It’s a family affair of care at TAG
“Working with animals means you have to silence your voice and speak with your heart.”
From a young age, Cecilia Mkwayi watched as her mom prepared special meals for the family’s pets.
Carrots and potatoes would be peeled and cubed to be added to their meaty broth.
On weekends she would help her father wash the animals and assist when he patiently built kennels.
For the past nine years, working as the kennel manager at The Animal Guardians (TAG), Cecilia spends her days making sure all her ‘puppies’ are well looked after and most importantly loved.
“When I look into an animal’s eyes, I recognise a piece of myself,” she said.
“They are beings like us that thrive on love.”
Listening to his mother talking about the furry loves of her life, James soon sought employment at the shelter, a decision he describes as finding his passion in life.
“Being able to work with animals is a calling,” he said.
“It requires patience and tender care, but when you have gained their trust you have a companion for life. Gaining the love of an animal that has been abused, neglected or abandoned is the most rewarding feeling in the world.”
Living in Barcelona, Cecilia says the biggest problem facing animal welfare is education.
“Despite living in impoverished conditions, many people still choose to have pets, often not being able to feed themselves let alone their animals,” she said.
“I consider myself to be an advocate for the animals and use the opportunity to speak to my neighbours about adequate animal care, promoting sterilisation to whoever would listen.
“But when a situation becomes too dire, I lean on Annie Jungmann, my mentor and friend to come and assist.”
Speaking of the highs and lows of their line of work, James says that seeing neglected and abused animals enter the shelter is always heartbreaking.
“These animals come in with their tails between their legs and no joy in their eyes, but as my mom says, give them two weeks and the TAG magic will take effect,” said James.
“The ultimate prize is watching those once sad doggies’ tails wag as they walk out of the facility with their new family.”
Sharing a love and passion for animals, this mother and son duo has made a huge impact on the level of care rendered shelter, says Annie Jungmann.
“To understand an animal, we should not try to teach them our language. We should communicate with our hearts and then we will hear their voices.”
For more information about TAG, contact Annie on 076 330 5736.
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