Title page

ANOUX MASSEY
photos by Tracy Robertson
 Contents
✚✚ Foreword v
✚✚ Chapter 1 Ulla 1
✚✚ Chapter 2 First time in a township 5
✚✚ Chapter 3 Slumdog, guttercat 11
✚✚ Chapter 4 Pavement specials to PETS 27
✚✚ Chapter 5 What it takes to be an animal rescuer 45
✚✚ Chapter 6 How to handle a rescued animal 51
✚✚ Chapter 7 Illnesses 77
✚✚ Chapter 8 Your pet’s health 105
✚✚ Chapter 9 General pet-care tips 111
✚✚ Chapter 10 Welfare organisations in South Africa 123
✚✚ Chapter 11 Animals and the law 159
iv
 Foreword

It starts with just one.

Four years ago, I decided to help just one. I wanted to help make
life better for at least one animal out there. Since that decision, I
have been blessed to have been able to help almost five thousand.
When an animal touches your life, it leaves a mark on your soul
forever. Animals do not know how to do things in half measures –
it’s all or nothing, and never have I experienced nothing from an
animal.
Aside from being exceptionally intelligent beings, animals are
blessed with the gift of unconditional love. They are able to love
tenderly or ferociously when you need them to. They are able to
sense pain and happiness and share those feelings with you. Loyal
where humans could not care less, constant in their love where
humans fumble, animals never look at the outer appearances that
humans tend to worship. But they can be broken, and humans are
usually the breakers.
Animals are severely misunderstood, out of callous disregard
or from pure ignorance. But animals do not judge or criticise, and
neither should we. The aim of this book is to raise awareness of
animals and their plight, and to inspire you through their uplifting
stories. It will bring tears to your eyes – tears of joy, but also tears
of pain when you learn about the suffering that so many animals
endure daily. While many township dwellers feel forgotten, even
more so are the animals that live with and around them. This book
touches on township life, exploring the role animals play in the
lives and practices of pet owners, businesses, dog fighters, puppy
mills, ignorant breeders and pet shops.
My goal is to be a voice for animals, someone for them, and to be
there for the humans who may not know better to lean on. I want
to be the connection between those who care and the animals who
cannot speak for themselves. I want to teach those who want to

v
 know more, inform those who don’t know better, and expose those
who don’t care. If every person helps just one animal in need, there
will be millions of happier animals out there. And a happy animal
can only bring joy.

It starts with just one.

vi
 Chapter 2

First time in a township

After I stopped doing heroin, it took me almost two years to find
my feet and feel confident enough to integrate into the world again.
In those two years, my mom desperately tried to keep me busy so
that I would not have hours on my hands to think about drugs.
She had heard of a crèche in a nearby township that worked with
traumatised, abused and abandoned AIDS orphans; they needed
all the help they could get, and my mom thought it would be a
good way for me to spend my idle hours.
My first trip into a township will be emblazoned on my mind
forever. For a suburban white girl who only took the silver spoon
out of her mouth to sell it to escape her comfortable life through
drugs, the contrast was stark. It was, without my knowledge, the
first day of the rest of my life.
It was a hot day. The sun beat down mercilessly on everything.
The road leading into Zola township was dry and cracked, an umber
red, lined with filth and stench. There was rubbish everywhere –
broken things, rotten food, forgotten items no longer needed – on
the sidewalks, in the gateways, around the entrances to houses …
everywhere. Flies feasted on canine – and human – faeces, rotten
food and nappies. People seemed to be everywhere but inside
their homes. They crowded around every doorstep, on every street
corner. It didn’t look like they were doing much, just standing
around talking.
Perspiration on the passersby triggered my awareness of the
lack of shade. Men and women walked past with rivulets of sweat
pouring down their faces under the heavy loads on their heads. My
immediate thought was, ‘Why not just cool off in the shade for a
while?’ I looked around; there was none. No plants or trees to cast

Zola is part of the Lwandle township, which lies between Gordon’s

Bay and Somerset West just outside Cape Town. As many as 60% of
the residents are unemployed.

