A whole new chapter as Cody becomes anti-animal-abuse ambassador
CODY, a 10-year-old pony, made international news in June last year when he found his way home 16 days after the devastating Knysna fires.
Emaciated, badly burnt, and against what seemed insurmountable odds, Cody made his way home, crossing the busy N2 just 100m from the farm where he was born.
His story captured the hearts of South Africans and animal lovers abroad, who raised more than R132 000 towards his treatment on donations-based crowdfunding platform BackaBuddy. No less than 272 donors sent messages of support for courageous Cody.
But Cody’s story is far from over. As the animal ambassador for The Eden Empathy Initiative, a new chapter is about to unfold as Cody and his friends embark on a project aimed at helping children and animals in disadvantaged communities, while breaking cycles of violence and abuse.
Cody was part of a herd of five ponies who were ushered across the N2 national road as a last resort when the fire encroached on their home, Essendale Farm.
The ponies had been sent into a nearby plantation, which was presumed to be safe, based on wind direction and the N2 acting as a firebreak, but the winds changed and the fire leapt across the road, turning the ponies’ intended refuge into a raging inferno.
Cody’s family searched for the ponies but found no signs of them, except for sporadic sets of tracks that indicated that some of the ponies had escaped the plantation.
Cody’s owner, Karen Rademeyer, said that when Cody was spotted trying to cross back over the N2, 16 days after he had fled his home, onlookers mourned his coming fate.
“He had been without food or water for two weeks. His digestive system had shut down, and the injuries to his eyes meant that he could hardly see. Cody appeared to be blind and without hope,” she said.
“Thanks to the help and overwhelming support of many friends and strangers, Cody has made a miraculous recovery. He has proven to the world that anyone has the capacity to heal from their trauma, no matter how severe, provided they are brave enough to find the help they need.
“Despite his scars, he is living a full life as a happy pony. His story of bravery, inspiration and hope has touched the hearts of thousands of people throughout the world,” Rademeyer said.
The Eden Empathy Initiative, a newly-formed non-profit company, combines an exciting new mix of animal-related education, skills training, activities and therapy. Their focus is on pre-teen children living in disadvantaged communities. The team will be working with young children, teaching them about wild and domestic animals in novel ways.
They will also be helping them develop authentic leadership skills, while removing the emotional “blocks” to feeling empathy, through proven, animal-assisted clinical therapy.
Empathy is not a choice, it is an ability, and one that is easily lost when we shut down certain emotions that have become too painful to bear. This inability to feel or care is how the abused often goes on to become the abuser (of humans and animals), and this is exactly what The Eden Empathy Initiative aims to prevent, through early intervention.”
Rademeyer said the initiative aimed to create awareness of how people could work together to create kinder, more caring communities.
“We also have the support of the local department of education, who immediately saw the value in our programme. I have a phenomenal team at my side and we can’t wait to get started,” she added.
To assist visit: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/codythe-brave-the-next-chapter