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Last-minute reprieve for Khayelitsha dogs looking for homes

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Last - minute

Thabisa Makhaphela has been volunteering at the Mdzananda Animal Clinic for three months. She focuses on finding adoptions for the stray dogs. Photo: Kristine Liao

Mdzananda Animal Clinic’s appeal for help gets positive response across city.

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha was at double its capacity for stray dogs on Tuesday morning, and would have had to resort to euthanasia if people had not come forward to adopt or foster the dogs. But within hours of the clinic calling for help on Facebook, people offered the animals a safe place to stay.

“After yesterday’s post, we have got quite a few responses from people who are going to foster, so I am expecting to have 20 dogs move out of our shelter before end of next week,” said Marcelle du Plessis, the clinic’s fundraising and communications manager. “The amazing thing is, every time we get to a point of desperation, people do step in.”

When GroundUp visited the clinic Wednesday morning, three dogs had already been adopted that day, in addition to the six dogs that found new homes the day before. People have come from Mitchells Plain, Pinelands, Mowbray, and Sea Point.

Oscars Arc and AtFrits Pet Hotel & Daycare Centre, both of which act as adoption centres, have also agreed to bring dogs into their facilities. Oscars Arc is set to take six, and AtFrits to take 16.

AtFrits is primarily a creche for dogs, but since it is able to take in 276 animals, it dedicates space for animals that are in need. The dogs from Mdzananda Animal Clinic will receive the exact same care as customers’ dogs. They will have access to the dog park and be fed three times a day.

“For me, now, the only thing is to get the animals adopted,” said AtFrits owner Yanic Klue. “Money can’t buy the life of a dog so I don’t even think about that. The most important thing now is to get the animals in a safe environment and to get them adopted.”

The clinic has never euthanised an animal due to overcapacity, but it had never been as desperate to find adoptions and foster homes. It had 37 dogs on Tuesday morning, but only has the capacity to care for 15.

“It has been very quiet in the past month,” said Lisa Godana, the clinic’s administration assistant. In April, only eight dogs were adopted, compared to nine dogs in just the past two days as a result of the Facebook post.

Du Plessis said people handed over their pet if they were moving away or could no longer afford to take care of it anymore. People also tended to give up their dog when it was no longer a puppy. Du Plessis said a two-year-old dog was once handed in just because it was not young any more.

“Lately we find animals in our yard in the morning, so a lot of people are throwing animals over gates overnight,” du Plessis said. “People do come over and hand over pets physically, so we can still talk to them. But it’s quite hard to track people’s reasoning for abandoning pets.”

Since Mdzananda Animal Clinic is primarily a veterinary clinic, taking strays is not a service it intended to provide. However, the clinic has decided that it will not to take in any new strays until its numbers are stable again, du Plessis said.

“People who come with strays, we’re going to have to talk to them and try to get them to take responsibility for their own pets, or give them the option to put their animal to sleep,” du Plessis said.

As for the pets that continue to be thrown over the gates overnight, however, du Plessis said the clinic will have no other option than to take care of them.

Last - minute

Tiger, one of the clinic’s three pitbulls, is still waiting to be adopted after three weeks in the clinic. Photo: Kristine Liao

The clinic’s finance assistant Tashmin May is especially worried for the three pitbulls that are currently staying at the clinic, since they have to stay in their own kennels. Obama has been here since the beginning of April, and Lady and Tiger have been here for about three weeks.

“They are getting very depressed in the kennels and they need more space,” May said. “There’s the stigma that pitbulls are very aggressive, but they’re not really. It’s just the way that they’ve been brought up.”

May said one of the difficulties for finding a family for pitbulls is that it has to be a one-dog home. Another issue is that the clinic does not allow people living in the Cape Flats to adopt pitbulls, due to the prevalence of dog fighting in the area. She said people will steal pitbulls to enter them into fighting competitions, which people bet on.

Strays at Mdzananda on average stay at the clinic for two to three months before adoption, but have stayed as long as eight months, according to du Plessis.

Source: The Citizen

Khayelitsha animal clinic offers free vaccinations for World Rabies Day

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World Rabies Day

A local animal clinic in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, has offered free vaccinations to community members in a bid to prevent the spread of rabies.