5
 even the slightest shadow. None of the houses even had grass. I
wondered how the children were supposed to play without it.
Barely clothed children ran the sandy streets barefoot, pushing
invented toys around with sticks. They were stick-thin, their feet
cracked and open, their hands dirty, their noses runny. Many had
scars that ran deep and in all directions, involuntary tattoos that
told a story. The streets were busy with children, adults, dogs,
cars and taxis carrying people to and from work and home. They
honked and hooted and cried, a deafening soundtrack to these sun-
baked lives.

This was Zola.

6
20
21
24
25
 Chapter 5

What it takes to be
an animal rescuer
A day can start like every other and then all of a sudden change
with a phone call, e-mail or sms: “Dear PETS, just drove past a very
thin dog on the middle island of the N2 highway, teats hanging,
must have puppies nearby, couldn’t stop, PLEASE help!” or “Dear
PETS, I don’t know who else to ask, my neighbour is beating his
dog and there is never food or water out, please help me help these
poor dogs”.
It is hard, but rewarding, work. It can cut you to the bone or
help you to soar like an eagle when you succeed. It involves being
alert, preparing for the worst, standing firm and being able to have
your heart broken over and over again. It’s about saying what you
believe and not being afraid. It’s about never giving up, no matter
how daunting the task. It’s about being able to recognise that all are
equal and worthy of a second chance. It’s about knowing when to
let go and when to fight. It’s about loving those less important than
you, being able to give and never letting go of what you believe in.
It’s about giving the smallest being the greatest chance, and obeying
the Lord in all his wisdom. Not all are saved. Not every one gets
helped. But all you can do is try your best and pray for those who
do not make it.
✚✚ We love them: they get the same treatment as all our
own pets do. They sleep in our beds, they share our
lives and our love. They are as special as our own and
saying goodbye is so difficult, even though we know
that they will be going to a good home.
✚✚ We medicate them: every single dog, puppy, cat and
kitten gets to see a vet and is dewormed, deflead and
vaccinated if old enough. If they are six months old or
older, they are sterilised immediately, or we follow up
on every sterilisation to make sure it is done.
✚✚ We feed them: every single rescue is put on the best
vet food we can afford to make sure they can catch

45
Funda Nenja, KZN an d learners motivated ea
ch week
g vo lun te ers
✚✚ Keepin
ut)
(they suffer from burno of the children
to sp k Zulu – many
ea
✚✚ Not being able allenging
English (makes r ch
fo
understand very little
instruction) local community
le to so urc e volunteers from the
✚✚ Bein g un ab nce being thrust
wi th litt le or no teaching experie
✚✚ Volu nte ers ters and their
ta kin g ch ar ge of a class of unruly youngs
into
the best we can)
dogs (but we all do with learning
w to deal with children
✚✚ Not knowing ho
disabilities

Animal Welfare Port Elizabeth

The biggest challenge facing
township animals is uncontrolle
indiscriminate breeding. Puppie d/
s are seen as income-generati
mechanisms and very often the ng
pups are way too young to be
taken from their mother and the
poor bitch is repeatedly covere
and run down. d
The cost of providing ongoing
primary healthcare in terms of
dipping, innoculation, deworm
ing and sterilisation has eaten
much of our limited savings. We into
believe that primary healthcare
for animals, particularly those
in disadvantaged areas, is of dire
benefit to the owners of those ani ct
mals and the broader community
in which they live. Sick anima
ls pose a real threat to the hea
and welfare of the human com lth
ponent of our community.

Animal Welfare Society of Stellenbosch

✚✚ Getting an education programme up and running
✚✚ Gaining the trust of the community

47
 Chapter 6

How to handle a rescued animal

Here are some essential guidelines for handling rescued dogs and
cats.

1. Isolate the animal

The most important step to take with a rescued animal is to isolate
the animal to protect yourself, your family and your pets from
internal and external parasites.
If the animal’s skin looks dry or flaky, or if the hair is falling
out, handle him with gloves or a towel until you have determined
whether he has sarcoptic or demodectic mange. You can find more
information about these mange types on page 96, but for now,
sarcoptic mange is contagious whereas demodectic mange is not.

Have a vet determine the type of mange as soon as possible, so you

know how to proceed.
✚✚ Keep an animal with sarcoptic mange isolated until a vet has
treated him.
✚✚ Demodectic mange only requires that the animal be treated.

