Written by Kimbal Mare of Kimbal For the Love Of Animals (https://www.facebook.com/savingoneatatimetogether/)
Professional photography by Cindy Allen Photography
The cream-coloured dog had been living around the dumps behind the Edenvale SPCA… and he was a serious “runner”. He was in need of help but he wasn’t going to let himself be caught easily.
Catching Hadedas
In early December I was asked to assist with catching this dog. Edenvale SPCA’s Inspector Jade Nel and I went out a few times to see where the stray Labrador-mix dog was spending his days and there had been numerous attempts to catch him, but Leroy (as we later named him) was having none of it.
Marissa Meano and Zalita Laas from Purple Red Paws Amaranthine Rescue & Rehabilitation and I painstakingly set up a trap cage to catch him. We anxiously awaited our “big catch” and the cage was closely monitored.
The only thing we caught were Hadedas. (Luckily for them, I checked that cage at least four times a day and Mark Dando, a resident in the area, kept a close eye on the trap so, as soon as they were in, we dutifully let them out and set the trap again.)
Deciding to dart
I’ve caught many dogs over the years but Leroy seemed almost impossible to catch and remained elusive.
The moment he spotted a human he was gone with the wind and there was no such thing as gaining his trust.
We managed to keep an eye on his sleeping spot and where, much to our horror, he enjoyed afternoon snacks: the local birdlife. I must just add that he looked far from starving, so perhaps the birds were just his fetish?
After many days of unsuccessful trapping and moving the trap cage to various spots in the enclosed area, I made the difficult decision to have Leroy darted. This is not a quick fix and can be incredibly dangerous; there’s not a very big area to dart on a dog and hence it can be very risky. Plus, if left unsupervised, a darted animal can wander off and hurt themselves or even be killed.
The game is on
Arrangements were made with Dr Larry Kraitzick from Bruma Lake Veterinary Clinic to be present to oversee Leroy’s care once darted.
Senior Inspector Ronald Ramalata from Booysens SPCA was to make the first attempt at darting our elusive Leroy. However, that day it rained and Leroy was a no-show. The next people to come to the rescue were the NSPCA, who arranged with their veterinarian, Dr Bryce Marock, to assist with the darting.
A full volunteer team consisting of people from the community and members from the Toboe’s Legacy Rescue Group was arranged, strategically placed in a semi-enclosed area to ensure that Leroy did not exit and end up in the road after being sedated.
Just one shot
We knew we had only one “shot” and were all poised for action… yet somehow this clever boy managed to sneak up on us. But Dr Bryce was on top of his game: he took aim and darted him spot-on!
True to form, Leroy wasn’t going to come quietly and made us give chase for a solid nine minutes before going down. The team played a vital role in steering him away from the exit area while Marissa and I did some serious climbing in between the barbed wire that afternoon.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he was out cold. We carried him back so Dr Bryce could examine him and reverse the sedation. Then he was whisked off to safety.
A new life for Leroy
Leroy was transported to Dr Larry, where he was monitored for two days and then taken to Olivia Stirling of A New Hope Rescue. He spent time in rehabilitation, being prepared for adoption. He is such a handsome boy and it came as no surprise when he was promptly adopted by the Halcrow family.
He is truly loved and now has the privilege of enjoying family life (without having to hunt local birdlife).
With so many people putting everything into his rescue over almost four weeks, Leroy was finally safe, leaving us with happy memories and the privilege of sharing his happy tale. It was well worth all the effort.
Mareike Halcrow, Leroy’s owner, says, “The moment I saw Leroy’s post on Facebook I fell in love with him. We weren’t looking for a new family member but it was as if he was just meant to be a part of our family.
“From the moment Leroy arrived, he settled right in. It was as if he was always a part of our family. Leroy is an extremely lovable dog and he has filled our home with lots of love and laughs!”
