Community band together for removal of dog’s body

Unfortunately as the pups ran across the tracks, they were run over by a train. One survived and was taken to the vet but the body of the other pup was left behind as the owners were too overcome with sadness to remove it themselves. Attempts to have it removed proved futile as no-one heeded their call for help.After a Facebook post circulated on Yellowwood Park social media groups, people sympathised and raged at the fact that the corpse was left to rot for over a week. The tragedy finally came to an end when a group of kind Samaritans rallied together to remove the dog themselves. Julie Meyer, Faith Nel, Sharon Van Niekerk from MCCP, Shawn Smith and Riaan from Kombat Force, Belinda Harcombe and Amory Venter from SAPS victim support centre and Gareth from Park Patrol, worked tirelessly to collect the remains.

if the community can stand together, anything can be done

It wasn’t a job for the faint-hearted. The dog was there for almost a week and the men from Kombat Force tried to carefully pick it up.

Julie Meyer who was part of the group thanked one woman who has petitioned the help from the community and encourage them to assist – Sharon Van Niekerk, who is said to be the real hero of the day. “A cry went out this morning on the Yellowwood Park community Facebook page and I decided the best thing to do was gather a group of people and make the dangerous trek onto the tracks to do the removal. It provided peace of mind for me once it was done. And it just goes to show, if the community can stand together, anything can be done and I thank everyone who came out and assisted today.

They buried the dog, giving it a proper send-off. Members of the community praised the group for their selfless act and commended them for setting a good example of how the community should respond in times of need, no matter how small the problem.