CLAW

I found out about CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare) in 2009 when I saw a picture of a Whippet // Chihuahua cross on Barking Mad. I’d just come back from my summer holiday and had fallen in love with a Whippet // Jack Russell cross at the Lodge where we stayed. The former little dog had been rescued in a township in Roodepoort after a tip-off was received by a member of the community that a group of school kids had stoned a dog, put her in a plastic bag and tried to drown her in a nearby river. The CLAW inspector arrived just before their sick entertainment succeeded. And so, Dinah was welcomed into the family and a really important and life-changing relationship with CLAW was initiated.

CLAW was established by Cora Bailey (the bravest and most inspiring woman I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting) in 1999 and provides desperately needed veterinary and hospital services to dogs and cats (and monkeys and pigs and sheep etc), as well as vital animal care education to pet owners in 39 informal settlements in the Johannesburg area.  It focuses on educating the public on basic health care for their animals, spay and neuter programs, vaccination and deworming programs, as well as the rehoming of unwanted dogs and cats (and pigs etc.)

In 2010, on New Year’s Eve, Ric brought home a tiny “surprise” puppy with a damaged front leg that Saskia, the resident vet at CLAW, had asked us to foster over that weekend. The puppy had been brought in for treatment by its owner after its mommy allegedly sat on and injured her arm. We ended up “fostering” Cassidy for  a week, following which she became incredibly ill for the next month. She couldn’t take in any food and anything that was taken in became liquid on the other end. She was literally dying. After many tests we discovered that she had Addisons Disease (the earliest onset of which the vet had ever seen). She needs to be on medication for the rest of her life but nonetheless has made an amazing recovery. And so the second, unplanned CLAWbie entered our home.

Last year Ric and I moved into our own place with our three hairy-fairies (Lua, Dinah and Cassidy). Although we already had a lot of dogs, we had a discussion and decided that, although it would be a mad-house, we could afford to bring another member into the family. Enter (confiscated) Albie who I saw one Saturday while volunteering at CLAW. He was skin and bones and incredibly scared. Everytime I tried to approach him he would growl and sneer in an effort to defend himself. He was in really bad shape but I knew instantly that he was the latest  member of our ever-expanding, ever-absurd, ever-alternative family. We got him a week later, after which he too had to be hospitalised with pneumonia. The first night at our place was spent coaxing him out of the bushes (where he had probably only ever slept) and trying to get him to stop eating his poo (which was probably the only sustenance he had ever received). He has made a crazy recovery and is the happiest (as in slightly-brain-damaged-special-needs-happy) dog I’ve ever seen.

I’m passionate about CLAW and the work it does. I’ve seen the most amazing recoveries and resilience from CLAW’s patients and residents (read: confiscations) and have been taken into some of the poorest and most desolate areas in our country. I’ve witnessed despicable cruelty and neglect but also incredible over-coming and compassion. CLAW has tempered my biases and taught me that you cannot generalise, however convenient that may be. Above all, CLAW has taught me that “those problems” and “that abuse” is our problem and our abuse. These NGOs need all the help they can get- perhaps consider volunteering at your local NGO, whatever your preferred cause may be.  



Dinah

Cassidy Canine

Albie (Sachs)

Visit CLAW's adoption site at: http://www.clawadoptions.org/adopt-now.php