Ill dog musters community support

The Boerboel Cross was suffering from biliary.

Pet Empowerment in Townships, known as Pets Jhb, has used the ill dog as a platform to explain the environment dogs in townships live in, despite how caring their owners are, and why the community should support the organisation for Mandela Day.

The non-profit organisation posted a photograph of the ill dog, named Tiger, on their Facebook wall, and followers vented their anger.

Many believed Tiger, being a township dog, was ill-treated, but Nicole Badenhorst and Laura Whittaker of Pets Jhb assured them this was not the case. They said his owners had brought Tiger to their spayathons in Orange Farm and he has been sterilised and vaccinated.

The owners contacted Pets Jhb to raise their concern that he was losing weight no matter how much they fed him, and his condition deteriorated quickly. Pets Jhb took Tiger to the vet where he was diagnosed with biliary and concern was raised over his low protein levels.
Pets Jhb continued to update its followers on Tiger’s renal tests which were back to normal by 1 July, and that he would be returning to his owners soon with a new kennel.

Badenhorts and Whittaker explained the conditions dogs in townships are confronted with, even when they have loving owners.

“The picture of him is horrifying but it is unfair to blame his owners. Please understand that living in Orange Farm township may be very different to what you are used to. There are no vets to take your dog to when they get sick; the nearest SPCA is about 40km away and most people do not have cars, and taxis will not allow animals. Furthermore, the environment is rural and dusty and parasites such as ticks thrive there,” said Badenhorst.

She said Pets Jhb could not help these township dogs without community support and urged the public to donate R67, as opposed to 67 minutes, to the organisation to help fund the sterilisation, vaccination and treatment of ill dogs in Orange Farm township.

Details: jhb@pets.org.za