Happy Hanna

Written by African Tails – Adoption Manager: Sandy Clifton

Professional photography by Nat Gold ZA

Hanna came to be part of the African Tails family after her saviour, Miriam, rescued her from the side of the road in Hanover Park, Cape Town. She was still just a baby, emaciated and hanging on to life by a thread.

Miriam decided to be her official foster mom and we supported her all the way with good nutritious food for Hanna and we covered any medical care she needed.

Slowly but surely, little Hanna found the joy in food by accepting small bits of syringe-fed broth, moving up to larger bites of cheese – soon to become one of her favourite snacks!

Hanna blossomed in Miriam’s care and it was time for her to find a home of her own. There were a few enquiries, but Miriam still hung to that last thread of hope that she might be able to keep Hanna. But then came a new demanding job, and Miriam knew she couldn’t keep her.

Not long after Miriam started her new job, I received an email enquiring about Hanna’s availability. I realised this was going to be a tricky one as I knew that Hanna and Miriam shared a strong bond. But this time Miriam’s heart was open to giving Hanna the best life she could ask for and agreed to meet the applicant, Kat Coetzee, and her partner.

They had a gorgeous young dog called Alistair and the two dogs hit it off immediately. It gave everyone, especially Miriam, the peace of mind that the right decision had been made.

Hanna settled into her new home and routine immediately and is adored by her new family, especially her new brother Alistair.

Kat, Hanna’s new owner, shares...

Don and I had recently moved into a new home and had started talking about the fact that our three-year-old dog, Alistair, needed a sister. We could see that he was getting lonely at times and would benefit from having a canine companion with whom he could share his days.

One day, while scrolling through the African Tails Facebook page, I came across Hanna’s photo and instantly knew she was The One. There was just something about her. I could picture her fitting perfectly into our family – loving and affectionate, but also confident and strong enough to keep up with Alistair's rough-and-tumble style of play.

When we met Miriam, we were completely blown away by what she’d done for Hanna. Hearing her story and seeing the incredible transformation Miriam had helped her achieve made us admire her even more. The love, dedication and patience it must’ve taken to nurse Hanna back to health was truly inspiring.

One of my favourite early memories was taking both dogs to the beach. Alistair has always been nervous of the water, but somehow Hanna convinced him to venture into the sea with her. It was such a special moment to witness.

Since adopting Hanna, she’s brought so much love, calm and happiness into our home. She’s endlessly affectionate, full of cuddles, and has the sweetest little mannerisms that make us smile every day. There’s such depth and intelligence in her eyes, and she has an incredible way of communicating exactly what she wants and how she feels.

She settled into our family almost immediately and now we simply cannot imagine life without her. She loves sitting on the porch watching the world go by, curling up with us for bedtime cuddles, watching television from the couch, and, most of all, playing with her brother, Alistair.

Watching the bond between them grow has been one of the greatest joys of adopting her. Hanna has brought something truly special into our lives and has helped pull our little family unit together in the most beautiful way.