Ferndale-based feral feeder Danielle Labuschagne, affectionately known as Dani, was fatally shot in Lanseria during an alleged robbery on the evening of May 20. Labuschagne was on her way to an animal shelter to collect an animal trap when the incident occurred.
As Danielle neared the shelter, she sent a message to Karin Donald, who lives on the property of the animal shelter. “In her last message to me, she said that she was a kilometre away. So, I went outside to go and wait for her.” However, what should have been a routine visit soon turned into a nightmare.
The situation quickly escalated when Danielle arrived, but mistakenly pulled into the wrong cottage. “I opened the gate and I didn’t see her headlights. I tried to phone her but there was no answer. I was about to walk to go inside when I heard a commotion. She had pulled into the wrong cottage and I believe these guys came in behind her. A man who works on the property said he heard everything happen.”
According to Donald, the worker heard the assailants threaten Danielle before shooting. “They shot her through the window. I heard glass break and that is when I jumped in my car and raced to the cottage.”
When Donald arrived at the scene, she was met with a harrowing sight. “I was screaming and shouting and trying to phone people to come and help. I didn’t see the guys but the worker said that he saw three guys dressed in black.”
The incident has left Donald and the local community devastated. “Paramedics got there about 30 minutes after this happened and they pronounced her dead when they got there. This has affected me immensely. I can feel I have got post-traumatic stress. I have anxiety, which I’ve never had in my life before.”
Danielle’s mother, Malinda, shared the profound impact her daughter had on those around her. “Danielle lived for her work and her cats and the feral cats. She was a mom to everyone. The people at her work said if they had any problem, a death, or a baby that is coming, or just needed to talk, they could go to Danielle,” Malinda said.
“They called her Mommy D because she was always willing to talk, to help people, even at the place where she was staying.”
Malinda spoke of Danielle’s selfless nature and dedication to helping others. “She was a wonderful kid. I don’t say that only because she was my daughter. She was always willing to help people. She died for her cats because Danielle was on the way to get a trap to catch a feral cat. My daughter was a warm person. She cared about animals, about people and she died unnecessarily.”
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