Written by Amy Gooden of Animal Anti-Cruelty League – Durban & Pietermaritzburg
Professional photography by desdot
Amber arrived at Animal Anti-Cruelty League – Durban & Pietermaritzburg in December 2023 as a tiny puppy, alongside her mom and siblings. They’d been rescued from a heart-breaking situation of abuse and abandonment.
From the very beginning, Amber stood out – not just for her resilience, but because she looked completely different from the rest of her little family, as if she had her own unique story to tell.
While her mom and sister were adopted, Amber stayed behind. The kennels became the only world that she knew as she grew from a playful puppy into a beautiful young dog. Despite this, she never lost her gentle, loving nature.
Amber became known for one very special thing: her hugs. The kind that are impossible to forget.
A few months before her adoption, Lisa Candler visited Animal Anti-Cruelty League – Durban & Pietermaritzburg with her mom. From the moment that they met, there was an instant connection. Amber didn’t hesitate – she walked right up and gave one of her signature hugs. It was a simple moment, but one that clearly meant something more.
Lisa left that day, but Amber stayed with her. She couldn’t stop thinking about the dog who’d reached out so openly, so lovingly. And so she came back for Amber. Just before her third birthday, Amber’s life finally changed. She left the kennels behind and stepped into a home of her own, with a wonderful family, dog siblings, and space to run and truly be a dog for the very first time.
To Lisa: Thank you for coming back. Thank you for seeing Amber, for giving her the time, love, and the chance that she’d been waiting her whole life for. Because of you, Amber’s story didn’t end in a kennel, it began in a home. After everything, Amber didn’t just find a family, she found exactly where she belongs.
Lisa, Amber’s owner, shares...
I was searching for a small dog for my ageing mum who was suffering depression and anxiety after we had to put her companion – a 16-year-old Jack Russell – down. She was lonely and battling without a dog companion. I decided to visit Animal Anti-Cruelty League – Durban & Pietermaritzburg, based in Hammarsdale, to see if there were any smaller dogs to adopt.
We were introduced to many different dogs, but Amber had that special something in her character. My mom wasn’t convinced as she was a bit bigger than she was looking for.
We put the whole exercise on hold until the New Year, and on my way to Durban to fetch my daughter from the airport, I decided to revisit AACL on our way home. I asked if there were any small dogs that had come in and was introduced to a few which I knew weren’t suitable for our situation.
I asked if Amber was still there and they said yes. The handler went to fetch her and it was an instant reconnection when I met her again. She was missing a nail on her front paw from trying to get out of her kennel and I knew she was meant to come home with me.
After yard inspections and filling out the paperwork, we collected Amber for the trip home to Howick to meet her new family and friends. She was very nervous in the car going home but settled quickly with her two new friends – two black male Labradors. She’s especially bonded with three-year-old Cooper, and they’re now best buddies, running and playing all day in the garden. She so enjoys her walks down to the river and running free with her friends Baxter and Cooper.
Amber has landed herself in the lap of luxury and is enjoying her new life in Howick. It brings tears to my eyes to see how happy she is running free and enjoying life.