2. Treat tick and flea infestations

Rescued animals are bound to have ticks and fleas. Buy a tick and flea
treatment such as Frontline® spray. This can be used immediately
on any cat, kitten, dog or puppy, and is safe to use from a very
early age. Pipettes of tick and flea control can only be used within
specified weight ranges and are dog and cat specific. Pipettes are
usually safe to use on animals from the age of eight weeks.
When spraying an animal with Frontline®, make sure you cover
the entire body, including the legs and feet and between the toes.
Avoid contact with the animal’s eyes. It is always a good idea to
spray some directly into the ear, as ticks often gather in the ear

51
 rescuing animals and who collect more and more.
However, they often won’t or can’t spare the money
to look after them properly or to sterilise them.
Eventually, they are unable to provide proper care, and
may even simply abandon the animals.
Adapted from Free to Good Home by Michelle Crean
http://www.parrett.net/animalaid/index.html

Spaying/neutering
If the rescued animal is five months old or older, be responsible and
have it sterilised before it goes to its new owner. The biggest reason
why animals live in terrible circumstances is overpopulation.
Owners do not sterilise their pets, and this causes unwanted births.
Animals in informal settlements suffer the most as their owners
often cannot even look after themselves. They do not have money
to feed and care for animals, or they don’t know how to look after
animals properly. This is when animals suffer from malnutrition,
dehydration and abuse. Often, mother dogs are not fed properly,
and do not have enough milk to sustain their puppies. The puppies
starve to death slowly, or their owners kill them inhumanely. They
are often beaten to death, decapitated, put into bags with stones
and thrown into rivers, or worse.

It can take a young animal three days to die from dehydration and
about two weeks to die from starvation.

62
 Chapter 7

Illnesses
Because rescue animals have almost always come from far from
ideal circumstances, illness can be a large part of working with
them. The more you know about common rescue-animal illnesses,
the more effectively you will be able to handle sick animals and
prevent yourself and other animals from becoming ill from your
contact with rescues. From South Africa’s most prevalent dog killer,
to parasites such as lice and fleas, the following information gives
an essential illness overview for people involved in animal rescue.

Tick-borne diseases: biliary and ehrlichiosis

Ticks feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including
humans. They burrow painlessly into the skin with their feeding
parts, bite, draw blood and eventually drop off when they become
engorged with blood. Only the feeding parts are inserted into the
skin. The body, which is dark in colour and ranges from the size of a
poppy seed to a pencil eraser, remains visible on the skin surface or
scalp. Ticks swell and turn bluish-gray when filled with blood.

Biliary
What is biliary?
Biliary is a disease that destroys a dog’s red blood cells. This leads
to anaemia, liver damage and eventual death if not treated in time.

What causes biliary?

Biliary is caused by the tiny parasite Babesia canis, which infects
the yellow dog tick. When the tick bites an animal, the parasite is
transferred to the animal.

In September 2008, a vaccine for biliary became available. However,

the vaccine is expensive, and can have pronounced side effects.

77
 What are the signs of biliary?
Symptoms include lethargy, pale gums and mucus membranes,
and shortness of breath, due to anaemia. The dog’s heart rate can
also increase significantly.

How can I treat it?

Take the animal to a vet. Vets diagnose biliary through a blood
smear, and treatment takes the form of injected drugs that can have
serious side effects if they are not correctly given. Some vets give
iron and vitamin supplements, as well as liver-supporting drugs
if the animal has jaundice. Some vets also use cortisone. In severe
cases, a blood transfusion may be required, which is very costly.

How can I prevent it?

You can prevent biliary by using good tick-control products such as
Advantix® drops, Frontline® drops or spray, and Preventic® collars.
Tick control is especially important in summer rainfall areas. This is
because it is extremely difficult to avoid contact with ticks in these
areas.

Ehrlichiosis
What is ehrlichiosis?
It is a common misconception to regard biliary and ehrlichiosis as
the same disease. The two diseases are similar, but ehrlichiosis, or
tick-bite fever, has different causes.

What causes ehrlichiosis?

When a kennel tick carrying the bacterium Ehrlichia canis bites an
animal, the animal may contract ehrlichiosis. This disease is difficult
to diagnose, because very few bacteria need to be present for the
disease to take hold. This makes it difficult to see the bacteria on a
blood smear.