The offer comes ahead of World Rabies Day on Saturday.

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic said it aimed to vaccinate 200 dogs on the day. The clinic said it was important to offer the vaccination because rabies was a deadly virus that could easily spread to people from the saliva of infected animals.

“99% of human cases result from dog bites and are fatal once symptoms occur,” the clinic said in a statement.

The virus causes extreme pain and discomfort in humans, and also leads to the death of the infected dog.

According to the clinic’s fundraising and communications manager, Marcelle du Plessis, the clinic will offer the vaccination despite the Western Cape not being a rabies hot spot.

“This does however not mean that we shouldn’t prepare against it. All it takes is for one infected dog to come into our community for the virus to spread rapidly,” said Du Plessis.

She said neighbouring provinces had previously reported cases of rabies which had forced them to be vigilant and strive to make Khayelitsha an immune community in the event of the area being affected by the virus.

“Dogs and cats should first be vaccinated for rabies between four and six months of age. They need a booster one year from that date. Thereafter they need to be vaccinated once every three years,” said Du Plessis.

Du Plessis said the majority of the pets that would be vaccinated would be first-timers, and their owners would receive vaccination cards indicating when to bring their pets for their booster shots.

Despite providing free vaccinations, the clinic has asked for donations to cover the costs of administering the vaccinations, including needles, syringes, gloves and veterinarian time.

The Mdzananda Clinic has received the vaccines free from the state vet.

Apart from just administering rabies shots, each pet will receive a vaccination against deadly diseases including the Parvo virus, distemper, parainfluenza and adenovirus.

Source: Times Live

#BeMyValentine – Homeless pets offering love

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#BeMyValentine – Homeless pets offering love

Pictures: Ballito and Mamsie

It’s the month of love and the Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha is encouraging members of the public to show some love to homeless pets in need. Their #BeMyValentine campaign features dogs and cats up for adoption looking for sponsorship to make their Valentine’s day a happy one.  

“Valentine’s Day has become an extremely commercialised event with people spending large amounts of money on gifts, chocolates and flowers. This year we are encouraging people to allow a homeless pet to be their Valentine by sponsoring them and showing them some love,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager.

If you’re feeling out of love this Valentine’s month, head over to Mdzananda’s website or Facebook page to meet their tail wagging bachelors and sassy bachelorettes which you can sponsor.

BeMyValentine – Homeless pets offering love

If you would like to sponsor a pet for Valentine’s Day visit www.mdzananda.co.za to see all the pets needing sponsorship, contact marcelle@mdzananda.co.za or make a donation to Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank, Account number: 075595710, Branch: Rondebosch, Branch Code: 025009, Reference: Pet’sName +YourName. All pets are also up for adoption.

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic (www.mdzananda.co.za)

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic in Khayelitsha, a township just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, home to 400 000 people (2011 census) and their pets. The clinic serves an average of 700 animals per month through consultations, hospitalization, general and orthopaedic surgeries, continuous sterilizations, mobile clinics and an animal ambulance. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Khayelitsha veterinarians speak out about dangerous rabies cases

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Khayelitsha veterinarians speak out about dangerous rabies cases

Patient at Mdzananda Animal Clinic presenting with rabies symptoms

Two rabies cases were identified at the Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayeitsha, Cape Town. The last report of rabies in the Western Cape was in 1994.

On the 11th of August a community member asked the clinic to collect her pet as she suspected it had a bone stuck in its throat. The dog had been vomiting for two days, appeared weak and was passing a yellow stool. Priffy, a medium sized, one-year-old male dog was collected and appeared subdued and drooling.

Dr Isel Esterhuyse, the veterinarian at the Mdzananda Animal Clinic, proceeded with caution as the symptoms were suspicious. She examined Priffy’s throat for the suspected bone, but none was found. A distemper test was done but the result was negative.

The next day Piffy’s behaviour changed from subdued to aggressive. Dr Brian Bergman and Dr Isel Esterhuyse suspected rabies based on the symptoms. Being a highly infection and fatal virus, the owner was consulted and euthanasia was consented to. There is currently no cure for rabies. The body was immediately taken to the state veterinary pathology laboratories in Stellenbosch where the dog tested positive for rabies.

