The team at Day 2 of the 2017 Spay-a-Thon in Oudtshoorn:
Photo on top – back from left: Vanessa Engelbrecht, Makayla Bacon, Dr Hildidge Beer, Stefan Dieckmann, Kerry-Lynn Hawes, Dr Christiaan Blignaut, Hilda Mills, Dr Chris Blignaut, Elmarie Leach Swiegers, Alta Reynolds, Dr Cathy Fox and all the Volunteers from the Cango Wildlife Ranch. Photos supplied
The poorest of households has a dog or a cat or both and due to inability to afford veterinary care and sterilizations, some people say they may not have a pet, a companion that is always happy to see them no matter their financial standing? This is where we as Non Profit Animal Welfare Organisations, ACT – Animal Care Team and Oudtshoorn Volunteers vir Diere, step in and say NO, we will help. If you are prepared to improve your animal’s welfare because you care then YES, we will help! That is where the idea for Oudtshoorn’s First Ever 2 Day Spay-a-Thon started. We are a few groups and individuals in this town who work tirelessly to help animals in need. We stood together for this project and succeeded in sterilizing 110 animals and treating 2 further animals in need during the Spay-a-Thon.
We have so many people, groups and businesses to THANK for making this event a success:
• State Veterinarian Offices run by highly efficient Dr Cathy Fox. She made the venue available for the Spay-a-Thon organised donations in the line of some of the drugs and consumables needed by our Veterinary Team and helped with the overall planning and execution of the Spay-a-Thon.
• Our Veterinary Team consisting of our local and supportive private vets, Dr Glen Carlisle, Dr Reinette du Plooy and Dr Trude Stassen, accomplished Dr Hildidge Beer from Ebervet Pet Care Group and our CCS Vets (Compulsory Community Service Vets) – Dr Christiaan Blignaut – Oudtshoorn State Vet Offices, Dr Chris Blignaut – PDSA (Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals) and our Veterinary Nurses – Hilda Mills and Sunet Gouws, AWA in training Kerry-Lynn Hawes (Animal Welfare Assistant) – PDSA.
• Oudtshoorn businesses that helped: Barnard Electrical, Cango Water who sponsored our water, Cango Wildlife Ranch who made their volunteers available to assist at the Spay-a-Thon, Cul de Sac Guesthouse for providing accommodation for our PDSA staff and donating towards the Spay-a-Thon, Owls Den for providing accommodation to Dr Beer and Hilda Mills, Safari Ostrich Farm for providing all meals and logistal support, The Sign Shop for all printing and branding, Animal Care Team, Vincent de Vries, Chené Biokinetika, Cape of Good Hope Games, Die Slaghuis, The Gumtree and Karoo Soul Guesthouses for financial donations, Nandi de Wet for deworming and Tick and Flea products.
• Oudtshoorn Municipality for their support, approval and donation towards the Spay-a-Thon and their commitment to improving animal welfare in our town. Thank you to our Mayor Colan Sylvester that opened our event and understands the importance of mass sterilization clinics.
• Oudtshoorn Municipal Pound, acting Pound Manager Magda Davel and volunteer Ryan Geduld for logistical support in transporting many of our animals in need, Oudtshoorn Dogs in Need for assisting with recovery on day one and logistical support. Amelda and Willemien Mussman – Mella’s Grooming for help on recovery and grooming on both days.
• Oudtshoorn Diereliefhebbers and the people of Oudtshoorn, all the individuals that donated towards this event, each and every donation is so appreciated and has helped make a difference for supporting our “blikkies skud” days, Curry and Rice and our Spay-a-Thon tins at local businesses in Oudtshoorn, the Quilt Raffle driven and organised by Marianne Spies and Alet Coetzer made possible by Wilma Smit who lovingly handmade the quilt and donated it for animal welfare in Oudtshoorn.
• Oudtshoorn Volunteers vir Diere – Lee-Ann van Sittert and Elmarie Leach Swiegers, to all the ACT Committee Members and Volunteers: Makayla Bacon, Wayne Boshoff, Stefan and Natalie Dieckmann, Elmien Swanepoel, Madelein Scheun and our volunteers – thank you for your dedication and hard work!
There are countless people to THANK, without each person, business and group, these 110 sterilizations would not have been possible, countless of THOUSANDS of unwanted lives prevented and saved from a life of starvation and misery.
We continue to say thank you and let us keep going, let us keep fighting, together we will improve animal welfare in our town, one step, at a time!
Vanessa Engelbrecht, ACT Chair