Almost all rescued puppies are tick-ridden. Sometimes the tick

infestations are so severe that the ticks are clogged up in their ears,
in between their toes and all over their bodies. It is very important to
treat the puppies for these ticks as soon as possible, and to keep a
close eye on the puppies for signs of illness due to the ticks.

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 Ticks and humans
Humans can also get tick-bite fever from the same
ticks that bite dogs. Most tick bites do not cause any
symptoms. However, the symptoms below can develop
as a reaction to tick secretions:
✚✚ fever
✚✚ headache
✚✚ muscle pain
✚✚ joint pain
✚✚ fatigue
✚✚ muscle weakness.

Skin reactions include:

✚✚ pus-filled bumps
✚✚ hardened skin elevations
✚✚ nodules (granulomas). In rare cases, these can
grow large enough to require surgical removal.

These symptoms usually go away within 24 to 36 hours

after the tick is removed.
Tick paralysis can also occur in humans, but it is
relatively rare. Paralysis begins in the feet and legs
and gradually works its way to the upper body, arms
and head over a period of hours or days. Once the
tick is removed, a person with tick paralysis will recover
completely. If the tick is not removed, the person can
die if the muscles that control breathing are paralysed.

If you discover a tick on your skin or scalp, remove it

immediately to avoid a skin reaction and to reduce the
likelihood of developing a tick-borne infectious disease.
Grasp the head of the tick with a pair of flat or curved
forceps or tweezers held as close to the skin as possible.
Avoid squeezing the tick. Gently pull the head of the
tick away from the skin without twisting. Clean the bite
with soap and water. Save the tick in a container with a
tight-fitting lid to show your doctor.

80
 Township dogs are often on the run and their nails are much shorter
than a typical domestic dog’s nails. So they may not snag as easily.
However, animals that are tied up do not get any or enough exercise,
so their nails grow to be very long. This makes it very painful to walk.

Cats sharpen and shorten their own nails by scratching on trees,

wood or furniture. It is recommended that domestic cats have a
scratching post at home for this very purpose to save your furniture
from harm!

Vaccinations
When you were a child, you had to have vaccinations at certain
points in your life. These included shots for measles. Vaccinations
are important for your pets as well.

Vaccinations for dogs

Dogs need to have vaccinations to guard against
disease. When your dog is a puppy it will need
a distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus,
parainfluenza and corona combination at the
following ages:
✚✚ 6 to 8 weeks
✚✚ 9 to 11 weeks
✚✚ 12 to 14 weeks
✚✚ 16 to 17 weeks.

The dog will also need these shots again every

12 months.
A vaccination against bordetella should be
administered at 14 weeks and every 6 months.
Rabies shots must be given at 16 weeks and
again every 12 to 36 weeks.
Vaccinations protect your dog and other pets
from human diseases as well as other problems
that could arise. Make sure your pet visits the vet
annually.

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 Chapter 9

General pet-care tips

Twelve tips for any pet owner
Being a pet owner is almost like being a parent: it entails a lot of
patience, knowledge and responsibility.
It is very important for animal welfare organisations to make
doubly sure that potential pet parents are responsible pet owners
before they can approve them. Here are a few tips everyone should
read to make an informed decision about taking on a pet.

1. Budget properly
Pets can be expensive, so make sure you can afford one.
✚✚ Every pet needs to be fully vaccinated by a vet. This
means an initial three visits in your first three months
and then at least one visit a year for booster shots.
✚✚ Your pet will need a nutritional diet.
✚✚ Remember to make allowances for vet visits due to
illness or injury.

2. Apply rules, consistently

It is important to be consistent in your rules. This is especially
important for dogs. Inconsistency can make dogs nervous and
uncertain. If you don’t want a dog on the furniture, you should never
allow it. Allowing it now and then makes the animal uncertain.
Different people in the household should not apply different
rules for pets. Decide on them together, and stick to them.

