Entries by Bronwyn Hayes

Winter Warnings

June 7, 2018 in , , , , , , , , , , /by

The icy winter months are here, bringing cozy snuggles and couch time with our fur babies. However, winter brings with it a few concerns that certainly need to be acknowledged and addressed by pet parents all over… Don’t become a couch potato Cold temperatures are notorious for making us humans lazy and the same goes for our furry counterparts. Winter encourages longer lie-ins, more cuddles as well as the urge to consume more calories, putting regular exercise on the back burner. Slacking on exercising your pet will see your pet packing on the kg’s, often resulting in negative and sometimes […]

Sanctuary for discarded, injured elephants

June 5, 2018 in , /by

International animal welfare organisation Four Paws has started the construction of one of the largest elephant sanctuaries in South-East Asia for former working elephants in Myanmar. Former logging elephants, as well as orphaned or injured animals, will be rehabilitated at the new facility to be called Elephants Lake. Four Paws said export bans and logging restrictions in Myanmar had rendered “jobless” about 1000 elephants, which had been working in the teak industry. For decades, the abused animals have been wandering with lumberjacks through Myanmar’s forests to assist with felling and to carry heavy tree trunks. To prevent the now unemployed […]

10 Common Household Items that are Lethal to Pets

June 4, 2018 in , /by

1. Medications. Even simple tylenol and/or ibuprofen can be lethal to dogs. Always keep medications in child-proof containers. 2. Anti-freeze. If you own a car you’ll be using more of this stuff as the weather gets colder. Unfortunately, it has a sweet taste that many animals like and it’s lethal if ingested. 3. Exposed electrical wires. Puppies and kittens will chew on just about anything. Be sure to tape down wires and keep them out of the paws and claws of playful pets. 4.Pesticides & Herbicides. Even if you have indoor pets, these chemicals can sometime leak into neighboring yards […]

Shell-shocked cat reunited with family 11 months after Knysna fire

May 6, 2018 in , /by

Shell-shocked‚ missing a tooth and a lot thinner‚ a cat that went missing when its family fled the devastating fires in Knysna 11 months ago has been reunited with his owner. Kietsie is finally home. When the fires broke out in the coastal town on June 7‚ Nina de Beer packed and left her home. “Very early that day I decided to start packing. I was warned that the fire might come our way‚” she said. “I wasn’t going to wait it out so I started to pack. We went to my ex’s house: three rats‚ two dogs‚ two cats‚ […]

Distemper outbreak kills 80 dogs in Knysna: What is it and what are its symptoms?

May 1, 2018 in , /by

An aggressive strain of a fatal disease in dogs, distemper has broken out in Knysna and has claimed the lives of dozens of canines. The Knysna-Plett Herald reports that 80 dogs have had to be put down in May alone, as the outbreak was detected in Charlie Lawack Street, Hornlee and spread at a rapid pace. “It is really bad, for this month alone we have had to put more than 80 dogs down that already had the aggressive distemper,” Knysna Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) official, Retha Havenga was quoted by the publication. What is canine distemper? Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that […]

Cat Breed of the Month – American Shorthair

June 1, 2018 in , , , /by

HISTORY The American Shorthair was formerly known as the Domestic Shorthair, but today, the latter term refers to a shorthair cat of unknown descent – in other words, a non-pedigree cat or ‘pavement special’. The only other requirement is that they have short hair. Domestic Shorthairs were believed to keep vermin at bay whilst onboard the Mayflower vessel, subsequently disembarking on its arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. Others are of the opinion that they arrived even earlier on ships that sailed colonists to the Jamestown colony in Virginia; Spanish travelers to Florida and Vikings to Newfoundland. Domestic Shorthairs, or what is today […]

NSPCA to lay charges against defence force for starving horses

May 30, 2018 in , /by

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) says it will lay animal cruelty charges against the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) after the discovery of starving horses at an army unit in Potchefstroom. “The NSPCA is in the process of laying charges against the SANDF regarding the neglect of horses,” said NSPCA communications manager Meg Wilson. “We will be laying the charges this week. The reason [for the delayed laying of charges] being, we do not simply go into a police station and lay the charges, we form an entire docket for the SAPS.” Last month NSPCA inspectors found 169 horses, some […]

Dramatic drop in rhino poaching as KZN private owners chop off horns

May 29, 2018 in , /by

There has been a dramatic drop in the number of rhino poaching cases on privately owned game reserves in KwaZulu-Natal following an intensive de-horning project in the last three years. Chris Galliers‚ head of the Project Rhino anti-poaching umbrella group‚ says an analysis of poaching statistics shows that nearly 25% of all rhinos poached in KZN between 2010 and 2015 were killed on private reserves. However‚ only 5% of rhinos poached in KZN over the last two and a half years were killed on private reserves – coinciding with a concerted effort to dehorn rhinos at regular intervals. Galliers said […]

Pets: An investment case

May 25, 2018 in , /by

Global trend towards humanisation of furry friends. About two years ago, there was a picnic at Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg. While everyone was exchanging pleasantries, and playing on the grass, a couple – let’s call them Nick and Jen – came walking towards the party with a stroller. The group fell silent. “When did Nick and Jen have a BABY?!” someone asked the host. The host – as well as everyone else – seemed to be in the dark about this exciting development. It turned out the “baby” was the couple’s elderly dog, who had trouble walking, but who was […]

Tips to Care for Your Cat After Surgery

May 28, 2018 in , /by

Nearly every pet cat, at some point in his life, undergoes some type of surgical procedure. If you’re lucky, the only procedure your cat will ever need is a spay or a neuter. Unfortunately, our beloved feline friends occasionally require additional surgical intervention, with some of the more common procedures being skin biopsy, tumor removal, bladder stone removal, laceration repair, tooth extraction and pinning or plating of a broken bone. Once your cat is out of surgery, the recovery process begins. Some surgeries require a period of hospitalization after the operation. Others are outpatient surgeries that allow the cat to be […]