Written by Diane Hingley of Animal Protection Network
Photography by Lize Müller
Toko was named by the New South Vet as she was found in the Gauteng township of Thokoza. Thokoza/Toko means ‘Thank You’ in isiZulu.
Dog in an ambulance
I received a frantic phone call from Ursula Hope of Linmeyer Community Animal Rescue Association (LCARA) about a severely ill dog that had been picked up by animal-loving paramedic Bianca Castleman Peens. The dog was now in her ambulance, on oxygen and a drip. Poisoning was suspected, and Bianca was desperately looking for a vet.
I immediately contacted the Animal Protection Network committee, of which I am a member, to ask permission to use our 24-hour vet account at New South Veterinary Centre (NSVC).
Next, I phoned NSVC and said an ambulance with a critically ill dog, who we suspected had been poisoned, was on their way to them. Dr Ida’s team were ready and waiting for Bianca, but when she arrived, the centre was in the midst of load shedding. Bianca was asked to keep Toko on the drip and oxygen, and her partner and the vet’s helper used their cell phone flashlights while Bianca and the vet administered life-saving drugs to the terrified dog.
It is believed Toko was poisoned with two poisons, one of which was Aldicarb (the dreaded “Two-Step”) and the other still unknown. It’s nothing short of miraculous that she survived. Dr Ida said that the combination of Bianca’s rapid transporting, starting treatment immediately, and NSV’s excellent expertise all contributed to the saving of Toko.
Toko’s ups and downs
When Toko was ready to be released, I collected her and brought her to my home to be treated for ticks and fleas, the warning from Dr Ida ringing in my ears that, should Toko get Biliary/tick bite fever, her chance of survival was nil.
Next, Toko was off to her temporary foster home. Vanessa Fitzpatrick, the owner of Doggie Den in Randburg, was taking her until we could find a long-term foster and then, hopefully, a permanent home.
But, while Toko was with Vanessa, she took a turn for the worse and fell ill with vomiting and diarrhoea. Panic set in as my first thoughts were Biliary or Parvo or both. I raced through to Randburg, and Vanessa and I rushed Toko to one of Vanessa’s. Fortunately, the tests came back negative for both of these dreaded diseases. The vet’s diagnosis was that the after-effects of the poisoning, along with hookworms, had caused the bloody diarrhoea and malnutrition.
Toko moved on to another foster, Marianne Kuhlhoff, who continued to work with Toko and even brought her back to Paws in Motion in Alberton for her sterilisation. There were numerous ups and downs with Tokyo’s rehabilitation. She was terrified and could not be physically handled, and there was the chewing of cell phone chargers, high-heeled shoes, credit cards, and fighting with other dogs, but Marianne persevered. Toko was put onto fluoxetine to help her cope. And cope, she did.
Toko’s new life
Some months later, with great excitement, we got the news that Toko had a permanent home. Toko joined Meriska Oosthuizen and her daughter, Grethe, in their home.
Our latest update is that Toko is extremely happy and is no longer taking fluoxetine. She now actively seeks love and attention as she knows she is loved unconditionally. We are confident that Toko will now live a full and happy life, which is what every dog deserves.
Tokyo’s story is a lesson on how compassion and people working together can achieve great things. It starts with someone not waiting for ‘someone’ to ‘do something’. Bianca did not wait for ‘someone’ – she was that someone. APN and LCARA showed how rescues working together can make a difference. Vanessa, Marianne (who said it was a privilege to rehabilitate Toko), Meriska and Grethe came forward to change a precious life. And, of course, the amazing vets at New South Veterinary Centre and Paws in Motion who offer their services and time to help us be part of a miracle. Thank you to each and every one who was that ‘SOMEONE’.
Meriska, Toko’s owner, shares her life with them…
We decided that it was time that our girls, Mieke (13) and Grethe (12), each got a dog of their own. Originally, we only looked at rescues. I asked around, and Marianne, whom I’ve known for years, responded that she was fostering a girl dog, so we decided to go visit Toko.
Toko was shy at first, but with lots of treats in our hands, she soon interacted with us. We decided that we would adopt her; and that she would be Grethe’s dog.
In the beginning, we as a family had to work very hard to win her trust. We adopted a Great Dane puppy for Mieke (whom we named Oreo) because we realised that Toko and another rescue might be too much for us to handle and that it was very important to do things correctly to ensure that Toko has a happy life. Toko and Oreo became best friends.
In the beginning, Toko chewed everything she could find - shoes, duvets, pillows, phones, etc. She also panicked quickly and would defecate and constantly urinate, no matter where she was. With lots of guidance from our vet and Marianne, we started to build up the trust that Toko had lost in humankind.
Grethe was a superstar, and she had so much patience with Toko. Whilst Grethe was at school, I worked from home and would spend hours with Toko. She got to the point where she would climb onto my bed with me, and we would just play, and she would be comfortable to sleep. Gradually, she started trusting Mieke too.
Toko showed a great fear towards men and, with my husband working away, sometimes that bond was a bit more difficult to create. But Toko is now very comfortable with my husband Neill, and she happily allows him to pet her.
When we have visitors, Toko will disappear at first. We would have a braai, and only after two hours would she have the courage to come and greet the guests (from a distance). Now Toko interacts with our friends and family and is quite comfortable. She only allows us to touch certain parts of her whilst Grethe is allowed more. Slowly but surely, that will also get better as she has shown remarkable growth in her time with us. I also foster kittens, and she’s great with the cats as well. She brings us so much joy, and being able to see and share what great strides she has made is extremely humbling for our family. We just love her so much.
Toko enjoys naps in the sun, playing with her best friend Oreo, running and jumping to catch birds, time with the family and especially the braais, where she is assured of getting a snack from Neil!
About Animal Protection Network
Animal Protection Network – Alberton (APN) was established to rescue, save and rehome unwanted and stray dogs, cats and other animals in need in the area of Alberton, Gauteng. They are a registered non-profit organisation (2017/126811/08). For more information, visit http://www.animalprotection.co.za/ or follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Animal-Protection-Network-135847217244949.