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 Special breeds with special needs
Siberian huskies
People are captivated by the Siberian husky’s childlike eagerness,
stately beauty and million-dollar smile. However, as appealing is
the Siberian may be, it is not a breed for every dog owner. Husky
owners’ misunderstanding of this breed often results in huskies
ending up mistreated, lost, in dog shelters, under the wheel of a car
or as the neighbourhood nuisance.
Purebred huskies cost quite a bit and thus it is a status symbol
in townships to own one. Therefore, many huskies are stolen and
used to breed in townships.
Nomads at heart, huskies don’t have the instincts modern
society requires of residential dogs: a fear of cars and some sort of
homing instinct. Once loose, a husky can easily fall prey to injury,
disease and hunger, or become a pest chasing and hunting small
animals or digging in neighbours’ yards. Husky owners quickly
learn that, for the dog’s sake, their dogs must be confined or kept
on lead at all times.
People tend to think that huskies are good guard dogs, but this
is not always so. Huskies will greet almost everyone, especially
children, with the same
unabashed happiness that
other dogs reserve for special
family members. Leave your
home in the care of a ‘guard’
husky and he will most likely
welcome an intruder with
open arms, fetch (for the first
time in his life) your valuables
and show the intruder the
best route of escape – after
all, Siberians are great escape
artists.
This extremely powerful
dog is a natural athlete,
thriving on vigorous exercise.
Because of their strength,

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 Chapter 10

Welfare organisations in South

Africa
Nationwide
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(SPCA)
Situated: All over South Africa
Contact details: Visit http://www.nspca.co.za/ for your
local SPCA’s contact details

Aims + Info
The SPCA is the only animal welfare organisation in South Africa
that is governed by an Act of Parliament, namely the SPCA Act 169
of 1993. The SPCA is the biggest and strongest local animal welfare
organisation in South Africa dealing with national issues such as
the import and export of wildlife.
We don’t turn any animal away. No matter what the breed,
condition, age of, or reason for animals being brought to the SPCA,
we’re here for them, day and night. And we’re on call 24/7 to
respond to rescues and emergencies involving animals.

Needs
✚✚ volunteers
✚✚ dog and cat food, blankets, pet carriers, etc.
✚✚ unwanted items for our charity shops
✚✚ donations
✚✚ bequests
✚✚ spread the word: sign up for the newsletter, share the
website with friends, report cruelty

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 Gauteng and North West Province

FRIENDS OF RESCUED ANIMALS (FORA)

Situated: Krugersdorp, Gauteng
Contact details:
Breggie Bettie
082 336 5568 072 413 5364

Roosa fora@mweb.co.za
083 941 9025 www.fora.org.za

Aims + Info
Friends of Rescued Animals (FORA) is a pro-life shelter for
homeless dogs and cats, opened in August 2003. It is a non-profit
organisation run by a dedicated team of volunteers. The shelter,
based in Roodepoort, has expanded to accommodate 250 dogs and
80 cats. It is a safe haven for homeless and abused animals awaiting
adoption, or failing this, to live out the rest of their lives in a safe
environment. A no-kill policy is applied here. Apart from providing
a safe home, the organisation has a programme aimed at poorer
communities that includes sterilisation care. We also run continued
education programmes with local schools.

Needs
✚✚ food and volunteers

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158
 Chapter 11

Animals and the law

The Animals Protection Act (No. 71 of 1962) and the Performing
Animals Protection Act (No. 24 of 1935) are summarised below for
easier reading. Therefore, the text below is not the full Act and may
not convey the full meanings intended. Be sure to consult the full
Acts in any matters to do with animals and the law.

Animals Protection Act (No. 71 of 1962)

The purpose of this Act is to consolidate and amend the laws
relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals.

A few definitions
✚✚ animals: any equine, bovine, sheep, goat, pig, fowl,
ostrich, dog, cat or other domestic animal or bird, or
any wild animal, wild bird or reptile that is in captivity
or under control of any person
✚✚ Minister: the Minister of Justice
✚✚ owner: in relation to an animal, includes any person
having the possession, charge, custody or control of
that animal

Offences
It is wrong to do the following, even if you are the animal’s owner:
✚✚ overload, overdrive, override, ill-treat, neglect,
infuriate, torture or maim or cruelly beat, kick, goad or
terrify any animal
✚✚ confine, chain, tether or secure any animal
unnecessarily or in a way that causes that animal
suffering – including in any place with inadequate
space, ventilation, light protection or shelter from heat,
cold or weather
✚✚ fail to provide veterinary or other medical treatment or

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