Written by Debbie Wells of Boxer Rescue South Africa
Professional photography by Estivan Barnard of Get to Know Media
We all love stories with happy endings. Well, here’s one that will truly warm your heart – that of Boxer Randee, now named Mika, whose world went from appalling to amazing, thanks to some very caring people.
She spent her life in a cage
But happily-ever-afters don’t always start with happy beginnings. The small tan-and-white Boxer was found in the most dreadful living conditions that are hard to describe in words. She was first noticed by a lady who spotted a very sad-looking dog locked up in a cage in the town of Brandfort. On closer inspection, she was horrified to discover the gross negligence that no living creature should ever endure.
The gentle dog was locked up in a cage 24/7. Her previous owners went about their daily lives while she lived out her days amidst filth and neglect. It was as if everyone had forgotten that there was a dog that should be taken care of. Nobody seemed to care about her; it was as if she didn’t even exist.
She seemed almost apologetic, hanging her head at the space around her, dark, frightened eyes gazing right into your soul. Boxers are high-energy, playful dogs who are busy. They have a great need for human companionship, exercise and mental stimulation. They’re a breed with their own unique personality and have a tendency to be goofy and quirky – sometimes known as clowns of the dog world. They’re always ready to play and make people laugh with their antics. But unfortunately this was far from true with Mika.
Instead of living a life of fun, she was stuck in a cage filled with months and months of her own faeces everywhere you looked, cold concrete flooring without a bed or even a blanket and winter approaching rapidly, left for days without any sign of food or water, without any human interaction or even a toy or anything to chew on to keep her occupied or busy. In the cage there was a very old piece of an animal jawbone which she chewed on; she also chewed on the concrete floor and the wire and steel structure of the cage out of boredom or hunger, we’ll never know, causing great damage to her teeth. Her paws were raw underneath, trying to dig herself out? We’ll never know.
A fighting spirit
Randee was named by her rescuer (the name meaning “one who is safe and protected”, because that was the promise she made the Boxer girl that day). Randee, the fighter that she was, is now named Mika after the atom-weight female world boxing champ – a name that just suits the now-lively energetic Boxer girl perfectly.
The lady who discovered her (who’d prefer to stay anonymous) contacted Boxer Rescue South Africa (BRSA) who swiftly reacted, knowing that she wouldn’t survive the winter months without proper shelter, food and water. BRSA reached out to SPCA Bloemfontein, being the nearest branch to Brandfort. SPCA Bloemfontein, without any hesitation, immediately reacted to the plea call on the same day.
On their arrival, they found the Boxer girl in dire need of rescue. Filthy conditions and a very scared, malnourished, neglected, starving, sad-looking defeated Boxer girl sitting in the corner of her cage. With a pale coat and flaky skin, it looked as if she’d already lost her will to live.
The owner of the dog at first tried to avoid the SPCA but failed in their attempt. The SPCA confronted the owner. He explained that he didn’t even like the dog, with a whole bunch of ridiculous excuses. He surrendered her and she was immediately removed from the property. A case of animal cruelty has been opened against the owner.
Miraculous improvement
With the help of Boxer Rescue South Africa and their kind, loving and open-hearted followers, as well as SPCA Bloemfontein and their followers, donations from the public towards Randee (Mika) came flowing in.
This was enough to ensure a check-up with the vet, all her vaccinations, a special diet for a few weeks, and her sterilisation.
Randee was visited the next day after she was rescued by the lady who first discovered her; she already showed miraculous improvement in less than 24 hours, she seemed less scared, and there were signs of a wagging tail.
For the first three weeks Randee wasn’t up for adoption as she had to be on a special diet and her behaviour towards people and other animals had to be tested and validated. After she had her vet checks she had her first-ever bath. With nutritional food, water and the care necessary needed from the SPCA, Randee had showed remarkable improvement within a few weeks in all aspects, even a new shiny, healthy coat coming through, and she was finally up for adoption. She was adopted by the Taljaard family. Rozelle Taljaard named her Mika.
Reinet Meyer, Bloemfontein SPCA Manager & Senior Inspector shares...
When we arrived at her doorstep, Mika wasn’t a friendly dog. She wanted to bite us and stay in the cage, as that was her safe place. But we knew that this wasn’t a safe place for her and, despite her objections, removed her from that horrible situation.
She didn’t know yet that her real safe haven was yet to come.