“When the dog arrived, we immediately thought the symptoms looked strange. As a precaution we handled the dog with a catch pole and everyone wore double gloves. We placed him into isolation and by the next morning his behaviour had changed drastically to being extremely aggressive. We decided to euthanise and have the body tested for rabies,” says Dr Esterhuyse.

On the 16th of August the second case presented at the clinic. A client arrived with a male dog hypersalivating and circling. When approached the dog became very disorientated and aggressive. The immediate assessment by Dr Brian Bergman concluded that this case too was a very suspicious case of rabies. The decision was made to euthanise and the body was transferred to the state laboratory. The dog tested positive for rabies.

The clinic’s Community Engagement Officer was deployed to do a site inspection of both the premises and to interview the pet owners to investigate where and the rabies infections occurred. To date, the origin has not been found.

“We immediately called SA MAST, the other animal welfare organisation in Khayelitsha, to inform them of the cases and to be on the look-out for others,” says Sr Heidi May, Operations Manager at Mdzananda Animal Clinic. “We held a meeting with our staff to put new procedures in place on how to handle future rabies situations if they are presented. A meeting was held with the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Health Department, City of Cape Town and SA MAST to outline a plan for proceeding.”

With immediate effect, a combined, rigorous vaccine campaign started on Monday 23rd August.

Two more cases were admitted to the clinic thereafter presenting rabies symptoms. Both were euthanised and sent to the laboratory for rabies testing.

“We urge all pet owners to have their pets vaccinated against rabies,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager. “On the 28th of September is world Rabies Day. Apart from our current rabies vaccination campaign, we will host a further mass vaccination day on this day. We ask members of the public to support us by sponsoring a vaccination at R50. Rabies vaccinations are supplied to us free of charge by the state vet. The R50 will cover gloves, syringes and needles as well as a 5-in-1 vaccine covering other illnesses such as parvo and distemper.”

To sponsor a vaccination, donate to Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank, Account number: 075595710, Branch: Rondebosch, Branch Code: 025009, Savings account, Reference: Rabies +Your Name. For more information contact info@mdzananda.co.za.

Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals, usually through an animal bite but can also transmit through saliva coming in to contact with your lips, eyes or any exposed cuts on your body. The virus can be transmitted to other animals and humans. Animals most likely to spread rabies include dogs, bats, coyotes, foxes, skunks and raccoons. Symptoms include fever, difficulty swallowing, excessive drooling, staggering, seizures and aggression. There is no specific treatment for rabies. Once symptoms appear it’s nearly always fatal. A vaccine can prevent infection.

Khayelitsha veterinarians speak out about dangerous rabies cases

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic (www.mdzananda.co.za)

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic in Khayelitsha, a township just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, home to 400 000 people (2011 census) and their pets. The clinic serves an average of 1000 animals per month through consultations, hospitalisation, general and orthopaedic surgeries, continuous sterilisations, mobile clinics, an animal ambulance and pet adoptions. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Khayelitsha animal clinic celebrates 25 years of helping animals

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Khayelitsha animal clinic celebrates 25 years of helping animals

Mr Joe and Angel

Twenty-five years ago, a Khayelitsha community member saw that his neighbours did not know how to care for their pets. He took a shopping trolly and went door-to-door, feeding dogs and cats and educating people on their pets’ needs. Mr Joe Manchu soon attracted volunteers including many community children. A bath was donated which was used for dipping pets with fleas and ticks. Thereafter a shipping container was donated which became the first ever animal clinic in Khayelitsha.

Khayelitsha animal clinic celebrates 25 years of helping animals

Community children

Today, 25 years later, Mdzananda Animal Clinic is celebrating a quarter century of helping, healing and rescuing pets in Khayelitsha. The clinic now treats over 1000 animals per month through their hospital facility, homeless shelter, mobile clinics and outreach programmes. Throughout this time, they have also put the pets’ human companions at the forefront, educating, earning trust and working with them to become the best pet guardians they can be.

