Written by Kerry Scott
Photography by Breagh Stirling
They’d been eking out an existence in a Jeppestown drain just off Jules Street, Johannesburg. This was the post about a dog and her puppy on an animal rescue group that caught my attention some six months ago.
Dogs in a drain
Sandton SPCA was going out to try and catch them, so I decided to go too. On my arrival, I saw the SPCA inspector by the drain. Privately owned fire brigade FIRE OPS SA was also on scene trying to lift the drain, but it branches off in different directions and it would be an impossible task.
These dogs were too clever and disappeared into the drainage system. I decided that I’d come daily and feed them, hoping I could earn their trust.
The very next day I was there, and I just spoke calmly to them by the drain so they’d start recognising my voice, and I put down food and water. They didn’t come out while I was there, but as soon as I left, they emerged to gobble up the food. I kept visiting, never making any sudden moves, just leaving food and water, then heading off.
One day, the caramel-coloured dogs stuck their little heads out of the pipe in the drain and let me see them. I then realised there were actually two adults and one pup.
The pup was gone
Across the road from the drain was a park area, and one day when I arrived, the two adult females – one with upright ears, one with floppy ears – were lying there in the sun. As I stopped, they got up and walked slowly towards my car, waiting patiently at a distance for their food. I sat further away from them and watched them eat, calmly speaking to them the whole time.
I named the little trio Cammie, Sandy and Pup, who was around 12 weeks old – Cammie was Pup’s mom. Pup was never allowed in the park; she had to stay very close to the drain. Cammie allowed the pup to come out when I was there, but only at a distance.
And then one day Pup wasn’t there. This concerned me and, when the next day again she wasn’t there, I realised she must have been stolen. Desperate, I made posters and handed them out and stuck them outside the spaza shops, but no luck. I did receive a few calls, but it was never Cammie’s pup. Pup was never seen again.
A quick hello
Every day around the same time I’d go to feed the two dogs. Cammie came out every day when I arrived, but I was never allowed to touch her or come too close because then she’d run straight back into the drain. Sandy was the elder female with upright ears and seemed to have a sore leg and some growths. She wouldn’t come all the way out – she stayed in the drain mostly.
I knew a trap wouldn’t work as they were too clever and wouldn’t come close to it at all.
Spending time with them was the highlight of my day and, slowly but surely, they started trusting me. Eventually, I was allowed to touch Sandy, but Cammie never let me touch her or come too close. At the end of November they didn’t come out of the drain at all and had moved to the top drain. Still, I would sit next to the drain in the road every day with them while they ate but could make no sudden moves around Cammie or she’d dash straight back into the pipe.
Progress at last
Towards the end of December, Cammie came out of the drain to meet me when I arrived, shaking her little tail so much that her whole body moved. It was a quick hello and then back in the drain. My heart poured with so much love for these girls! Every day Cammie would come out and greet me, and then back into the drain she went.
In the second week of January, Cammie sniffed my hand for the very first time. I knew it would be very soon when I could eventually lead her. I did try and touch her, but she moved away very quickly – she’d only smell my hand for a second.
But, at last, the day came when, while she was still in the drain and I was giving Sandy her pain medicine in some liver spread, Cammie tentatively licked my hand. Finally, I was getting somewhere. So, every day, I’d put liver spread on my hand so she could feel my hand on her nose.
I can’t explain how much I loved these two shy, gentle dogs already. When my friend and colleague Kim Frank and I got there in the mornings and called them, we could hear the scuff of their paws walking through the pipe to get to us. Cammie always popped out first and then Sandy.
By that stage, I could have put a lead around Sandy and taken her away, but if I did that, Cammie would never trust me and would never come out to me again. The focus was on getting them out together.
A heart-breaking event
Then, on Monday the 30th of January, for the first time in six months, Cammie didn’t appear. My heart plummeted and I knew in my gut that something was terribly wrong. We drove around Jeppestown’s bustling streets looking for her but couldn’t find her. The next morning, I arrived with the food and called for her but only Sandy popped her head out. I started walking in the park area, calling in all the drains. A local man came over to me and said he thought that one of my doggies had been knocked over in Jules Street, which is three blocks down and a terrible road. I asked him to please show me where she was.
