Rescue Stories | Kloof & Highway SPCA

Rescue Stories of Mitch, Molly & Noodle

Jun 29, 2021 | Adoptions, Dogs, Rescue Stories, Story of the month

Lets start with Molly’s story. On the 10th March our inspectors received a call from a member of the public to say a little brown dog was running in the road near Build It in Bothas Hill.

Our 3 inspectors Petra, Petros and Doctor struggled to catch this girl as she was absolutely petrified. After working tirelessly they managed to finally catch her with a net and bring her safely back to our clinic.

It appeared that she had had a rope tied tightly around her neck that had caused a severe penetrating laceration that extended completely around the circumference of her neck. (Some images are too graphic to share) She was terrified and would try to bite us at any given opportunity. We sedated her several times in an attempt to control the infection that had set in around her neck area.

Slowly but surely, after many courses of antibiotics we were able to stitch the wound closed. It took weeks to gain her trust and convince her that there were in fact good humans out there. Eventually we were able to touch her and then soon enough she was enjoying tummy rubs out on the grass and allowed us to put a lead around her which previously caused her major distress. We named her Molly and she has crept into all our hearts.

Noodle the Greyhound’s story. Noodle was brought into our SPCA by a member of the public on the 6th May.

He was found in the Shongweni area and we suspected that he was a hunting dog that had been caught in a snare.

He had severe wounds to his hind leg where we could see the bones and tendons. The wounds had also become extremely infected and infested by maggots. He was in an immense amount of pain that we originally thought his leg may be broken, but after x-raying him we discovered that his bones were still intact. The entire time we were handling him, people he had never met before, he did not display any signs of aggression towards us, only love.

We made the decision to do whatever we could to treat the leg in a hope that we could find him a loving home eventually. He had weeks and weeks of sedations, wound cleans, bandage changes as well as multiple courses of antibiotics to get the infection under control and still, he only showed us love and appreciation for what we were doing to help him. This boy is the epitome of the most gentle creature. Despite all the adversity that he must have faced in his life, he has still chosen to trust people, even those that were not worthy of such love from a dog of this calibre.

Mitch

Mitch was taken away from her owner who was neglecting her, we had to obtain a warrant to retrieve her. She has recovered so well, having been given lots of love by the staff and dog walkers. She is now healthy and ready for adoption. See her playing in the water bowl below 🙂

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Address
29 Village Rd, Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 3640

General Enquiries Email: reception@kloofspca.co.za

Phone: 031 764 1212/3
Fax: 031 764 6665
Emergency: 073 335 9322

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Saving the Donkeys!

Apr 28, 2021 | Community, Rescue Stories, Story of the month

On the 11th March the Kloof and Highway SPCA, together with Volunteers from our community, met 36 donkeys, who were admitted into our care.

These donkeys were destined to be slaughtered for the cruel donkey skin trade.

Fortunately for these donkeys, a vigilant member of the public immediately sensed something was not right when she saw the donkeys being transported on crowded trucks. Her swift action in reporting her concerns to the closest police station and SPCA, resulted in 101 donkeys being taken into safe keeping. When the owner of the donkeys failed to lay claim to them, the court ruled that the donkeys become the property of the NSPCA.

These beautiful donkeys, which included foals, arrived in a sad state; their emotional well-being must have been at an all-time low as they had been moved so many times. They were unused to the feeling of the warmth of the human touch; humans had let them down. They were traumatised and yet there was a glimmer of hope that they would trust again. We have been treating them all for chronic parasite infestation, worms, lack of the correct nutrition as well as the wounds to their legs and in some cases their necks. One donkey had a tight rubber shackle around its leg, which had to be cut and removed whilst under sedation.

Every donkey has received a rabies inoculation, de-worming and has been micro chipped. Each donkey has had a thorough Vet check and the staff spend time with them on a daily basis, checking on their progress. Our staff , volunteers, wonderful members of our community and the public have visited, cared for and spoilt these donkeys and we have had an outpouring of support for them…. to see their condition improve has been absolutely amazing.

Some of the donkeys have already been adopted into loving homes, and others will be homed as their conditions improve. The awful fate and death that they were destined for is already a distant memory for these special donkeys.

Thank YOU to everyone who has helped us help our donkeys, no animal deserves to be exploited in such an inhumane manner.

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Address
29 Village Rd, Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 3640

General Enquiries Email: reception@kloofspca.co.za

Phone: 031 764 1212/3
Fax: 031 764 6665
Emergency: 073 335 9322

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Eric’s Puppy Rescue

Apr 28, 2021 | Dogs, Inspectorate Beat, Rescue Stories

On 15 January 2021, our Inspectorate received a call early this morning about a puppy stuck in a drain in Reservoir Hills.

The owners of the puppy had tried everything to get their puppy to safety and the situation was now urgent as the puppy had been stuck for more than 24 hours.

Field Officer Eric arrived at the premises at 7:00 am and immediately got to work trying to locate the puppy and had cut into the pipes/drainage system at 3 different places and still no puppy.

After 6 hours of non-stop searching, cutting and digging, Field Officer Eric found the puppy! The puppy was dehydrated and weak and rushed to the Kloof and Highway SPCA for treatment and observation.

It soon flourished under the love and care of our clinic staff and was adopted by a loving family.

