Bordeaux bands together to rescue stray puppy
Resident Lesley Kirby-Smith said the puppy was named Smarty because of how long she was able to avoid traps before getting caught.
Bordeaux recently demonstrated its community spirit in a heartwarming mission to care for a stray dog, now affectionately known as Smarty.
Lesley Kirby-Smith, a longtime resident, recalls the beginning of Smarty’s journey. “A resident in our suburb posted a photo of the dog that she had seen hiding in the bushes in the Delta area at the bottom of our road, close to the Scout Hall.”
The community swiftly mobilised. “We are very privileged to live in Bordeaux, an incredibly active and neighbourly community, always pulling together in times of need,” Kirby-Smith noted. Residents banded together to provide Smarty with food and water, constantly updating each other on her whereabouts.
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Kirby-Smith and her husband took an extra step in caring for Smarty. “My husband and I provided her with a kennel and a blanket for shelter which she began to use almost immediately,” she said. They also coordinated with neighbours near the dog’s hiding spot, who were equally helpful.
Despite the community’s efforts, Smarty was difficult to capture. “She was not thin in the slightest as the people on the property just above the Delta spruit, had befriended her and were also feeding her and providing water. We couldn’t get anywhere near her as she was extremely frightened. But the moment we turned our backs after feeding, she would come reasonably close to the food as we walked away,” Kirby-Smith explained.
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To capture Smarty safely, Kirby-Smith contacted Woodrock Animal Rescue. “We have a long-standing association with them. They came through with a doggy trap in order to capture her and take her back to the Woodrock Farm.”
The process was challenging, requiring the cooperation of all residents to stop feeding Smarty temporarily. “We had to request the residents to discontinue feeding while this process took place as she needed to be very hungry to be enticed into the trap with tasty foods.” Despite Smarty cleverly avoiding the traps, Woodrock’s persistence paid off. “Catching her was the biggest challenge and we cannot speak highly enough about Woodrock who were relentless, never giving up, coming through from their farm every day and night, and eventually successfully capturing her almost a week after calling in Woodrock.”
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Now, Smarty is under Woodrock’s care, starting her rehabilitation. “She is very comfortable in a caged run with a shelter and blankets and obviously being fed and taken care of, while being acclimatised with people and other dogs in nearby confinement,” Kirby-Smith shared.
The community’s affection for Smarty remains strong. “Our little ‘Smarty’, as Woodrock has named her because of her streetwise ability to avoid the trap for a couple of days, crept into our hearts. She is a puppy of seven or eight months, and we would so dearly love to adopt her, but due to our ages we decided some time ago not to take on any more dogs, feeling it would be irresponsible.”
Smarty’s journey highlights the Bordeaux community’s unity and compassion. As she continues her rehabilitation, Smarty will soon be ready for adoption, awaiting a loving forever home.
