Yakima Waner writes by email:
In the animal rescue world, it is very common to hear negative reviews of the SPCA.
To be entirely honest as an animal lover, I was guilty of expressing such ridicule as well because of my personal experiences.
Unfortunately, some bad apples can ruin a whole tree. My views changed rapidly once I became an individual rescuer.
Like many animal lovers, I could not understand how one who is meant to protect can take away life via euthanasia.
I have always been extreme in helping an animal recover, sometimes not thinking what is best for the animal but having one main goal, to fight for its life, which I can see now has its own cons.
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Becoming a rescuer, I had to start making those same choices that I despised others for. Society is quick to judge, I have experienced that in my own projects.
We are quick to attack the SPCA for what we think is happening without even knowing the truth.
We are quick to highlight the negatives, instead of praising the remarkable work they do under immense pressure and not the funds they deserve.
I cannot vouch for every unit in the country, but I can for the Brakpan branch. For years, I never had the best relationship with the Brakpan SPCA because of the areas I observed, the communities I helped and the means in which I tried to make a difference.
My luck changed when a remarkable human being named Mariska Venter showed interest in my maverick ways.
Meeting Mariska made me feel like I had met a comrade, someone who understood me and showed me compassion and respect, something that was completely new to me.
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I started The Harvest Animal Rescue in the infamous Plastic City, a community of children and animals, which I have dedicated my life to helping.
Being an activist in an area like this brings you a lot of judgment. Mariska showed me love and a helping hand, she was a wonder woman in many scenarios, both for the project and personally.
She stood up for us, which meant the world. She saw the love I saw in people, people who loved their animals but needed support. Support they usually wouldn’t get because of who they are.
Mariska is a fighter for what is right and as an SPCA inspector, she represents what it is truly all about – no politics, no personal gain, its about protecting and serving in the name of animal rights.
She is the perfect symbol of what the SPCA is. She herself is judged, she sees horrific sights, she sees the worst side of mankind, she has to make gut-wrenching choices and she is a brave protector with a heart of gold.
I would like to thank Insp Tamaryn Lombard (manager) and the rest of the team at the Brakpan SPCA – the perfect model of how such an institution should be run.
