Narrated by Lynette Botes
Photography by Pix for Paws Photography and Tanya Le Roux
Hello everyone, my name is Rozie and I’d like to share my story with you.
I cannot really remember much of my previous life, but I don’t think it was a good one. I remember one day someone took me to the SPCA in Louis Trichardt where I met Aunty Alicia and all the other people there. They had the vet check me out to see if I was okay. I was really in a bit of a state. I must have been alone for some time, because I didn’t really have much hair to speak about and my body had some sores on it. Aunty Alicia took me for a pamper session and a bath at the parlour, and I felt so much better after that.
I then waited for my humans to come and get me, but as time went by, I got very sad because I realised that they obviously didn’t want me anymore. So I settled in on the lovely couches at the LTT SPCA and hoped and waited…
Some time went by and then one day I saw Aunty Alicia coming to get me. With her I saw another aunty whom I didn’t know. It turned out this was Aunty Lynette, my new Mom! She’d seen my picture on Facebook and called to ask if she could adopt me. I don’t really know what the humans are up to when they have to adopt a doggy, but all I know is that it takes some time for inspections or whatever.
Mommy drove from Polokwane to come and get me, nogal on a public holiday. I lay on her lap all the way and she told me all about my new home and even sang me a little song. That made me so happy! (I’m sharing some pictures of when Mommy came and got me and our trip home.)
When we arrived home, I saw with joy that I had four siblings – one brother and three sisters (all rescued too). I settled in very quickly and I even have my own teddy bear, two blankets and four jackets for winter – all for myself – and let me not even start telling you about the food at this home! Chicken and special tinned food and lekker biscuits…
I also have other family members now. Aunty Cecile – who’s Mommy’s sister – and granny, who live in Haenertsburg, and we go there all the time to visit them. I have the best time ever at my new home – we live on a plot and there’s so much space to run, even though I’m not really the athletic type. I don’t know why, but I don’t really use my voice. Even though I can make little happy sounds when Mommy is out and comes back again, I haven’t barked once. I can only wonder why that is? And being a girl, I’m wondering how old I am? Maybe five or eight years old? And I also wonder what type of a doggy I am. A Yorkie-Pom? Who knows?
I’ve now also reached supermodel status as I had the opportunity to go for a professional photo shoot with Aunty Alicia. Although it took a lot of droëwors to get me to pose, I didn’t really mind as everyone tells me how beautiful I am now, compared to how I looked in March 2024. Just shows you what love can do. (And I hope that person who said on Facebook that I was such an ugly little thing sees this and swallows her words.)
So everyone, this is my story. I have a message to all the abused, lost and unhappy animals out there: please don’t give up on hope. You never know when you’re going to look up one day and see someone coming to give you a better life. I pray for all of you out there every night.
Love, Rozie
