LETTER
FROM THE
EDITOR
It ’ s been a terrible year for everyone - there ’ s no doubt about that , but for us it ’ s also been a year filled with moments of magic that have kept us inspired and motivated and committed to the prevention of cruelty to animals . The moments have come serendipitously , just when we needed them the most . They came from you because you remained beside us , steadfast in your support when we all stared into the abyss of uncertainty and they came from the animals , who comforted us , needed us more than ever and gave us hope with their resilience .
In this edition of Footprints , we share some of these moments with you and hope they leave you as inspired as we are . Read about Ice and how he melted our Chief Inspector ’ s heart ( page 13 ), a horse called Hope and the hope she gave us ( page 30 ), how a cat called Pirate pilfered our hearts ( page 31 ) and a dog called Gabriel who had a host of angels – including you ( page 15 ). There ’ s also a beautiful story about a very special bond between an orphaned lamb and his SPCA carer , Hamilton Kapanda .
You ’ ll get to meet Zama Mabena , the creator of happy tales and happy tails ( page 16 ) and we share with you some wonderful donor support that touched our hearts on page 29 . On page 28 , you can read about how your response to one event helped us save life and limb and how our Team SPCA athletes have continued their support in spite of mass public participation events being cancelled ( page 34 ). We tackle the difficult topic of why Pitbulls need responsible owners ( Page 8 ) and our on-site behaviourist debunks some common animal behavioural myths on page ( 33 ). It ’ s been a tough year and so we hope this edition of Footprints lifts your hearts and helps get you into the spirit of the season . We wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas and a blessed and prosperous 2021 .
With much love ,
Belinda
Belinda Abraham
EDITORIAL Belinda Abraham
COVER Marelise & Leila Lick-a-lot Stodart-Lochner winners of the # Lovelockdown 2020
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Footprints is published by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA , all profits are used to further the work of this organisation . The opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the management of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA . While every effort is made to ensure editorial and factual accuracy , no responsibility is accepted for any errors .
REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY TEL 021 700 4158 / 9 A / H EMERGENCY 0833261604 WWW . CAPESPCA . CO . ZA
ANIMAL BLESSING – ( with acknowledgment to Albert Schweitzer )
Bless our dogs for their faithful and forgiving hearts ; Bless our cats for their serene and soothing companionship ; Bless the horses that carry us with strength and grace ; Bless the little creatures , God –
The hamsters , budgies and goldfish that teach our children to treat all living animals with kindness .
Hear our prayer , God .
For all animals that are overworked , underfed and cruelly treated ;
For any that are hunted , or lost , or deserted , or frightened ; For all those that must be put to death .
And for those who deal with them – We ask a heart of compassion , gentle hands and soft words .
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