Written by Courtney Stassen of Noupoort Animalcare (NAC)
Professional photography by Mariaan Browne
Scampi started her stay at Noupoort Animalcare in October 2019 after being dropped off by her owner who was apparently emigrating. She spent two-and-a-half years at our shelter, probably wondering what she’d done so wrong to be discarded like that. We do our best for animals in our care, but a shelter can only do so much – the ideal is always a loving furever home. And, in May 2022, our dream for Scampi came true!
A call came in from Erma Voigt of CSI (Camdeboo Sterilization Initiative, Graaff-Reinet), who handles our adoptions for us with strict adoption rules in place: she’d found Scampi the perfect home in Port Elizabeth. It left me with mixed feelings; sadness, because I’d have to say good-bye to a face I’d greeted every day for the past two-and-a-half years, and joy, in the knowledge she’d be part of a family and enjoy a couch (probably for the first time in her life of around 10 years!) and have stay-at-home parents and brothers and sisters (of the four-legged kind) to hang with. Her own green lawn to lie upon, visits to the shops and beach with mommy… How could anyone deny her that?
Thank you, Erma, for finding her this amazing home, and Maggie and Craig, for choosing to adopt, and giving a “second-hand” poochie a first-class life.
Craig, Maggie & Matthew, & Rebecca Williams, Scampi’s new family members, share…
Matthew, who has cerebral palsy, partial sight and is on the autism spectrum, loved his boo-mastiff (aka Bull Mastiff), MJ, named after Matthew. Tragically, MJ died suddenly on the morning of the 2nd of May, one day after my birthday. We’d rushed him to the vet on Sunday night, the 1st of May, with “bloat”, which turned out to be a full GDV (Gastric dilatation and volvulus).
The whole family was devastated – our gentle giant was gone. Like most pet owners, we decided there could be no replacement.
I’m part of a few animal networks, and usually I send requests for adoption to friends and colleagues for sharing. In mid-May, I received an email request for a home for a 10-year-old doggie who’d been in a shelter for over two years, networked extensively and yet had no offers for a forever home.
I contacted Courtney (at Noupoort Animalcare) and asked for more details. With details in hand, I chatted to Craig and said: “Let’s give Scampi a home. We have a spare food dish and she needs a forever ‘retirement’ home.”
I’d received a video of Scampi and she was a quiet, placid pooch who appeared to prefer to lie in her kennel than run around with the other dogs. She was responsive to Courtney, and the little tail wag I saw when she greeted Courtney (all on the video) told me she needed a family.
Courtney explained that she’d be driving through to the vet at Graaff-Reinet on Friday the 20th of May and could bring Scampi for us. We made the decision to drive through to fetch her. We prepared Matthew for her arrival and left early to meet our new family member. The back of the Caddy had a Scampi Bed, complete with blanket, teddy bear, treats and water.
We met with Courtney and then Scampi at the vet in Graaff-Reinet. She was quite okay with getting into the car, and the trip home was uneventful. We had three dogs at home to introduce to Scampi and vice versa, which was our weekend’s work. Scampi fitted in quite easily and was amenable to meeting her new “siblings”. Matthew immediately decided this is his new dog and was happy to see her settling in.
Scampi had a nice bath on her first day and spent time in her new garden. It took a few days, but she found her bark and started to join in with her raucous siblings whenever someone “dared” to walk past the house.
We’ve discovered that her hearing is limited, so calling her name doesn’t work too well! She also has cataracts but can still see us. She has arthritis and needs help to get in and out of the car and onto the bed at night to join in with TV watching sessions, which is provided by her new dad, Craig.
She’s a gentle soul who loves her new family, her special bed and blanket, the chair in my study where I work during the day, and her own special sunspots in the garden. She’s caught onto all the routines such as breakfast and supper time, going to the shops at night with Matthew (he has to say good night to the shops at Metlife plaza, so we drive around the shops and home again), following me to the kitchen for the last treat of the day – a biscuit from the Beeno tin – and, of course, snoozing on the bed with mum and dad and siblings during TV time at night.
She can’t walk far but loves a little trot (she literally trots) around the block. She’s an excellent assistant chef who doesn’t miss any time in the kitchen during food preparation and is meticulous about keeping the floor in her vicinity spotless. She’s also not averse to turning on the pleading look when something smells good, and she thinks it should be tested first before I serve it! Her nose works very well indeed.
Scampi has fitted into the family with ease and is loved dearly by all who meet her. She has the gentle nature of MJ the bull mastiff, but not his size, and has added a different dimension to the pack. Her calmness is evident, but she can be feisty when there are people passing by; her fur ruffles up, she’s on guard. She’s picked up weight nicely since she got here – about 8kg – and is looking better for it, I think. Craig calls her our miniature walrus; thankfully, she can’t hear him.
We all love Scampi dearly. She’s one of the most impulsive decisions we have made in our lives, but we have absolutely no regrets. She’s so grateful for a warm and loving home, and she “happy dances” when we get back from anywhere, even a quick trip to the shops, and is always delighted to see us return. As I drive in, her face is first to appear at the gate. If there’s a chance to go for a drive, she “asks” to get into the car. She’s a very expressive doggie who makes her requests known.
Scampi is a total delight and has brought her own brand of love and joy to the household.