Lazola Sotyingwa was one of the children who helped Mr Joe with his animal saving efforts. Now, one of the Clinic’s Animal Welfare Assistants, he couldn’t be prouder. “At the beginning we had no running water or electricity. We carried buckets of water and ran extension cables from the neighbours. Today we are big and we help so many animals. It’s thanks to Mr Joe that the pets of Khayelitsha have help today.”

Khayelitsha animal clinic celebrates 25 years of helping animals

First shipping container­­­­­

The organisation’s vision is to create a community which loves animals. They believe that an animal-loving community is a healthy community. By loving an animal one learns qualities such as respect, trust, non-violence, responsibility, and companionship. These are often not taught in townships due to the enormous economic and living condition difficulties which take priority. By providing veterinary care, education and by forming partnerships inside and outside of the community, the organization is well on the way towards its vision.

Dr Brian Bergman, the Clinic’s Senior Veterinarian, says that, over 25 years he has noticed a significant shift in the mindset of the people. “Where previously pets were simply objects protecting the home, many of them are now companions sleeping in peoples’ beds. Our welfare services and educational programmes have really transformed many pet lovers in the community,” says Dr Brian Bergman.

Khayelitsha animal clinic celebrates 25 years of helping animals

Mr Joe bathing a dog

In celebration of their 175th dog year birthday (25 human years), the organization will be hosting a celebration on the 13th of November from 11 am to 4 pm at the Clinic. Members of the community are invited to join and the first 200 pets will receive a free rabies vaccination and blanket. At the event Mr Joe, who is now elderly, will speak about his hard work and vision for the future and the Isibane seAfrica choir will provide music. Members of the public are also welcome to join on the day and visit the clinic for a tour.

The clinic has also launched a special birthday edition 2022 calendar featuring 12 artworks, crafted by local artists to illustrate the heart and soul of Mdzananda. Calendars can be purchased at outlets listed on www.mdzananda.co.za or by emailing marcelle@mdzananda.co.za.

“Our work has only been possible thanks to generous donors, supporters, monthly Paw Members and partners. Without this support we could never have reached this enormous milestone,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager.

If you wish to support the organization into its next 25 years, please make a donation to Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank, Savings Account, 075595710, become a Paw Member (monthly donor) at www.mdzanandasecure.co.za, contact info@mdzananda.co.za or visit www.mdzananda.co.za.

Source:  Mdzananda Animal Clinic 

 

Khayelitsha ten-year-old saves puppy

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Khayelitsha ten-year-old saves puppy

Khayelitsha ten-year-old saves puppy

Ten-year-old Andiswa Kwele has been hailed as an animal hero by the Mdzananda Animal Clinic staff in Khayelitsha. Andiswa Kwele was walking home from school when she saw a small puppy on the pavement.

“Many people would walk right past,” said Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager, “but this young child picked the puppy up and walked all the way to Mdzananda to get it help.”

The puppy, just three days old, was immediately wrapped in a blanket, placed on a warm water bottle and bottle fed with puppy milk.

“I was so proud of this young girl,” said Sr Heidi May, General Manager. “Seeing children act in this way shows me that our education programmes are working.”

The animal clinic has a strong focus on community education with a variety of programmes including on-site education, door-to-door education, school classes and events in partnership with other organisations.

Khayelitsha ten-year-old saves puppy Khayelitsha ten-year-old saves puppy

“We are proud to announce that we have gained permission to start animal education in four schools in their life orientation classes. We  started these classes at the beginning of this school term and will be working on entering more schools in the rest of the year,” says Mrs May.

In July they hosted educational events in Macassar and Gugulethu and did door-to-door education across Khayelitsha three days a week.

“We believe that a community that loves animals is a healthy community and that, through our educational and health care initiatives, we are helping to create a community with compassion and care for every animal,” says du Plessis.

The puppy, now named Jelly Bean, is doing very well and is being fostered by one of the clinic’s veterinarians until he is ready to be adopted.

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic (www.mdzananda.co.za)
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic and shelter in Khayelitsha, a township just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, home to 400 000 people (2011 census) and their pets. The reality is that the number is closer to one million people and that there is an estimate of 300 000 companion animals. The clinic serves over 1500 animals per month through consultations, hospitalisation, general and orthopaedic surgeries, continuous sterilisations, mobile clinics, an animal ambulance and a homeless pet shelter. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Khayelitsha animal clinic keeps doors open amidst taxi violence

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Khayelitsha animal clinic keeps doors open amidst taxi violence

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha is based in the heart of the taxi violence but says that they will continue to fight for the animals of the community despite the dangerous circumstances and threats on their lives.

