The Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre (Sarac) will be in the position to help more horses thanks to the donation of a horse box by Carlswald resident Anita Meiring.
Meiring said she had owned the horse box for 30 years. “I have always ridden horses and this box has taken me to many shows, but now my horse has retired and so have I. I wanted to give this box to someone who deserves it,” explained Meiring.
She was advised by her friend Natalie Pope to consider the Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre.
Pope said, “I have been involved with animal welfare since 1984 and now I wash and repair horse blankets. When Anita was looking for someone, I knew that Jerry [Selwane, founder of Sarac] was the most deserving person.”
Selwane was overjoyed at the donation. “This means the world to us. We have been praying for a while now that someone will donate us a horse box since we have a serious problem with horse-drawn carts in Soweto,” said Selwane.
“We have arrested quite a few people for abusing horses and donkeys, but always had to wait to get a horse box from other centres.”
Selwane added that he allowed responsible horse owners to keep their horses at the centre during the daytime.
He said now if a horse was sick, the horse box would place the centre in a position to help. “In the past, when we found an injured horse, we had to wait two hours before a horse box arrived. Now there will be no more waiting.”
He is known by Soweto residents as Doctor Dolittle for his various efforts to help animals.
“We take kids off the streets and train them to become Jerry’s rangers. Then when they see cruelty to animals, they just send me a ‘Please call me’ and I’ll get there and assist,” said Selwane.
Sarac also thanked Kyalami resident Sam Moss for the donation of new tyres for the horse box.
Details: Soweto Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre www.sarac.co.za
Photo: Sarah Koning
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