APN is the voice for the voiceless
APN is a non-profit organisation who makes a daily difference.
IT is simply amazing to know that there are people in Alberton who’s daily duty is to rescue dogs and help find missing pets!
This is what the volunteers of Animal Protection Network (APN) do. For Zaurina Venter, who is the rescue manager, this is her only job and she gets it done one way or the other.
“I am always out and about to find and help pets. I am on duty 24 hours,” she said.
According to her, there is a big need in Alberton regarding pets and they are voiceless. So someone has to stand up for them.
“A pet brings so much joy, love and happiness in one’s life, but still they are the victims of abuse. People need to realise that no animal is a thing or a possession. A pet needs affection, love, food, water and a caring owner. I always say that a pet is like a child. He or she has feelings even though they can’t speak,” said Zuarina.
She told the CHRONICLE that it is not always easy to rescue pets.
“I either have to put out food and water so that I can earn their trust or I get so many incidents where the dog wants to bite – this is normally for self-protection and also because they are scared to death. It is not one of the easiest jobs, but I am making a difference and it is wonderful to see how injured dogs recover and find new forever homes. I can’t describe the feeling I get when I reunite a dog with its owner. There is always a happy ending,” she said.
More about APN:
APN is an animal welfare organisation that assists with the care, rescue, sterilisation, vaccination and re-homing of neglected, abandoned and stray animals in Alberton and surrounding areas.
The organisation’s vision is to be an animal welfare group that saves and helps unwanted and/or abused street dogs, cats and any other animals in need in the greater Alberton. They are in partnership with Brackenhurst Vet, which has provided their rescue animals with quality care and treatment.
“We work closely with the Brackenhurst Veterinary Clinic/Hospital, which provides us with reduced rates for sterilisations, vaccinations and micro-chipping. When we have the resources, we run a feeding scheme in the area where we assist underprivileged families by providing them with monthly contributions of dog food. If an animal is surrendered to APN, the animal is treated at the vet, placed in a foster home and a permanent home is then found.
“We also feed feral cat colonies in Alberton and run regular trapping and sterilisation events to manage these populations in a humane manner.
“Since we are non-profit, we rely solely on public donations and money raised through the sale of our home-made crafts to assist us with the work we do,” said Sharon Huson, operational manager.
“We identify animals in need, we find out where they come from, and then, according to that information and with the help of Brackenhurst Vet, we do a ‘needs assessment’ for the animal,” said Sharon.
“And when you see those faces, those big brown eyes, you just know what we do is worth every minute we spend on rescuing pets. We always think of a rescue as if it was our own pet. We are the voice for the voiceless,” Sharon and Zuarina added.
Areas they cover:
They cover the entire area of Alberton as well as Rietvlei and South Crest.
You can help APN:
“There are too many animals. We can’t feed all of them, even though we try. We need to sterilise some animals, but we really can’t do it on our own,” said Zuarina.
APN is in need of kennel space for the animals. They rely only on funds which is either donated or raised. These donations don’t have to be money – anything that can be sold at a jumble sale (this is one of APN’s main sources of income), such as clothes or old appliances or chairs or toys (to name just a few things), are more than welcome.
“Leftover food – don’t throw it away! We need food and especially meat for the animals. Another thing is freezer space – we need deep freezers to put all this food in and preserve it,” said Sharon.
If you want to support APN, become a member or just make a donation, contact 071 607 1188 or 082 850 9842 or visit their website at www.animalprotection.co.za.
Your support can change the world of a vulnerable, abused animal. People can also follow them on Facebook on their page Animal Protection Network – Alberton NPC no: 2017/126811/08.
There you will see all their work and the story behind each rescue.
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