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Address
29 Village Rd, Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 3640

General Enquiries Email: reception@kloofspca.co.za

Phone: 031 764 1212/3
Fax: 031 764 6665
Emergency: 073 335 9322

More Info

Railway Rescue

Apr 28, 2021 | Dogs, Inspectorate Beat, Rescue Stories

The Kloof and Highway SPCA received a call on Monday afternoon, 01 February 2021.

Field Officer Sibonelo Gasa immediately rushed to an abandoned railway tunnel in Milkyway, Dassenhoek.

A security guard had reported that he had heard a dog crying at night, for about a week, and the crying seemed to be coming from the top of the tunnel. Upon arrival Field Officer Gasa realised that the ladder he had with him was totally inadequate to reach the top of the tunnel. He spent an hour in the area trying to find a way to climb to the top, but it was impossible. He tried calling the dog, but it was quiet. He left his contact details with the security guard and asked him to please phone immediately if and when any of the guards heard the dog crying again.

The next morning Field Officer Gasa received a call from the security guard to say that they could hear the dog crying again. He quickly loaded our tallest ladder he could find and accompanied by Inspectorate Assistant Philani Nzama, they rushed to rescue the dog. It took almost an hour to position and get the ladder to reach the top of the tunnel which is between 20 to 30m high, then they saw a tan and black male Africanis dog. Thankfully, the dog had had access to water from a small stream of water flowing from a nearby rock.

The dog was weak, clearly in distress and very scared. Slowly Field Officer Sibonelo Gasa and Inspectorate Assistant Philani Nzama were able to gain the dogs trust and were able to get him into a position to lift him safely over the edge and onto the ladder. Slowly and one step at a time, and another hour later, Philani and the Africanis was safely on the ground with the help of Sibonelo and two security guards.

The traumatised medium sized dog ate greedily when they offered him something to eat and was immediately taken to our Kloof and Highway SPCA and admitted to our Clinic to be examined by our Veterinarians and Clinic team. Our Inspectorate team think that the Africanis fell down an embankment next to the railway station, where some houses are situated, into a gorge and onto the roof of the tunnel.

The lucky Africanis was monitored by our compassionate Clinic team and received lots of love and care. We have named him Qhawe, which means Hero, as he is a Hero to all of us for surviving.

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Address
29 Village Rd, Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 3640

General Enquiries Email: reception@kloofspca.co.za

Phone: 031 764 1212/3
Fax: 031 764 6665
Emergency: 073 335 9322

More Info

Spoti – Snare Rescue

Oct 1, 2020 | Rescue Stories, Story of the month

Story of the month!

On 9 September 2020, Inspectorate Assistant Philani Nzama rushed out to collect an injured puppy from Kwadabeka, after the owner contacted Kloof & Highway SPCA requesting assistance.

Inspector Philani arrived on site to find a 7-month-old crossbreed male puppy called Spoti with a wire snare still embedded into the deep wound around his front paw.

According to the owner, Spoti had been missing for almost two weeks before he returned to the premises, injured and dehydrated. Philani rushed Spoti to our clinic where our veterinarian and clinic staff sedated him so that they could cut the wire off his paw and treat the deep wound. The pup’s wound was cleaned, bandaged, and he received pain medication and anti-biotics.

This lovely, gentle dog looks happier every day and will be reunited with his grateful owner as soon as his wound has healed. Our dedicated clinic staff are monitoring his progress daily and he is receiving lots of attention and love from everyone at our Clinic.

We would like to make the public aware of the dangers of snares and the immense pain and suffering they cause. Please be alert when walking out in a bushy area and remove snares immediately if spotted or alert your nearest SPCA.

For all animal welfare concerns, complaints and animals in distress, please contact the Kloof & Highway SPCA Inspectorate during office hours on (031) 764 1212, email: controller@kloofspca.co.za / inspectorate@kloofspca.co.za or for after-hours emergencies, phone our emergency number on 073 335 9322.

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Scrappy Doo

Jun 1, 2020 | Rescue Stories, Story of the month

Story of the month!

This tiny little malnourished puppy was picked up next to a rubbish dump by a kind gentleman who thought the lifeless body was beyond saving – but when he saw a flick of the tail, he picked it up and rushed it to our SPCA.

On arrival, the team quickly admitted him to our Clinic where they immediately administered a drip. No one was sure if he would make it through the night. He had severe mange and he was in a serious condition.

But this little chap had other ideas. He was a survivor and he wanted to live. When the staff arrived the next morning, they were greeted by a slightly happier and more perky puppy. They decided to name him Scrappy Doo – partly because of the scrap heap he was found on and partly because the healthier he got, the more he squiggled and shook with happiness. It was not long before Scrappy had wormed his way into everyone’s hearts.

After receiving the correct nutrition, veterinary care, and lots of love, Scrappy was a transformed dog. He sprung to life with such energy it was difficult to believe this was the same animal. His gentle yet energetic nature endeared him to everyone he came into contact with. There was nothing Scrappy did not love – from food, to cats, to toys, he loved it all. After a long stay at our SPCA Scrappy Doo has found his home. We were overjoyed.

He has gone to a family who are delighted to welcome him into their home. True to form, he went out our doors with that little tail still wagging. We are grateful to have played a part in this awesome story. Go well Scrappy-Doo and we know you will stay in touch and we will still be part of your journey.