Teen starts animal haven
Kristin commended for her magnanimity
ATEENAGER who cares deeply about animals has made sure that hundreds of dogs, cows, horses and goats have been vaccinated, dipped and de-wormed in the coastal village of Hamburg.
When Kristin Mace was 15 and her family moved from East London to Hamburg, she noticed mangy, underfed dogs in the streets, and wanted to help. “They had no access to veterinary care,” said Mace, who is now 19 and heads up the nonprofit organisation (NPO) called Hamburg Hounds and Hooves.
When she was told that Hamburg did not fall into the jurisdiction of the Port Alfred SPCA, the young animal lover set about raising funds to ensure the SPCA branch would bring healthcare to the village.
“They needed R600 per visit so my parents and I sold clothes and household items like mugs and books so that the SPCA would do vaccination drives here.”
The arrival of a community service vet in nearby Peddie at the beginning of last year was a godsend for the NPO.
“That’s when our project really took off, because the vet lived in Hamburg and was willing to help by [running] dog clinics, which vaccinate against rabies, distemper, parvo and kennel cough, and also deworm and dip dogs,” said Mace, who was homeschooled after moving to Hamburg, and is studying to be a game ranger.
Mace was given permission to use a patch of land belonging to a vegetable-farming NPO and, as word of free clinic days spread, community members and their pets formed orderly queues for treatment.
“My dad built a little shelter [comprising] four poles and a roof, and ... sometimes the state vet brings a mobile clinic for sterilisations. Thirty dogs were sterilised last year,” said Mace, who is hands-on at the clinics.
“Sterilisation is really important because we already have an over-population problem here, and once someone dumped a packet of puppies in the forest.”
What was originally called Hamburg Hounds, eventually evolved into Hamburg Hounds and Hooves, with livestock also being treated.
“We were seeing limping goats, due to infection of their hooves, and emaciated cows who were eating rubbish lying around the village, so we expanded to include them.”
More than 200 cows were dipped and three calves treated for foot infection, cloudy eye and an abscess at the NPO’s first cattle-dipping day on Monday, and earlier this month, 115 dogs were vaccinated at an open-air clinic.
“Doing this is so rewarding, and people really appreciate it. A guy gave me a kid as a ‘thank you’. She is now my pet goat, Lilly.” — barbarah@ DO YOU know a selfless person who goes the extra mile for the good of others, a local hero who makes something good out of nothing but a desire to improve the quality of life for the community. That’s the person we would like to meet! Please send your nomination with your local heroe’s name and contact number together with yours to:
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