Special outreach project cares for pets
Pets in Zonkezizwe get some care from the Animal Anti-Cruelty League.
The Animal Anti-Cruelty League Johannesburg (AACL) team recently held an outreach clinic in Zonkezizwe.
Community members flocked to the meeting site from early that morning and patiently waited their turn in the queue, some with their pets wrapped in blankets, some with pets in wheelbarrows and others leading their pets on leashes made from a variety of materials.
The clinic was held in collaboration with Cause 4 Paws, who provided food, blankets, collars and leads for the community’s pets. On the veterinary side, AACL were assisted by Dr Donald Sibanda and his team of student animal health technicians from UNISA.
The AACL members were again surprised by the number of cats living in the community, who were obviously an integral part of the household.
This time, however, they came well prepared and had sufficient vaccines for all.
While some pets were a little skinny, they were well-loved, with interesting names such as Scorpion and Brown Socks, and lots of dogs with the name Danger.
Even a lovely fat rabbit came for his check-up.
In total, 169 animals were seen on the day.
Over and above the vaccinations and rabies injections, all the animals were dewormed and treatments were administered for various topical infections and wounds that required cleansing.
AACL thanks their sponsors, Merial, for their donation of Certifect Top Spot and Frontline spray, which were used for ticks and fleas on the animals, and Cause 4 Paws for the vaccines and deworming medicines.
AACL will return to Zonkezizwe every two weeks, to provide primary healthcare, alternating this with the Thokoza outreach.
Other areas that will continue to be serviced by the mobile clinic are Jackson’s Drift and Bellavista.
The league also thanks Dr Storm Scheepers, who provided veterinary assistance, and Jessica Janse van Rensburg, the AACL ambassador, who assisted with the community and bolstered the team’s spirit.
For more information about the outreach projects, to volunteer your assistance or to donate money or items to the projects, contact Rulof Jackson or Cindy Price on 011 435-0672.
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