We gave her a bath to get the awful smell from her, provided her with medical treatment, and ensured she got the food she desperately needed. Since that first night after we removed her from that horrific situation, she never went to bed hungry again.
The cold was still upon her and donations came in from the public for food, medical care – and warm jackets. Then, along came the Taljaard family, who didn’t just open their hearts for Randee but also their home.
Randee – now Mika – is living the life she always dreamed of. She has brothers and a sister, and her best friend is a cat. She loves spending time with her new human mom when she’s working, and then she can look out the window and just take in the beauty she never had before.
Mika loves to sleep and try out any sleeping position she can – on the cat, on her brother, on her human mom and dad. She’s the queen of comfortable sleeping positions.
Today, Mika is living her ever after that every animal dreams of!
Rozelle and Mika’s happily-ever-after story...
On the 7th of May 2022, I received a very disturbing video about a little Boxer girl from Brandfort hunched in a cage with the saddest, most broken soul I have ever seen. It felt as if somebody had ripped my heart out of my chest. I’ll never forget just how broken her spirit looked in the video.
Being a huge dog lover and Boxer fan, having had Boxers for the past 12 years and being the Free State volunteer for Boxer Rescue SA, this girl immediately spoke to my heart. I just knew that we had to get her out of her current circumstances ASAP. Even though I hadn’t met her yet, I had this strong connection with her immediately, as if she’d looked straight into my soul with those sad eyes.
All of us at Boxer Rescue SA waited in tense anticipation that day when we finally got the news that Mika had been confiscated by Bloemfontein SPCA – heart-felt joy and many happy tears were shed that day.
I want to thank the lady who reported this. She’s the true hero in this story. We all need to be a voice for the voiceless. As she said, “We can’t rescue all the dogs in the world, but we can change the world for one dog.”
We were delighted to get videos the very next day when the lady who reported this incident went to visit “Randee” at the SPCA; she already looked a hundred times better. We couldn’t believe the difference already.
I decided to adopt this little Boxer girl and immediately started the process by sending in my application and getting the ball rolling with the necessary home check, etc.
On the 11th of May, I went to Bloemfontein SPCA to meet her. It was love at first sight. She couldn’t get enough of me (and vice versa) – she kept crawling in under my arm and there were kisses in abundance! I knew that I’d made the right decision by adopting her. Two days later, I went to pick her up.
We had a three-hour trip home, and she slept like a baby the whole way. She was dead tired and just had this look of relief on her face.
Getting home, we were all nervous about the meet-and-greet session with the other animals. She obviously wasn’t used to anything, so we didn’t know what to expect and how she’d react, but this little trooper surprised us all beyond our wildest imagination. She was a bit wary at first with her new surroundings, but soon relaxed and quickly made friends with her new brothers and sister. She even made friends (and now loves) my cat! I decided to change her name to Mika (most of the time it’s “Mika Muis”).
Mika came into our lives so unexpectedly. She taught us in a very short time what bravery and unconditional love is. She’s got the gentlest, sweetest personality. When I look at her all tucked up in a warm bed under a soft blanket, I still cannot but cry. I often wonder what’s going through her mind and if she remembers her time in that horrible cage at all.
Every time she runs free, rubs her little body on the grass, or lies in the sun on her back, I promise her that this is how it’s going to be like all of her days left on this earth. She’ll never go cold or hungry or unloved ever again; may she always know that.
To the public: please keep on supporting organisations like BRSA and SPCA that really contribute to making a difference in each and every animal’s life. It’s with your kind donations towards these organisations that makes it possible to find every dog “a happily ever after” – a warm, loving home they truly deserve.
Thank you for your donations towards Randee’s rescue and recovery, to the kind lady who reported her situation, and the SPCA Bloemfontein for uplifting her. Please make sure to follow Bloemfontein SPCA and Boxer Rescue South Africa (BRSA) on Facebook. Also thank you to Happy Tails for sharing our story.
About Boxer Rescue South Africa
Boxer dogs are a wonderful breed but, sadly, increasingly find themselves rehomed, often several times in their lifetime because their specific needs are simply not met. Boxer Rescue South Africa (NPO: 173-975 NPO and NPC 2016/299648/08) aims to help the Boxer breed by supporting adoption, educating about Boxer needs, and combating irresponsible breeding practices. For more information, please email boxerRescueSouthAfrica@gmail.com and follow them on @BoxerRescueSouthAfrica www.facebook.com/BoxerRescueSouthAfrica
