MEYERTON. – I love animals. I love animals too much (if there is such a thing). I love them so much that I personally want to look after them all, in my yard, in my house and some even in my bed. After receiving an invite to visit a local animal shelter I was apprehensive about the work they were doing.
On arrival, I noticed the humble homestead and clear focus on the animal yard. Lynda welcomed me and immediately those little bundles of joy started barking and inquisitively sniffing for attention.
Approximately two dozen Chihuahuas appeared at the gate. I started my approach but was held back by Lynda. She explained that I have to be careful because Benjamin is very sensitive to touch as he has a chronic ear infection and is on permanent cortisone. Vlooi and Gizmo has PTSD as a result of abuse and may urinate and defecate if touched. Gizmo may then run and hide in the bathroom with his head against the wall. Kami battles to walk and has a lot of pain as a result of obesity while Snoekie has dementia and attacks anyone randomly. I was shocked, but Lynda continued. Cassie and Fairy were kept in pens as breeding stock and never learnt how to be part of a family, while Molletjie is blind and Minnie does not like humans.
We were soon joined by South Africa’s TikTok stars, Chané Grobler and KingBerto, who immediately fell in love with the brood. Chané instantly got hold of a pack of dog biscuits and started spoiling the lot. It was clear that that they had stolen her heart. KingBerto was trying to capture a video and photos but we constantly found him pointing the camera into the air while he was petting and playing with our new friends.
I offered to take some photos so that they could immerse themselves in the moment and still have some footage later to assist with the much needed awareness campaign for these little lost souls.
Chane and Robbie have more than 3.3 million social media followers between the two of them. Please follow them on Instagram @chane_grobler18 and @k1ngbert0 as well as TikTok @chanegrobler and @k1ngbert0.* The writer of this article, Phil C. Pretorius, is the Chief Whip of the Midvaal Local Municipality and also a respected lecturer in Communication Science at the North-West University.
- This Centre provides a loving home for Chihuahuas after years of neglect or abuse
Chihuahua Adoptions SA (CASA) is a Midvaal based rehabilitation and rescue centre run by Lynda Kotze and Liza Blignaut as a registered Non-profit Organization since 2016.
All involved are volunteers and give their time free of charge. CASA saves, rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes Chihuahuas from all over South Africa. Some of these ragamuffins have been used as breeding stock and kicked out when they became too old. Others have been abused and some just abandoned when they became ill or difficult to look after.
Not all are at the shelter as a result of some mistreatment. Some pups’ humans have passed away and others are from people who had to move and could not look after their dear friends any longer. Lynda tries to keep the numbers down to make sure that she can look after them but it is an extremely expensive exercise to feed, home and medically treat man’s best friends.
Lynda relies on the help of vets and the public to assist through sponsorships, time and affection. Where possible, pups are being fostered and rehomed. Not all of them have the ability to be rehomed and Lynda refers to them as her special needs pups. All Chihuahuas are sterilised before rehoming and rehabilitated before being put up for adoption. Placements are carefully made after a matching process.
You can hardly ever understand the love between a human and a dog until you have provided a needy pup with the love and affection they crave and looked into those pleading eyes.
If you are able and willing to assist please contact Lynda Kotze on 061 5855 213 or Liza Blignaut on 082 785 9425, or email them at chiadoptions@gmail.com for options.
To sponsor a Chihuahua you can do an EFT to Chihuahua Adoptions SA NPC, Standard Bank: The Glen (006005) Acc no: 046 460 950 or directly to their Vet at Kibler Park Veterinary Clinic, ABSA (632405) acc no: 4043420580 Ref: CASA 3345. Food, blankets, toys, shampoo etc. are also welcome.
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