Khumo Makamu
Christmas arrived early for more than 100 dogs and cats from Galeshewe, during the Pet Care Drive held on Friday, 12 December at Mayibuye Uprising Precinct in Royal Street, where they received free personal health care.
The Pet Care Drive was initiated by Kasi Pet Health and Rescue, a non-profit organisation founded Sizwe Mondile, in partnership with the Provincial Departments of Sports, Arts and Culture; Agriculture; State Veterinary Services; SANDF and Love Life.
Enthusiastic pet owners did not let the rainy weather rob their loyal friends of this opportunity; they honoured the appointment. The organisers, however, pointed out that the downpour made it unsafe to continue with the bathing process as the treatment mixture risked being compromised.
The mixture was hastily decanted into bottles for preservation until conditions improved.
Most of the pets were dogs that were due for vaccination.
As with any treatment, the furry friends had to follow a strict procedure: registration, vaccination then the bath.
By 11:55 am, 101 pets had been registered and treated, while more continued to arrive slowly.
In collaboration with Life Line, pet lovers were requested to bring sanitary towels, which were distributed at the event.
Mondile said the initiative aims to bridge the gap in animal care services for under-resourced communities.
“We aim to bring the much-needed services to the community, which a lot of our people are struggling to access, because some are underprivileged, they don’t have the means“, he explained.
“We are also trying to do away with the myth that township communities are unable to take care of their pets or they don’t give them love. Our target was to see between 200 and 300 pets, but we could not reach it due to the weather”, he also encouraged those who could not make it, to participate at the next programme planned for 30 January 2026 in Bloemanda.
Kasi Pet Health and Rescue rolls out these programmes on request and the availability of funds through donations.
State Veterinarian, Dr Masete Dube emphasised the importance of accessible animal health services, saying: “It’s essential for the state to offer such services, especially to those who can’t afford private veterinary fees. Rabies is fatal and animals must be vaccinated to prevent transmission to humans”.
Dr Dube further pointed out that South Africa remains in control of Rabies, with vaccinations ideally required once every three years.
Pet owners expressed their gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed to this initiative.
Comments are closed.