Written by Reinet Meyer, Manager & Senior Inspector – Bloemfontein SPCA
Photography by Yolandi Strauss
Warning! There are a few graphic images that are not for sensitive viewers.
We received a call from a concerned member of the public that there was a dog that had been hit by a car, and it had run into a rainwater drain. When we arrived, we found a very scared crossbreed dog inside the drain. On speaking to the person who contacted us, it emerged that the poor dog had been hit by a vehicle and then run away after the driver shouted at it and wanted to injure it.
The dog ran away after being chased by children who threw rocks at her, and she ran into the drain. We couldn’t see much of the dog but knew that we had to get her out of the drain. After struggling for two hours to rescue her, we finally managed to free her. She was severely underweight and had several terrible wounds.
“When we saw her, we knew her name would be a blessing, as she’d had a very tough life and we could see that it wasn’t easy for her,” said Duan Matthee, inspector at the Bloemfontein SPCA. We took Blessing to the vet, who examined her frail body. The vet explained that she had several oil burns, and her ear was rotting away. Although Blessing was very weak and operating would be dangerous, we went ahead with the surgery to try and save her life.
After surgery, Blessing needed much love and attention, along with specialised medication and food. Slowly, we began to gain her trust. Although she didn’t enjoy the medicated creams that we had to use to help her skin heal, she slowly began to trust us more and more. Luckily, a veterinary physiotherapist came to the Bloemfontein SPCA and said she’d help Blessing with laser therapy, which would help to heal her skin.
It was so difficult to finally say goodbye to Blessing once she’d fully recovered and was ready to meet her new family. We’re so happy that she found a perfect home and that the new owners will take care of her in the same way that we took care of her. We’re thankful to everyone who donated to help Blessing and to everyone who gave up their personal time to help her. We’re just very happy that we could save a life.
Zelda van Veenhuyzen, Blessing’s new owner, shares….
I try to avoid articles like Blessing’s because it really upsets me too much, but when I saw the post and the picture of Blessing in the drain, I just had to have her.
We have a Pit Bull named Vixen who has cancer, and a little old lady, Bella, a Boston Terrier.
The introduction was extremely traumatic; Blessing was very scared, but Vixen kept her cool for six long hours, waiting for Blessing to calm down.
Now… oh my word… she’s the perfect match! She’s so kind, so sweet, sleeps in the bed with us, and is learning that a million kisses a day is normal. Oh, and peanut butter! She loves peanut butter! And playing with her sisters is the highlight of her day. How is she so trusting after what happened?
She needs one more operation that we’re saving up for.
We loved Blessing from the moment we saw her and will love her forever more!
