TRIUMPHANT Animal Welfare Fund (TAWF) is a privately owned and family-run no-kill sanctuary that rescues, rehabilitates, protects and re-homes animals in need.
Clair Crook, co-founder of TAWF, says that she and her husband, David, always wanted to do ‘something with animals’ and were, at first, drawn to larger mammals.
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“We started in 2014, by accident really. After realising we weren’t making much of an impact with our wildlife work, we decided to focus on domestic animals instead. We brought stray cats into our home, then people heard about us and gave us strays they found. We do a lot of rehabilitation because we are a no-kill sanctuary and have many badly abused animals that we care for. If our animals can’t find a forever home, then they become permanent residents,” says Crook.
Running the sanctuary has changed their lives dramatically as someone must always be on the property to care for the animals, and their leisure time consists of walking the rescued dogs. The organisation is growing to accommodate their charges’ needs. Crook herself; her husband, David; her sister-in-law, Claire; marketing manager Tiffany Smink; and the three support staff make a formidable team. Crook says that running the sanctuary is ‘basically a full-time job’. It is a job that she finds fulfilling.
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Crook says their family business covers some of the costs of the animal sanctuary, but they do need to fundraise to accommodate all the animals’ needs. The TAWF sanctuary is at capacity, and in addition to the animals housed at TAWF, the NPO helps to feed feral colonies in Pinetown and surrounding areas.
Crook says there are numerous felines in their care looking for a loving home. She says many domestic animals were abandoned during the Covid pandemic and in the following tumultuous years in KZN.
“TAWF has many cats and kittens available for adoption. Kitten season is coming up, and we’ll soon be accepting more fosters into the sanctuary,” says Crook.
To adopt an animal from TAWF, the public must make an appointment to view the animals available for adoption at the time.
“If the animal bonds with the person, then we fill out an application form, and undertake a home inspection. We charge a small adoption fee of R650, to cover the costs of sterilisation and vaccination,” says Crook.
For more information, contact Tiffany Smink on tiffsmink@gmail.com or call 069 526 9650.
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