“It been quite terrifying,” says Sr Heidi May, General Manager. “We’ve had to adapt the way we operate significantly over these past few days to ensure that our staff are safe while still serving our approximately 120 patients, 55 homeless pets and community animals.”

They report that the most important things are to get their staff to the clinic safely, to ensure that their patients are cared for and to be available for emergency cases.

“We will make sure that no animal is left to suffer,” says Sr May.

The first major challenge was getting their staff to the clinic safely. The majority of staff live in Khayelitsha while some live as far as Stellenbosch, making use of public transport. The clinic’s drivers collected staff from all over, however, they were threatened on multiple occasions that they will be killed if seen collecting people or animals. Staff who drive to the clinic themselves had to brave the chaos and road closures through areas that were no longer safe.

“On Saturday one of our vehicles was targeted by angry taxi drivers and were refused access to an emergency ambulance collection of a dog who had been badly bitten,” says Sr May. “We were lucky that our drivers weren’t attacked. We did a virtual consult to advise the client and hoped that we would get access to the patient on Monday.”

Their animal ambulance service is currently restricted to only collecting emergency cases and, if not an emergency, advise is given on how to stabalise the pet at home until collections can be done again.  Consulting rooms now close at 2pm instead of 4pm (unless an emergency case arrives) so that drivers can get the staff home safely before rush hour protest action.

“Sadly, our satellite sterilisation clinic has had to be closed during this time with no sterilisations performed. Our main clinic is also only doing emergency surgeries. Usually our vehicles go into the community to collect animals needing sterilisation, but with the road closures and violence our drivers haven’t been able to go into most areas. Our mobile clinics and door-to-door education programmes have also temporarily needed to be put on hold,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Executive.

Even though programme capacity has been reduced the organisation representatives say that they are proud of their team for risking their lives in the midst of the violence to ensure that their patients are cared for, that their homeless pets are attended to and that emergency care is provided.

“We are facing the challenges and doing everything we can to be there for our patients and community animals,” says du Plessis.

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic (www.mdzananda.co.za)
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic and shelter in Khayelitsha, a township just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, home to 400 000 people (2011 census) and their pets. The reality is that the number is closer to one million people and that there is an estimate of 300 000 companion animals.

The clinic serves over 1500 animals per month through consultations, hospitalisation, general and orthopaedic surgeries, a sterilisation clinic, mobile clinics, an animal ambulance and a homeless pet shelter. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Tiny Khayelitsha puppy protects his family from gangsters

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Khayelitsha

Trouble, Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Tiny Khayelitsha puppy protects his family from gangsters

Four-month-old puppy, Trouble, has been hailed as a brave hero by the Mdzananda Animal Clinic staff in Khayelitsha. The crossbreed puppy put his life at risk trying to protect his human family and furry mom.

On Tuesday morning, a group of gangsters tried to break into his home. His fur mother scared the criminals off by growling and chasing them down the road. Fearlessly, the tiny puppy ran after them too, barking all the way. In his pursuit, the criminals attacked him, breaking his radius and ulnar of the front left leg. Trouble was collected by Mdzananda’s animal ambulance and transported to their NPO veterinary hospital in Khayelitsha.

“As trouble is still very young surgery wasn’t required. Being so small, his bones are still growing. With a splint bandage to keep the bones back in line, they will heal correctly,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Executive. “The splint bandage will stay on for two to three weeks after which our veterinarians will be able to determine how well his healing process is going.”

Trouble is now safely recovering at home and will return to the animal clinic for a check up in three weeks.

“He is a fearless little puppy and a big hero in our community’s hearts. Moral of the story? Be brave, no matter your size,” says Phiwe Finca, Marketing Officer.

Khayelitsha

Trouble, Mdzananda Animal Clinic

If you would like to contribute to the costs incurred to provide Trouble medical care, please contact info@mdzananda.co.za or make a donation to Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank, Account: 075595710, Branch Code: 025009, Savings account, Reference: Hero + Your Name.

