Walking on the Sea Point Promenade with my dog has always been on my bucket list.
So 1 Sunday we took Stormy and her best friend Zahra to Sea Point to support the Mdzananda and Vondi’s doggy walk. It was a beautiful sunny morning, we could not have asked for better weather.
The walk started at the Lighthouse and we walked to the Swimming Pool and back giving us a total of 5 km.
It does not cost anything to do this walk, but seeing as we were doing it for charity we paid our bit to help them raise money.
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic in Khayelitsha township just outside Cape Town, South Africa.
Highly respected and supported by the people they serve, Mdzananda Animal Clinic was founded in 1996 in response to the need to provide veterinary care to a fast-growing community that had no access to help for their animals. Mr Joe, a community hero, went from door to door bathing and feeding pets. His initiative soon grew into what it is today.
Today the clinic serves up to 700 animals per month through consultations, hospitalization, general and specialized surgery, continuous sterilizations, mobile clinics, and an animal ambulance for sick and injured animals, primarily dogs and cats.
Apart from veterinary services the Mdzananda Animal Clinic finds homes for stray or abandoned pets, assists with abuse and neglect interventions, and performs humane education outreach programs. We have a strong focus on community empowerment and education and focus on understanding the community’s needs, embracing this, gaining their respect and trust.
It is often of the opinion that people in townships should not own pets. We have a different opinion. Anyone who visits Mdzananda has the pleasure of meeting owners who adore their animals. Lack of education and funds are what generally result in neglect, illnesses, and injuries. Mdzananda works on educating the community while providing low-cost veterinary services.
We work in a community of 400 000 people (census 2011). The reality is that there are closer to 1 million people in the community. We estimate that there is one dog and cat per 6 people – between 130 000 to 300 000 pets.
A community that loves animals is a healthy community. By looking after an animal people learn responsibility, respect for life, compassion, and non-violence. These are valuable attributes that flow over into everyday life.