Finally, a story with a happy ending

We are often accused of only carrying ‘bad news’. So when our journalist, Shiraz Habbib, received a call last week about two puppies that were stuck in a drainpipe in Avoca Hills, we rushed out hoping to find a ‘good news story’. We were not disappointed. What we saw was heart warming to say the least. On arrival the SPCA’s inspector, Alfred Mntungwa, was at the home of the Zacas. There were two guys, just digging and listening for the pups’ cries. The more they dug, the fainter the cries became. It seemed futile, but they kept on digging. Then came Marshall Security, who joined in the search for the puppies and, according to the eThekwini Fire Department, the pups could have been anywhere along the drainpipe, which looked to run the entire expanse of the yard.
When Durban North fireman, Nolan Smuts, began digging in the blistering heat, I, for a second or two, thought he was going to pass out. But he just kept on digging, letting up only to let somebody else into the small tunnel that had been dug up to get to the drainpipe.
His efforts were complemented by that of his colleague, Brad Hatfield.
The pups’ mother, a Dauschhund cross, was pacing back and forth frantically. I marveled at the anticipation on the faces of the rescuers, who were determined that they were involved in a rescue and not a recovery, and my faith in humanity was restored.