Written by Megan Panton of MuttMix and Dr Alison Kamffer
Professional photography by Jackie Wernberg Photography
Alison wasn’t looking for another dog – not after a year that had already asked too much of her heart.
But, sometimes, the dogs who need us most don’t wait for the “right time”.
It was just a passing moment – a scroll through Facebook, a drive past the Winelands SPCA – and then… that face. Small, broken, covered in mange. Yet still wagging her tail, as if she hadn’t given up on the world that had almost given up on her.
She was unwanted.
She was “too much”.
She was a black dog – the kind often overlooked.
But Alison saw something different.
Before Truffle even knew it, her story had already begun to change.
Alison shares...
As I already had four rescues I wasn’t looking for another dog in 2025. We’d had a traumatic year of losing another rescue.
One day in August I was visiting a nearby town, which meant driving past our local Winelands SPCA. When scrolling through Facebook, there was this terribly sad little face, covered in mange, on the SPCA page. Something wouldn’t let me ignore her, so I called in on my way home. Jameelah Collins told me that they’d been doing their rounds in a poorer area of Robertson, and the “owner” almost threw her at them, saying: “Vat haar en sit haar uit, sy stink.” (Take her and put her down, she stinks).
Well, stink she did, but even in her sorry state she was wanting to play, and her tail was wagging. I know black dogs are less adoptable, but when one of the staff said that her chances of finding a home were minimal, I decided there and then that she’d found one!
I started visiting to give her medicated baths, and once she’d had a dose of tick and flea treatment, and was deemed good to go, home she came.
Naming was a challenge, and I and a couple of friends went through dozens, if not hundreds! Eventually, one friend accompanied me for bath time and immediately suggested “Truffle”. She was black, wrinkled and smelly, but precious!
When I collected her, Jameelah said she was afraid to have a collar around her neck, so I overcame that with a cotton bandana for a few days. She’s still afraid of being held by the neck, but perfectly happy in a collar. When she came home, she was too fearful to even pass through any door! Perhaps she’d never been inside a house, or had doors slammed on her. Plenty of treats helped her overcome her fears. The rest of the pack accepted her readily, and she followed every pawstep of her aunt Sophie, the matriarch of the family.
She’s now been attending dog school, where I’m an assistant trainer, and has proved to be very a bright and quick learner. She’s recently obtained her basic training certificate, and next stop will be bronze Canine Good Citizen in May!
Truffle’s MuttMix Results:
90% Labrador Retriever
10% Bernese Mountain Dog
Her MuttMix was something of a surprise, as the Lab Retriever was easy – she loves water, and fetching and carrying. But the Bernese was unexpected. She’s black with grey mixed in, and only weighs 12kg, so is rather small for such a mix. However, having had such a poor start, there may well be some stunting.
Either way, she’s now a much-loved family member and no longer wrinkled and smelly, just black and precious Truffle!
