Written by Alison Wood-Callander
Professional photography by Roxanne Zunckel of What a Treat
In July I adopted Lily (previously named Golly) from Animal Welfare Helderberg. It had been a long wait because, way back in 2020, we were the proud owners of two beautiful Border Collies, Maya and Sam. Maya was adopted off Gumtree (sadly) as her parents were going to live at a game lodge and couldn’t take her with them, and Sam was adopted via Facebook from an animal rescue organisation which was closing down and there was a threat of him being put down. But, tragically, in 2020 both of them were diagnosed with cancer. In April we lost Maya and in May we lost Sam. I tried living without dogs for two months.
Finding Finn
In July of 2020 I was scrolling through Facebook animal rescue pages and came across this sad and mangy-looking dog called Moro who was at Swellendam SPCA. It looked as though no one wanted him. I saw his little mangy face and I just couldn’t bear to leave him unadopted.
He came from the informal settlement in Railton, Swellendam. He’d contracted mange and the owners didn’t want him. They surrendered him in the most awful state and it took a long while for him to be ready for adoption. When I saw the advert everything in it said that he was the kindest, sweetest dog with the most gentle nature.
My daughter and I drove up to Swellendam on a rainy Saturday, the 1st of August 2020, to adopt Finn (Moro). He’s been the best dog ever. He was very shut down when he arrived here, but once he was introduced to playing with a ball his life changed. He’s so gentle and absolutely just loves the beach and his ball. He’s always been my best boy and he used to go out into the garden and just play with the ball all by himself, throwing it up into the air and catching it.
I never really settled on the idea of him being an only dog and always wanted a sibling for him. We kept looking to rescue but didn’t find the right dog.
I had to have her
There were some dogs that I wanted but they went quickly. There was even one dog, Layla, whom we adopted from Border Collie Rescue, but she was completely the wrong fit for us. We returned her to Border Collie Rescue’s Natalie Brink who’d been fostering her. I’ve never felt so defeated and like such a terrible human being, so I was really nervous to adopt again, and my husband forbade me to put us through the same heartbreak.
I’d tease my husband daily at work with pictures of rescue dogs and it would be a resounding “no”. Purely by chance I saw the post of Lily (Golly) and I just knew I had to have her. I drove out for a meet-and-greet with Finn – Lily was more interested in everything else and definitely snapping at Finn all the time. I was offered to take Lily on trial but was so nervous that I was doing the wrong thing by getting another dog in case it didn’t work out and I’d have to return her. I just didn’t want to fail another dog.
Lily had been rejected twice before and was struggling to get adopted as she was reticent. Her life was living in Elsie’s River with no one caring for her, only to be surrendered and her owners not even giving a backward glance. Her second home involved her being the everything to a 16-year-old home-schooled girl where she was “used” as an emotional support animal, once again only to be given away by the mother as she apparently couldn’t bear that the dog was everything to her daughter. She had a few meet-and-greets but none stuck as she was too fearful and stuck to herself. When I met her, I saw she was fearful and wanted to give her that chance.
I contacted Susan from AWS Helderberg and she was absolutely amazing, assuring me that it was absolutely effortless to take Lily on trial and all I needed to do was fetch her. So, on Saturday morning, the 1st of July, we drove to fetch Lily. She and Finn sat in the back of the car together without a peep or a growl.
We got her home and she was so nervous and still doing the snappy thing. That night she slept at the foot of our bed, safe and warm. On day 2 we went to the beach, which she loved and was so sociable and wanted to greet all the dogs on the beach.
She was quite fearful and had extremely bad separation anxiety, so much so that I got her a calming collar. It was only through the patience of Finn and the love that he showed her that she’s very happy and well balanced without any separation anxiety whatsoever.
A perfect fit
It wasn’t long before she and Finn became the perfect team – it didn’t even take a week! She’s settled in completely and she and Finn go everywhere together and they mimic each other’s behaviour. Now, every day is the most extremely happy day, beginning with long walks on Camps Bay beach, followed by breakfast and then playtime with Finn throughout the day.
The two of them are a match made in heaven. We waited so long for Lily and we actually cannot imagine how it was without her before. I remember Finn every evening going outside to play with his ball and I always felt he was so lonely. That’s why I’m so happy he now has his best friend.
She was the missing piece in our puzzle. Finn is the happiest he’s ever been, and Lily is happy and home.
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