He took me to where the body of a caramel-coloured dog was lying on the side of the busy road, and my heart broke into a million pieces so that I could hardly breathe. It was Cammie. Why, why did she go down there? She never, ever went down there! Another man approached me and said she’d followed another dog down the road.
Heartbroken, I returned to Sandy and fed her and I knew that she knew. I sat there with Sandy and she sat further back in the drain and I just cried and cried. First Pup, now Cammie… This was it, I had to get Sandy out.
Catching Sandy
Over the next three days Kim and I called Sandy to the bottom drain where we knew it was our only hope of getting her out. We called her until she came to the bottom drain but didn’t come out, just popping her little head out enough to eat something before quickly disappearing back into the drain. My heart was aching so badly, but my main aim was to get Sandy out on Saturday; that had to be the day!
I spoke to my original rescue team and came up with a plan to get Sandy out, even if it meant crawling in the drains.
When we arrived on the morning of Saturday the 3rd of February, Sandy quickly came to the top drain, but we didn’t want her there as we wouldn’t be able to catch her. Kim and I went to the bottom drain and called her. We heard her barking very close by, so we carried on talking to her. We could hear her coming closer and closer until soon her beautiful, dark-eyed face appeared.
I smeared some liver spread (her favourite) onto my hands, and when she approached to lick it off, I managed to leash her at the same time. She fought a little bit but was soon out of the drain onto the warm road. She just lay there very calmly and I gently rubbed her, telling her everything was going to be okay.
The start of a new life
We took Sandy to Dr Ash at Orion Veterinary Clinic for a check-up and she was vaccinated. It’s clear that Sandy has had many litters as her teats hang a lot. Her teeth are broken, and she has some growths and pressure spots. She’ll also need knee surgery as it turned out that her knee cap had popped out, which is what’s causing the pain in her back leg.
After her check-up, she went to A New Hope Dog Rescue in Walkerville, where there was a clean, fresh run and a kennel ready and waiting for her. She lapped up a little fresh water and then snuggled into her kennel.
This sweet precious little girl has lived in a drain for almost four years and has fought every step of the way for her survival. She’s had to scrounge for food and live in cold wet drains. She doesn’t know what a soft bed is and she doesn’t know what it’s like to not be afraid every minute of her life. And now I’m fighting for her.
You can help Sandy
This is just the start of a new life for a dog who survived against the odds. Please can I ask you to open your hearts and give Sandy the life she so deserves? With everything she’s gone through, she still wants to be loved and doesn’t want to be afraid anymore.
Sandy will need a lot of treatments; she needs to be spayed, have dental work, her growths removed, and knee surgery, with some physio afterwards.
With your help, we can help Sandy recover from her previous horrible life. Onwards and upwards for you now, Sandy Girl!
Thank you to Ursula Hope, Natascia Day, Karolien Theron and Michael Erwee, and we missed you, Vicky Gerber, for coming through on that Saturday; and thank you to Kim Frank for going on this journey with me. And thanks to Jethro and Jennifer Lohr for feeding Cammie and Sandy for me while I was away in December – I really appreciate your kindness.
My heart is so happy that Sandy doesn’t have to live in fear anymore.
A tribute to Cammie
Cammie, my Sweetheart, you’ll remain in my heart forever, and you took a piece of my heart with you the day I found you, after six months of loving you! My heart aches for you every day. You were supposed to be with Sandy – it was my dream for you. I am sorry, but I promise you that I’m going to give Sandy the life she deserves. I’ll be right beside Sandy every step of the way.
How you can help
Readers can give Sandy the happily-ever-after she so deserves by donating towards her care into A New Hope Dog Rescue’s Account. Or, better yet, consider giving her a happy, loving home…
EFT donations to:
A New Hope Dog Rescue
Nedbank
Business Account
Account: 1180322754
Branch: 198765
Ref: Sandy
WhatsApp proof of payment to: 0027 82 899 7077
Liv Stirling of A New Hope Dog Rescue adds...
Sweet Sandy is looking for her forever home. Sandy is about five years old but looks older because of her hard life in the drain. Her teeth are worn away, and that was probably from eating anything due to hunger. Sandy needs a forever home where she can lie on a soft bed and just relax. A home where Sandy can be very much loved and part of a loving family. Sandy survived against all odds and she deserves this. Should you be willing to offer her a home, email anewhopeadopt@gmail.com.
Find out more about A New Hope Dog Rescue in our article here.
