A STRANDED dog, that is believed to have been roaming through Westville for seven years, is being rehabilitated and has found its ‘furever’ home with his new owner, Bernice Liversage.
Liversage visits Limpy daily at the Animal Antics Pet Rescue kennels and earned his trust with the guidance from dog rescuer, Sam de Wet.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts by the community to catch Limpy, a group of women, who have been on his tail for the last five months, finally caught the elusive hound.
Limpy is about eight years old and he is sterilised.
“He is learning to trust again and is receiving lots of love,” said one of the relieved dog rescuers, Ally du Plessis.
“We have been trying, for months, to get hold Limpy. He is very smart. A few people referred to Limpy as my Kryptonite as it took so long to catch him. All of my past attempts failed,” she laughed.
The rescuers said they were uncertain how long Limpy roamed through the bushes in Westville or his origin story.
“Some people say he has been there for seven years, while others think he has been in the bush for five years. What we do know though is that there has been a feeding scheme between the Westville residents in the area to take turns to feed him for the past four years,” said du Plessis.
Du Plessis noted the numerous frantic calls the organisation has received about a dog spotted in Syringa Avenue with a broken leg.
“Many have tried to trap him, catch him or get help for him, with no success.”
About five months ago the group set up a trap cage after they received a call from resident, Bernice Liversage.
“We went out and set up a trap cage. We contacted another resident, Lenie Kok, who fed him on one side of the road so he could get used to it there. Unfortunately, the trap did not work as he was just too clever. He would even carry his bowls away if he sensed that something was going on,” said du Plessis.
The team made contact with Dr Ryan Van Derventer, a wildlife vet, and asked for advice on how to trap the elusive pooch. Du Plessis said they decided to try sedation and, after three failed attempts, they went back to the drawing board.
“We were left with no choice but to raise funds and dart him. Within an hour of darting him, a few people were called to try assist to find him. He was taken to the vet to have his leg x-rayed and for a general check up.
“He was vaccinated and checked. It was quite an emotional day for the rescuers,” said du Plessis.
The veterinarian noted that, for his age, Limpy has good muscle mass and does not have arthritis. Limpy’s leg was broken at some stage but this has since healed. The assessment revealed the dog has a hairline fracture.
De Wet thanked the group of residents, Limpys Feeding Family, for caring for the dog for the last four years.
“Without them, he would not have survived. Each day he was fed and they alternated to give him he’s flea medication. Thank you to Lenie who went every morning and night, without fail, to feed Limpy, gain his trust so much so that he would run closer to his food bowl when he saw her car or when she called him.”
“To everyone who donated towards the bill for the dart and his vet bill, you are all amazing. Limpy will never know a cold, wet night again and he will know so much love,” she said.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
