our heartfelt thanks to our caring donors, who number 87, for their support.  A number of generous supporters are repeat donors, for which we are most grateful.  A total of U$8 063 has been raised, U$6 617 by TEARS Animal Rescue donors and U$1 446 driven by GlobalGiving.  We still have a way to go before reaching our target of U$50 000, and implore those who love animals and want to help us to increase our impact in the severely impoverished communities of Vrygrond and surrounding settlements, to support our Project.

 The donations received thus far have been invaluable in helping us to fulfil our mandate of providing sterilisations and primary healthcare to companion animals in Vrygrond and neighbouring communities.  Vrygrond, also known as Capricorn, is the oldest informal settlement in the Western Cape, and is home to around 90 000 people, many of whom live in the most appalling conditions.  Covid-19 has made existence even more difficult for impoverished and vulnerable communities, and now, with the onset of a cold and wet winter, and a further wave of the virus upon us, their misery is compounded.  

Many of the residents can no longer afford to feed their pets, and so are surrendering them to the organisations who help in these communities.  We are trying our utmost to accommodate as many of these animals as possible, but our shelters are permanently full, and so, many animals are on a waiting list to be admitted, but are provided with food until we can uplift them.  It is a most distressing situation, and we are making a concerted effort to increase our sterilisation efforts, as sterilisation is key to ending pet homelessness and helping to alleviate the suffering of unwanted companion animals.

 By investing in communities, engaging with community leaders, and providing Veterinary support and education, we have experienced a marked increase in the number of pet owners coming forward for help with their animals.  Our collaboration with another organisation, AfriPaw, has meant that we can, together, make a big difference in the lives of companion animals and their owners, and enhance our impact, as an increased number of people flock to our combined mobile clinics to receive treatment for their animals.  Animals requiring sterilisation or veterinary treatment are loaded into our mobile clinic van and support vehicles and taken to our Veterinary clinic for attention.

Your kind donations in support of our GlobalGiving Project enables us to reach out and help more animals in at-risk communities, and helps provide essential veterinary support to thousands of voiceless animals who would otherwise be without hope and would live a wretched existence.  We have pleasure in sharing with you our TEARS Veterinary Clinic Outreach in Vrygrond video, which shows our collaboration with AfriPaw. 

 See the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EeqEQ5N0ew&t=42s

Thank you for caring and for helping us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable animals; your support is critical to the success of our Project.

 Take care and stay safe and protected.

 With heartfelt appreciation and warm regards

 MARILYN HOOLE

PROJECT LEADER

TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER

28.06.21