Little Tanya on the steps of Brian Arendse ’ s trailer waiting for him to tie his shoes so she can have her breakfast
The lockdown announcement was for us , more than a flurry of setting up sanitising stations and gearing up with protective equipment . It was a very real worry , we didn ’ t know if we had been declared an essential service provider and if we would be able to continue operating . Our immediate concern was for the 500 animals on site and the many animals out there who we knew would need us more than ever during the lockdown period . Our entire team was prepared to sleep on-site but we also knew that we had to limit the number of staff on the premises at any given time to minimise the risk to our team and to do our part to flatten the curve . 23 of our most experienced staff including a qualified veterinarian gave up their home comforts and left their families to ensure that our animals on-site could be well cared for and to ensure that sick and critically injured animals could still be assisted .
We were imagining rows of mattresses and sleeping bags on our lecture room floor but thank goodness for FleetStar Film Trailers & Vehicles who stepped forward to sponsor some wonderful movie set trailers to give our staff a measure of comfort and privacy . We breathed a sigh of relief when finally , we had confirmation that our services were regarded as essential and that we would be able to operate within the parameters provided by the Government and the South African Veterinary Council . With public transport locked down and only being able to operate with a third of our staff compliment at any given time , the on-site trailers were truly a gift . They helped us keep our staff safe and of course , there was no shortage of willing , furry little companions to keep our staff company and provide all the cuddles needed to bring comfort during a very scary time .
Snoopy recovered well
IN TIMES OF FEAR EVERYONE NEEDS A HERO – OUR HERO WAS YOU !
Many people were understandably concerned that they wouldn ’ t be able to search for their pets should they go missing during lockdown . We made some adjustments to our online reporting system to enable digital communication regarding missing pets and we were able to facilitate the return of many companion animals that found their way to our SPCA .
Lockdown also put a stop to us being able to rehome animals . This meant we had facilities bursting at the seams and because our regular volunteers couldn ’ t be of service during this time , we had to work extra hard to keep all our animals exercised , stimulated and coping well in confinement . We didn ’ t want potential adopters to forget about the many dogs and cats we had awaiting homes and so in another SPCA first , we introduced our adoption candidates via ZOOM ( ie ) meetings . We “ crashed ” several meetings by working in cahoots with meeting organisers and catching the rest of the attendees by surprise .
Lwazi Ntungele making up the bed in his movie star style trailer
40 FOOTPRINTS 2020