GRAAFF-REINET - In recent years, many animal welfare organisations across South Africa had to close their doors due to insufficient, inconsistent funding and a general lack of support.
Unfortunately, this includes the Graaff-Reinet SPCA that closed down in April 2022.
Fortunately, three local organisations have risen to meet the immense animal welfare challenges of Graaff-Reinet and surrounds, and Graaff-Reinet Advertiser gladly shares more about their activities with our readers to promote this worthy cause.
CSI
The Camdeboo Sterilisation Initiative (CSI) was established in Graaff-Reinet in 2012 to reduce animal suffering, neglect and abuse through the sterilisation of domestic pets, mainly in impoverished areas. They also help control feral cat colonies throughout Graaff-Reinet by catching, sterilising, and releasing them back into their territories. To date, CSI has sterilised well over 1 000 cats and dogs, which has had a profoundly positive effect on staving off over-population of pets.
Contact details: 072 176 2175 (WhatsApp only), info.csi7@yahoo.com
GRAWS
The Graaff-Reinet Animal Welfare Society (GRAWS) has taken over the running and maintenance of the kennels in Graaff-Reinet, which were previously managed by the SPCA. The kennels come with many responsibilities, such as taking in, feeding, providing medical treatment, and finding homes for unwanted, stray, injured, and sick animals. They also investigate reports of abused animals within our community. There are significant costs involved in doing this work well.
Contact details: 063 559 5823, grawsoffice@gmail.com, www.graws.co.za
CAWSE
Camdeboo Animal Welfare, Shelter, and Education (CAWSE) was established with the primary aim of uplifting underprivileged communities by assisting and educating pet owners on how to correctly care for their pets. Healthy and well looked after pets lead to fewer unwanted pets and less need for costly veterinary care. CAWSE goes into underprivileged areas in and around Graaff-Reinet every week to assist with basic pet care and education such as dipping and de-worming to reduce parasites and disease, as well as offering medical treatment and sterilisation when possible.
Contact details: 083 415 6514, cawse.grt@gmail.com, www.cawse.org.za
Working together
Nicola Woods, founder and vice-chairperson of CAWSE, emphasises that all three of the animal welfare organisations are greatly assisted by the kindness and world-class veterinary services of Camdeboo Veterinary Clinic and Dr Larsen at the Graaff-Reinet Veterinary Clinic.
Woods says the work is simply too much and too costly for any one organisation to carry and the three organisations work together to share the load.
"We believe that with these three animal welfare organisations working together with a common goal, we have the potential to provide a much-needed and valuable service to our community," says Woods. "We have the leadership, we have the organisations, and we have the opportunities to do great work. What we need more of, are hands and rands.
We need volunteers with a heart for helping animals to partner with us in the work, and we need people with resources and a desire to make a difference, to give towards the work we do," she adds. "Follow the work we do on social media, and please, be positive! CSI, GRAWS, and CAWSE are doing phenomenal work with extremely limited resources. We look forward to partnering with you in this great work."
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