Neighbours tell you a dog’s given birth in a wheelbarrow…

You know the house well, you’ve sterilised their dogs already, clearly you missed one.

You see the pups, most dead, some still clinging to life – too young, too weak…you know you’ll try anyway.

Well – you’ll ask your most trusted bottle feeder to try, tell her it’s unlikely they’ll make it, know she’ll blame herself when they don’t.

You see the mother dog, too weak, too young, so busy trying to survive herself she has no interest in her pups survival.

You speak to the owner, the dogs second litter – the first litter all died…another indicator that the handful of pups you’re holding won’t be for this world.

The rescuer in you wants to take the dog, rehome her, find an owner who’ll buy her outfits & start an Instagram account of her adventures…

Your logic kicks in, thousands of dogs in South Africa needing homes, thousands of dogs without a human who will be euthanised this week. Shelters warehousing dogs, struggling to pay bills, closing.

You learn the mom dog’s called Lady, Lady isn’t shy to bite – another mark against rehoming.

The owner wants her sterilised – finally light at the end of a very bleak tunnel. Her other dogs you sterilised last year are now happy, fluffy, friendly, fat – you take heart that this could be Lady’s future too.

You’ve never been so grateful for the team of volunteers, vets, donors & sponsors that allow ‪@SidewalkSpecials‬ to bring sterilisation to De Doorns

Some kind stranger has donated a ‘Care Pack’ – a dog can get sterilised, inoculated, dewormed, given NexGard parasite treatment, an antibiotics course & a bag of food – bingo, Lady gets the first vet care of her life!

She’s sent home with extra food, strict instructions & is added to the weekly check up list…

Sterilisation & education are the only effective way of uplifting South Africa’s township animals – we believe in our ‘Steri Clinic’ & its ability to change the face of De Doorns!