Written by: www.mdzananda.co.za
Article source: Supplied

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.

“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.

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Date published: 10/08/2023

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