Written by Shannon-Lee Beukes, Adoption Supervisor/Co-Ordinator, Animal Welfare Society of South Africa
Professional photography by Keelan Stanley Nel
Mina-moo was found in a hole on a large open field where she’d tucked herself and her three beautiful pups away for safety and warmth. Our team was quickly dispatched and managed to bring the little family to safety. Her pups were only a few weeks old at the time.
Mina-moo was an incredible momma who’d clearly been through so much, yet she remained gentle and loving. Once her babies were old enough, they each found wonderful, loving homes.
And then, it was finally HER turn! Mina-moo, who’s now known as Penny, has been adopted by an amazing family who absolutely adore her, and she’s living the life she so truly deserves. She’s also made her forever best friend, Ally the cat, and her sister Lexi.
Lucille Seton, Penny’s owner, shares...
In February 2025, my Husband and I had this yearning for another dog; we always felt a bit apprehensive about the idea because of our beloved elderly fur baby Lexi, who’s a rescue from the SPCA (10 years ago already).
She doesn’t take well to other animals nor likes to be left alone, so she has 24-hour care (mostly with us and occasionally with a house sitter or her grandmothers). Then there’s our newest addition (two years ago), Ally, the small cat who was rescued by a truck driver on the freeway and taken to a warehouse where she found her own survival tactics, such as sleeping on a forklift, to keep warm and begging for food from the staff. My husband decided she too needed a proper home and suggested we take her in – I need to remind him how happy I am he did.
We love the Animal Welfare Society and something about “Mina-moo” took hold of our hearts and we wanted to give it a try. We checked with Shannon from AWS whether she’d be okay with a cat. She did a trial run with the AWS office cat, which went swimmingly.
When she arrived at our home, we were quite nervous for our two fur babies, and I think Penny was the most nervous of them all. Lexi was fine with the idea, because Penny didn’t bother her at all. Ally was very cross with us, and not happy about someone else to compete with, especially when it came to her food robot (it’s a “no go” area for dogs). Surprisingly enough, Penny respected Ally completely and never went near her food or interfered with her. It didn’t take long before Ally realised Penny was not her enemy but actually her friend.
Penny wags her tail at Ally and gives her a big lick at times, and Ally quite happily accepts the attention. Sometimes when Ally is in a bad mood she starts smacking Penny with her paw, and Penny just stands patiently and ignores her until she gets over herself. Sometimes they even look like they’re having a quiet conversation together, and at other times we find Ally (this small thing) chasing Penny (not small) around the garden – it’s so funny. Penny is wonderful with Lexi and I often find them sitting together or scheming their morning walks.
Most days Penny gets to go for beautiful walks in the fields and the neighbourhood with her sister Lexi. She loves it so much! At home we play with her in the garden or indoors with her toys. It’s amazing to see how she’s come out of her shell in just four months. Penny is showered with our love every day. We make sure she has the cosiest beds to sleep on, proper blankets to keep her warm, is nurtured and loved the way she and all those animals out there truly deserve. My husband constantly thanks me for the decision to rescue Penny.
I hope and pray that every happy story is a reminder to everyone out there to open their hearts and homes to these wonderful fur babies. The greatest reward is LOVE.
