EXTREME Makeovers

The only reason I can carry on with the volunteer work is for the rewards, which are, to say the least, breath-taking. I've included pictures of the two most recent rescues - Sally and Marley - to give you an idea of the work that I'm doing in conjunction with Save-a-Pet Port Elizabeth. Beware sensitive viewers!!

Marley was found in Mission Road with terrible mange. He was nervous, shy and absolutely ravenous:

THEN, Dr du Plessis showed up at Save-a-Pet. He took one look at Marley and took him home. After weeks of treatment for his mange (which he receives at Save-a-Pet, being brought there in a convertible BMW and looking very comfortable with the idea), this is what Marley (renamed Titan) looks like:

Isn't he just beautiful?!

Then Sally, also a Mission Road special, was actually quite loved by her owners', whose only fault was a total lack of education. I brought her into Save-a-Pet for treatment for her mange and injuries looking like this:

 
Poor thing. They say mange feels like your skin is on fire. Imagine the pain. After extensive treatment and loads of TLC, this is Sally today:

She has been returned to her very grateful owners, who are now better equipped to care for her.

Have a great weekend, we're in for a wet one in Port Elizabeth!

Giving up my Day Job

Well, I wish it was time to give up my day job already because there is just so much to do  in the township. The animals in Mission Road, the area I concentrate on, are a motley crew of...basically..medium-sized brown dogs. After generations of interbreeding, they all start to look the same. But, they all share another characteristic - soft eyes that seem to appeal to you (well, definitely to me) for help. Some are loved, fat and healthy, but many are covered in mange, thin, and living with injuries from years ago that have never been attended to. This breaks my heart and, when I retire, I will certainly be spending far more of my time in Mission Road - feeding, bathing and sterilising. I am, however, concerned about funding. At the moment, I work overtime to afford the treatment of these animals. When I retire, though, I just won't have that luxury.

Mission: Get Oprah to read my blog and donate.

This is one of the dogs that was so badly injured by a car that he had to be euthenased. When I told the owner (the gentleman in the picture) that his dog wouldn't make it, his body shook as he wept into his calloused hands. It all gets to be a little much sometimes.

Impressed by Eco-Pressed

Eco-Pressed is featuring a portfolio of featured bloggers, all of whom want to use their blogs for the improvement of the world we share. I love this idea and plan to support them as best I can. It's taken a long time for the earth to get into the shape it's in, and it's going to take us a while to rehabilitate it. The sooner we start, the better. I do hope Southern Comfort is eco-friendly.