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic (www.mdzananda.co.za)
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic in Khayelitsha, a township just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, home to 400 000 people (2011 census) and their pets. The clinic serves an average of 1500 animals per month through consultations, hospitalisation, general and orthopaedic surgeries, a sterilisation clinic, mobile clinics and an animal ambulance. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Khayelitsha Animal Clinic suffering in storm but still fighting for the animals

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Khayelitsha

Khayelitsha Animal Clinic suffering in storm but still fighting for the animals

The current Cape Town storm has caused significant damage to the Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha, leaving both their clinic and shelter flooded. The hospital and theatre roofs have sustained damages amounting to R20 000, and their sterilisation clinic requires R10 000 in urgent repairs.

“These unforeseen expenses are putting immense strain on our already tight budget, and we are in urgent need of public support,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising, Communications and Programmes Executive.

Khayelitsha

Despite needing to address the damage to their facilities, their dedicated team is tirelessly patrolling the community, searching for chained-up dogs, dogs at risk of drowning, and strays.

“Our commitment to helping these vulnerable animals through the storm is unwavering,” says Carolyn Dudgeon, Programmes Manager.

Apart from patrolling the community, their clinic and shelter are at capacity with a large number of sick pet patients and homeless dogs and cats. The team is making sure that every animal gets the care they need to recover and to stay warm at the facility during the storm.

Khayelitsha

“We are urgently calling on compassionate individuals to help us recover from this storm’s unexpected damage costs and to continue our mission to protect and care for animals in need,” says du Plessis.

Bank details for donations are Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank  Account no: 075595710, Branch code: 025009 , Savings Account, Reference: storm + your name 

“The Mdzananda Animal Clinic thanks the community for their compassion, generosity and support during this time. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of countless animals affected by this storm,” says du Plessis.

Khayelitsha

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic
The NPO veterinary council registered animal clinic and shelter has been serving the community of Khayelitsha for 27 years through consultations, hospitalisation, operations, sterilisations, an ambulance, mobile clinics and community education to help pet owners become the best pet guardians they can be.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic

Educating Kids in Khayelitsha About Animal Care

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Educating

Educating Kids in Khayelitsha About Animal Care

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha is making major strides in educating the Khayelitsha youth about animal care. In a collaboration with several community schools, the organization has integrated animal care lessons into life skills classes for the years 2023 and 2024, with the aim of continuing such classes on an ongoing yearly basis.

In 2024 alone, 780 children have benefitted from these school educational sessions, which cover crucial topics such as animal health care, behavior, feeding, exercise, and compassion.

On the 26th of July, the latest session took place with 152 learners at Vuselela Primary School with students between the ages of 12 and 14. Each learner received a goodie bag containing a Hero in My Hood educational activity book, a badge and crayons.

“At Mdzananda we believe that caring for animals teaches qualities such as respect for life, compassion, companionship, and responsibility – attributes that not only help children care for animals but also contribute to their development into well-rounded adults,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Executive.

Educating

With Vuselela Primary School being the last school collaboration for the year, Mdzananda will be extending its educational outreach to community book clubs, other NPOs, grassroots organizations, and similar groups, ensuring that both children and adults receive valuable education on animal care.

“How a community cares for their pets speaks volumes on how a community functions. A kinder, more compassionate community approach towards animals helps create a kinder, more compassionate community towards each other. We are fortunate to be a part of this process,” says Carolyn Dudgeon, Programmes Manager.

To date, Mdzananda has invested R20 000 in these educational goodie bags without funding support. They invite members of the public to sponsor an education goodie bag for R55 per child. To sponsor a child, donations can be made to Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Standard Bank, Account number: 075595710, Branch code: 025009, Savings Account, Reference: education + your name.

For more information, please contact info@mdzananda.co.za or visit www.mdzananda.co.za.

Educating

About Mdzananda Animal Clinic

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic in Khayelitsha. The clinic serves an average of 1500 animals per month through consultations, hospitalisation, general and orthopaedic surgeries, sterilisations, mobile clinics and an animal ambulance. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

Source: Mdzananda Animal Clinic