Written by Michelle du Toit – Adoptions Supervisor: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
Professional photography by Nat Gold ZA
Mercy was admitted as a stray during the busy festive season. The neglected dog had been walking around on a broken leg for eight weeks prior to her admission. She also had a pyometra (infection of the uterus, common in unsterilised females). She was in a bad way…
The adoption process started when Marion Wagner, well known to the SPCA as an animal lover, alerted Wendy (Mercy’s new owner) about Mercy’s plight on our SPCA adoption website.
Doctor Stephan Spamer explained in the video clip how Mercy had ended up being admitted to the SPCA as a “broken” girl with her front right leg so badly broken and neglected that it couldn’t be saved.
Doctor Stephan and his magic team performed a miracle operation, and the leg was removed. Mercy then spent time as a patient in ICU while she recovered; at this stage, she became somewhat of a celebrity patient, and she recovered well enough to be discharged to her own “cage” and ready for adoption.
Since going to her new family, Mercy has settled down and fitted well into her new family of Wendy and Graeme Hyde, Charm and Benji.
Wendy shares…
Mercy looked so similar to our three-legged Charm that we just had to meet her. Michelle arranged for a one-on-one meeting with Mercy, and Emile of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA introduced us to the lively white-and-brown Charm lookalike and all three of us “fell in love”.
The next step was to introduce Mercy to our other two dogs. A few days later, Mercy was introduced to Charm and Benji in an enclosed paddock at the SPCA. Nicole Nel, the SPCA’s animal behaviourist, supervised the introduction (thank you, Nicole!). All went well and Nicole was satisfied that we were a good fit to adopt Mercy.
The next step was the paperwork and a house inspection by Michelle. We collected our new baby on the 18th of December 2021, our Christmas present to one another – what a lovely gift.
We didn’t realise what a special celebrity Mercy was until we were met at the reception by Belinda Abrahams and other excited well-wishers. We were put on the spot as Belinda conducted a video introduction of us meeting Mercy (if we’d known, we would’ve dressed for the event!). Tears flowed freely at Mercy’s farewell!
At first, there were a few confrontations as she found her place in the family hierarchy. Today, Charm (also a brown-and-white tripod) and Mercy are the best of friends and at times even share a pillow. Benji, our senior boy, just lets them play as he watches from a safe distance.
Mercy has joined a group of dogs and attends socialising classes on Wednesday afternoons. She’s coping well in her new life and making friends.
A big thank you goes to the staff and volunteers at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Grassy Park. I encourage anybody thinking of adopting a pet to consider a rescue animal from the SPCA.
To view Mercy’s post-operation progress: 
To view Mercy’s going home:
