Hope for the hounds of Nieu-Bethesda

NIEU-BETHESDA NEWS — Hanna is a greyhound who led a tough life in Nieu-Bethesda.

Known in her prior life as ‘Fiela’, she was surrendered to Victoria Nance (an animal lover living in the village), by her owners.

Victoria nurtured her back to health for about a month before Hanna was taken under the wing of Sighthound Rescue in Cape Town.

Hanna now has a new home, is in fantastic health, and is the ‘poster girl’ for two other another wonderful organizations - the Camdeboo Sterilization Initiative (CSI), and the Namaqua Dog and Donkey Foundation (NDDF), which are making their mark on the animals and their living conditions in Nieu-Bethesda.

According to founder, Erma Voigt, “CSI was started in 2012 by a small group of animal lovers to try and reduce animal suffering, neglect, and abuse through sterilization of domestic pets in mainly impoverished areas.”

Working alongside Nieu-Bethesda locals Victoria Nance and Grace Nel, as well as Dr Larson and the Camdeboo Veterinary Clinic and the Department of Agrarian Reform, the CSI is making a marked difference to curbing the overpopulation of dogs in the village. Statistically, if a dog and a bitch start breeding at 6 months old, over a mere 5 years, 63 000 canines will be added to the population!

According to Voigt, “In shelters in South Africa alone, an estimated one million animals are killed each year because there are too many pets and too few good homes.”

The CSI is a volunteer operation. The people involved in this excellent cause all work full time. Victoria, Erma and Grace identify dogs to be spayed and communicate with their owners as to their willingness to be a part of the process. Spaying dogs cost money, so fundraising is always a pressing issue for the CSI. Imagine their delight when the Namaqua Dog and Donkey Foundation (NDDF), based in Benoni, offered to make the dogs of Nieu-Bethesda a beneficiary for their fundraising initiatives.

The NDDS was founded by Dr Andrew Swan, a vet in Benoni, who, while traveling around Pella and Port Nolloth, realized that the donkeys there were in dire need of help and that veterinary assistance was hours away. When he passed away in 2008, the foundation under the guidance of Reinette Smith, continued to sterilize dogs and donkeys in areas where it was needed.

At a committee meeting, it was unanimously agreed that Nieu-Bethesda benefit from the NDDF’s fundraising after an impassioned plea for Bethesda’s animals was submitted by Erma Voigt. Dr Swan’s favourite dog was the greyhound, and when Hanna was spayed and rehomed, she became the icon for this worthy cause. Any donations go directly to the vets who perform the sterilizations at reduced rates.

Transporting animals and organizing of ‘spayathons’ are all made possible by good-hearted volunteers.

The previous Spayathon saw the sterilization of 21 animals made possible by donations from the NDDF, it is hoped that 80 more dogs will be sterilized at the next one in October.

Sterilization aside, the CSI also has a funding scheme for needy households where they provide a bag of food a month to families with dogs on the premise that their animals are sterilized. The NDDF also makes sturdy dog kennels which benefactors can sponsor – by October a total of 10 will be donated to Bethesda dog owners.

Hanna was fortunate. Born into a situation where she was denied a healthy, happy life, she was offered a lifeline by a network of people and organizations who really care. One look at the eyes of the ‘new Hanna’ makes evident the good work that Victoria, Grace, Erma, Reinette, our local vets, the CSI, the Department of Agrarian Reform AND the NDDF are doing for Nieu-Bethesda and its animals.