Northern Cape pets in safe hands

Little Anele, disconcertment writ explicably on his 8 year old face, looks on as his dog, Danger, is about to go under the knife. A few minutes earlier Danger had been looking a little flushed; not the playful, gnarling family pet who snags tennis balls mid-air and keeps unwanted scum out of his owner’s yard.

Now he’s dead quiet, almost lifeless, and Alwyn Krause is running a pair of electronic shears through his fur. Young and available, it seems Danger has been rather popular with the neighbouring female dog population and he’s taken full advantage of their amorous advances. Also, he tends to unapologetically eschew monogamy in these exploits so Anele is unnerved by the potential increase in his brood.

That’s why he’s here.

For his own good, Danger needs to be castrated, ASAP. It may sound like cruel and unusual punishment but on the contrary Alwyn, insists that “you minimise the risk of diseases like Parvo Virus and Distemper that are both deadly for dogs. While we are doing the spays we also vaccinate the animals for rabies as this is a deadly disease for both humans and animals.”

Lucky for him, Danger is in the safe hands of a surgeon who has the formidable physique of a rugby flanker than a steady-handed veterinarian. Looming calm-faced over Danger, surgical instruments at the ready he works meticulously through the ailment. Something to do with a hernia, Alwyn tells us.

Not every day that one can liberally use adjectives like “cheerful” and “efficient” around the public sector. But what had resumed as a snaking queue has been swiftly shortened so much so that even the dogs seem rather pleased in their leashes, relaxed on their haunches, and not looking for trouble with each other.

Something of a pilot project this Primary Animal Health Care service. A sort of Phela Phepha mobile health facility but for animals. In these communities where people struggle to get medical aid for themselves, it’s something to doff one’s hat to. On this score much of it is owed to a lone-ranger philanthropist, community leader, all-round nice lady who goes by the name of Tannie Marie Hattingh. Owing to the decades of service she’s rendered to the Colesberg community as a nurse, she is still fondly known as Matron around here. Now retired, but it seems old habits die hard. The constant desire to be of assistance is yet to work its way out of her system. On any given day, you are likely to find her arched over a random kennel closely examining the inhabitants. She conducts a full check-up and if the animal is healthy Matron is happy. If not she seeks immediate medical attention.

The whole initiative started out with the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries which was set on a mission to ensure animal population control. A huge undertaking, requiring all the logistics of money, personnel and the like. But there were just too many animals, not enough funding. That’s when the Rotary Club got their heads together, figured they could lend a hand. Their assistance was swift: they would fund the medicine and cover the overheads for this staff who travel the length and breadth of the province. From there the Northern Cape Veterinary Services hopped aboard too.

Another indispensable figure in this programme comes from Karoo Vet’s Dr Charmaine Rous. She scrambles around ensuring that the project’s medicine supplies are always available, at cost, and also dedicates her time in offering her skills.

It’s something to marvel at, watching these guys at work. A vibrant, younger variant of vets you can tell. Tienike Terblanche looks like she’s barely out of school but her slender hands are calmly cutting up a dog like it’s the most natural thing in the world. In the background, The Four Non Blondes are crooning something about stepping outside and taking a deep breath and everybody is rather cheerful. Clearly I’d been led astray, expecting to hear some dead European classical composer making up the white noise of these proceedings.

Danger, who a few minutes ago was splayed all helpless on a gurney, has now come to. Looking a little frazzled but Anele has been assured that the canine is well on his way to a speedy recovery. He will not be making any more pups, though, and they might consider changing his name to something more flowery given that with his testosterone levels lowered, he won’t quite be as dangerous anymore. Anele is pleased. Gently, he tugs on the leash and the dog struts off beside him, due to be back again when the Primary Animal Health Care service makes another welcome return. As for the team, it’s off to the next town.