A dog that was spotted at the edge of a high ledge alongside the Gautrain bridge over the N1 highway in Centurion has been rescued and is doing well at his new home.
Information about the stuck dog was shared on social media on Monday morning, prompting the community to try and rescue him.
Yola Strauss saw the post and immediately alerted community security groups.
Minutes later, she was told that someone was on the way.
One of the rescuers who helped save the dog, Stean Rossouw from security service, Counterpoint Risk, said they received a call at 09:00.
“We received a call from Centurion Concerned Citizens of a dog that is stuck on the Gautrain Bridge close to the N1.
“I think that dog had been lost for quite a while. Just by chance, he found his way up onto the bridge.”
When Rossouw arrived at the scene, a TMPD officer was already on the ledge trying to bring the dog back down to safety.
He said the dog was right at the end of the ledge, the highest point close to the highway.
Community members were also on the scene with food and water at the ready as the dog looked to be starving and dehydrated.
Rossouw, who works with dogs, had a leash in his car and told the TMPD officer to come down, so he could try and put the leash on the dog.
“When I approached him and tried to put on the leash, he was a bit scared and growled at me. But I work with dogs, and I wanted to get him out of danger.”
Lindy Nel was prepared to make sure the dog was safe and uninjured, once he was rescued.
Online, others speculated that the dog was taken without a trace from the scene, but Rossouw said that was not true.
“I know the dog is in good hands,” he maintained.
Nel told Rekord the dog was safe, although scared and exhausted.
“I have named him Rexi, fed him, gave him water and he’s now resting, all wrapped up in a blanket,” she said.
She said she didn’t notice any urgent injuries on the dog on Monday night and was planning on taking him to the vet first thing on Tuesday morning.
“I didn’t want to traumatise him further.”
On Tuesday morning, Nel was happy to report that Rexi was receiving the medical care he needed from Eldoraigne Animal Clinic.
“The vet said he wasn’t a puppy, and was about three or four years old.
“He has several bite wounds on his leg, with some inflammation from where he might have been injured or from the bite wounds that have become infected.”
Nel said that Rexi had been started on a course of antibiotics to help him heal.
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