Lessons from four-legged friends

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Whether Mahatma Gandhi actually said that or not (way back in 2014, Vikram Singh of the Hindustan Times said not https://bit.ly/NotGandhi), it’s a statement that resonates with many.

International Dog Day was started as an initiative to encourage people to adopt dogs. We endorse that fully, for ethical and practical reasons (we humans created the problem of strays and overpopulation we need to take accountability). But also because dogs can change the way you interact with the world including other people.

In this edition, we’ve featured dogs that save lives.

The Port Alfred K9 unit dogs, together with their handlers, have an excellent record when it comes to catching criminals.

On Page 2, we tell the story of Sam, who saved his owner from succumbing to smoke inhalation when there was a fire in her house.

Also on Page 2, we introduce Laika, Braille advocate Pasha Alden’s guide dog. TOTT readers will be seeing a lot more of Laika in an upcoming series called Lessons with Laika.

Living in the moment, forgiveness and unconditional love are just some of the qualities we can learn from our canine companions.

Before you consider buying a dog from a breeder, please consider this:

Retreat to Eden in Southwell outside Port Alfred is caring for 59 dogs right now. Most of them are available for adoption. The Port Alfred SPCA has about 15 dogs waiting to be adopted. The Makhanda SPCA has 37 adult dogs and a number of puppies up for adoption.

“I would say In excess of 40 dogs looking for homes,” says Phil McDougal, manager of Makhanda’s SPCA Centre.

Makana Vet Clinic veterinarian Amy Jackson-Moss has long had the vision to tackle the problem of not enough homes for the dogs that need them. She has been raising funds and resources for sterilisation campaigns for several years. Recently, the Rotary Club of Grahamstown Sunset recognised the value of her work and started a Spay Campaign. The first tranche, handed over earlier this month, was R75,000 which will be used to spay up to 250 dogs and cats.

Finally, for those who knew and loved former Talk of the Town stalwart the late Rob Knowles, heartwarming news from Retreat to Eden is that his dog, Bronsky, has found a home. A family from the Western Cape fell in love with him and this week he left for his new home.

This week’s editorial is written by Sue

Maclennan