Co-Founders/Directors Nicole (left) and Michelle, together with Pieter, their “lover boy”, who lives in the township and enjoys hanging out with them
Written by Nicole Botha, Co-Founder/Director of For the Love of Animals, with photographs supplied by the author
For the Love of Animals provides a lifeline for the needy animals of the village of Melkhoutfontein, just outside of Stilbaai. We started this organisation two years ago with the goal of doing mass sterilisation campaigns and education regarding animal welfare in this community, once a thriving fishing settlement but now mired in poverty.
Today, it’s run by volunteers with a huge passion for animals and is a registered non-profit company (NPC 2021/445626/08) and public-benefit organisation (PBO).
We’ve had to change our goals many times over this period, as working with the community is very different to thinking how the community is run and what’s needed to make drastic changes. Besides being animal rescue workers, we’ve had to become sports instructors, teachers at the local shelter/aftercare facility, friends, mothers, builders and law enforcement officers.
Working towards community change
Our primary focus is on animal sterilisation campaigns to prevent further breeding, abuse and suffering. Education is essential in cultivating compassion for all living beings and thus preventing neglect and cruelty.
Weekly outreaches allow us to build up trust in the community of the people whose animals we assist. Volunteers persuade pet owners to spay and neuter their pets so that we can sign them up for our next sterilisation campaign. We also offer deworming, dipping and minor wound care where needed.
When needed, we rehome unwanted animals, following a strict adoption procedure involving home checks and mandatory sterilisation. We don’t have kennelling facilities, relying solely on foster homes for animals that have been surrendered to us.
Our weekly schedule includes fundraising, medical care and treatment of diseased and injured animals, vet runs to sterilise animals and euthanise those that are suffering, feeding of all the street animals and dropping off of food parcels to those who’ve lost their jobs and can’t afford to take care of their animals anymore, taking the kids to golf practice at the Stilbaai golf course once a week and making sure their coaching sessions run smoothly the rest of the week, educational classes through the Four Paws Global NPC manuals, fence building and securing of properties, collecting, fixing and dropping off of dog kennels at those who don’t yet have them, writing out warning forms and asking law enforcement for assistance in certain cases, dealing with “tik heads” and their dog fighting in the township as well as illegal breeding and severe neglect and abuse.
Michelle Panton and I run the organisation full time, and the above-mentioned activities are undertaken by us two ladies alone 90% of the time, every day of the week, 24/7.
It might seem to many like we’re wasting our time trying to “save” or “fix” a community, but when your every living moment is occupied with motivation, purpose and passion for a cause, it’s impossible to stop. Our wish is to see every dog living their life off chains and with adequate shelter in a safe environment.
An overarching vision
Our aim is to get the communities of Stilbaai and Melkhoutfontein to form a closer bond and stand up as one to fight the drugs, crime and gangsterism which are rife. Doing marches together against drugs and gender-based violence to instil compassion and empathy for one another and including the kids from Melkhoutfontein in our park-runs on Saturday mornings is a great way of doing so. Recently, we had our first park-run and bodyboarding session afterwards, with the NSRI assisting and teaching the kids about sea rescue.
We’re in the process of applying for funding for a December/January holiday programme for the kids to get them off the streets and make sure they get food and avoid substance abuse and violence at home during the festive period.
We’ll never lose hope and will keep on trying our best to make positive changes day by day, step by step.
You can help!
We’ve been dreaming about achieving PBO status for so long, and it’s taken us 10 months to eventually get through all the paperwork and approvals. As you may know, this is a super-strict process and the funds are allocated to only what is in our MOI (Memorandum of Incorporation), and every cent gets accounted for. Our tax consultant handles all the finances, and his company has been amazing in support of our cause. This means we can issue Section 18A Certificates to donors, and we’re exempt from income tax. Any donations make a difference.
Donations like blankets, leashes, collars, dog and cat food, kennels, and bowls are very welcome and appreciated.
Our bank account details are:
For the Love of Animals
ABSA Bank
Branch code: 630532
Account no: 4100483588
or
https://pay.yoco.com/for-the-love-of-animals/
PBO bank account details:
ABSA Bank
Account name: FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS NPC
Account no.: 4105391786
Branch code: 632005
Account Type: Current account
For more information, contact Nicole on 072 530 1892, email nicole.bovey@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook @stilbaairescue and Swings of Hope @Melkiesgolfers.
