Fi and her friend Alison set out for a long trip with me on board....
Did I mention it was a long trip? We were headed for the North West Province to a place called Happy Yappers which is an animal sanctuary. There are donkeys, pigs, cats and DOGS, DOGS, DOGS!
Fi and Alison were taking over bags of old cards and scrapbook papers and other crafty bits for the lady that runs the place. She makes cards to raise a bit of extra funding and also as an advertisement for the sanctuary.
It is run by a lady named Gay Freeborough, who rescues animals that have been neglected in terribly inhumane manners, some of the dogs are on deaths door when she gets them. She gives them food, medication, a home and more love than I ever though one person was ever capable of. Even the ugly dogs and my goodness, I have never seen such a sight in my life...Fi is not going to show you those dogs, we are going to keep this a happy update.
The sanctuary is run entirely on donations as Gay and her husband have a full time job looking after the animals. There are over 400 dogs on the property. Amazingly enough, she knows the names and history of EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL on the plot!!!!
All of the dogs are in pens. As finances allow, cement huts are built for the dogs (they tend to chew up the wooden ones!) and new pens are always being built.
The newer dogs are all still thin looking, but the dogs that have been around are a healthy size and their coats gleam.
I caused quite a stir amongst this lot!
Unlike the animal rescue centres like the SPCA, the dogs have a lot of space and they bark happily, instead of that pitiful whining.
Even this lot (the motley crew, who have been treated for mange, but will never look the same again...)
Even the pigs seemed quite content.
These cute little pups are ready to go to their new homes.
Oh, they are so sweet!
Sorry pups, I have to turn my back on you - I just can't take you home as much as I want to...
We had better leave now before we end up with extra passengers in the car!