Everything is interrelated, including equines. So one call leads to another, and so on, and so on!
Save a Pet asked us on the first working day of the month to collect 3 stray donkeys from them. OK. And so off you go with the horsebox to bring them in, only to find them being taken home by their owners. The gate had been left open – same old, same old story. However they had lost 4! But Stan had received a call early in the morning to say there was a donkey on the side of the road that looked like it had a broken leg. It did! It also had a broken back. So he did the correct thing by taking it for euthanasia – the kindest option as at this stage to fix a broken leg, we and a lot of other folk are unable to fix. Poor child but safe at last. He belonged to the three others going back home with their owner. Sally caught up with the donkeys going back home and took a gorgeous picture of them heading home.
A donkey gelding done with assistance from Stanley who knows whats what as he has assisted regularly at the Unit. Generous donation given for which we thank Geoff.
With considerable help from Rick, 10 horses vaccinated against AHS. In the past, it has been a bit of a circus, but with Rick playing Master of Ceremonies, the job done easily! Thank You, Rick!
A much loved horse required euthanasia that the owner just could not bring themselves to do and requested us to do the necessary. We did, but the donkey companion wanted to go with the horse and Sally had the painful job of keeping the donkey out of the way before coming back to the Unit. Painful for all. RIP
Then there were 2 stray horses in Kareedouw. Lucky for us we can contact Trevel of JBay Animal Sanctuary, who knew about the strays and believed that the owner had died but he knew of somebody willing to take the two into care.
The long running Court Case for Neglect is still ongoing.
And then we get the problem of totally intractable horses getting sick and needing veterinary care. It is so important for owners to interact with their horses so that in this eventuality the horses are catchable and treatable – NOT the vet’s job to catch and restrain!!
And then there was Stanley sitting in the back of the Girls Camp, working on his Transkei report, when a dead Gum tree fell down behind him. He thought the Devil had him!! Fence fixed by staff and AWS and reconnected to the power supply.
Our DOMINO having been fostered was found to be most favourable as a Companion animal, and was Adopted! Go for it, Domino!!
TRANSKEI – Stanley went off to do a Transkei Mission again and in visiting 3 areas, took in 1 race, 3 villages and towns and 146 Thoroughbred and Crossbred horses and 8 donkeys who had their hooves sorted, most dewormed and no catastrophes but great improvements in the condition of the equines! Well done, Stanley!
On the mid-month Monday, we collected a sick donkey from Kwanobuhle at the request of the owner who said she was ‘tight’. She was admitted and Epson Salts starting doing its work but a few days later, that all stopped. The Veterinary Surgeon was unable to move or retrieve the blockage at all and in the end event, she died of her own accord early one morning. But her carcass was taken back to the vet to see if the blockage was now removable. It wasn’t. What little had been removed with Stan’s strength was soaked in water and then all the detritus that made up the blockage was made plain – aside from plastic, string, rope – that is going to be presented to the owner of the dead jenny!
A Complaint of a donkey on 3rd Avenue, Walmer was relayed to the owner who informed us that he had already received a phonecall from somebody else about his donk and he had already brought it back home. Good man, Moses!
We would like to thank all those wonderful GRASSROOF customers who so generously donate to our Tin at the Restaurant. We banked R234.50! Thank You!
And then it was MANDELA DAY! PG GLASS’ Gaynor and Owen delivered bales of teff and blankets and Dog food for AWS. We thank Misha for her donation and Volunteers Siobhan (Algoa FM) and Robyn and Boswa for coming along and in Siobhan’s case, assisting to get the horses and donkeys to the Back Exercise Camp. We also thank Mrs Mundy, Mrs Hazel and Bernice for their contributions in lieu of 67 minutes. We also Thank SAVE A PET for the donation of bales of teff that they had been donated for Mandela Day along with nylon webbing for our harness manufacturing. Madeleine and Sinethemba of TAVCOR also came in to do some carroting of the equines. B4 ARCHITECTS made a splendid donation to the Bank Account for MaNDELA dAY and Cat Food for for Licorice and Biscuit as well as carroting all the equines. LINTON GRANGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL also paid their way by depositing money into our Bank Account. Thank you all so much!
Then just to cut us down to size, we had another breakin at the stables. They just left a huge mess behind in the office, and also made off with the scanner (that they cannot use for anything else!), the heater and an old broken cellphone. Case opened with SAPS and ADT. Should anybody be offered a scanner, please let us know asap! Classified as ‘stolen goods’.
All our Township equines have received their AHS vaccinations. YaaaY!
And then poor Stanley had a nightmare of a working weekend! An Adoptive parent found that her 5 donks were missing from their camp. Panic Stations! Stan searched the whole of Saturday, getting phonecalls, smss and messages about the current whereabouts of the donks and following them up all the way to Sunday morning, when Siobhan found him in the bush behind Schoenmakerskop and told him where they were and then assisted in getting them back to their home. The donkeys made a generous donation of 5 bales of lucerne to the Unit and in thanks to Stanley for finding them and getting them home, blisters on Stan’s feet and all after his ‘galloping 15 km!
Our gorgeous DUTCH HARBOUR delivered to his new home and meeting up with his New Best Friend Forever. Our LONGSHANKS, having been surrendered back to us in return for another Adoption of a bigger pony, was delivered to his new home too.
We were delighted to be visited by old Friend, Sarah of The Daily Donkey fame! All the way from Canada! Brought back memories of when they popped in almost every day and assisted with the chaos of finding a jenny and her foal above Schoenies and how we caught them and got them back to the Unit. Wonderful to see you, Emma and Sarah! And thank you for the gifts!!
GENEROUS DONATIONS OF TIME, FODDER, TACK, HANDS AND FEET:
REAL EXPOSURE – donated logos for the Colt (bakkie)
Geoff - grass mix bales via Sam Sam
Jean Collier – bags of sweepings donated
Enid – donated tack
Nicky from INSPIRATION – Bales of Lucerne donated
Anne - 3 bags grass via 9th donated
Treloar – donated tack.
Mary – donated Eragrostis bags
Ellie – donated R200 and a bag of small change (229.65)
Chevonne – donated carrots.
Anne – bread via 9th Avenue Vet Clinic
9th Avenue Vet Clinic – donated 2 bottles Leg Braceand 2 x tickgrease
Ashley – donated one grass roll via Antoinette
Save a Pet donated 2 bales teff
Samantha – 1 bath donated
Saskia – donate tack
VOLUNTEERS – Carla – exercising and getting equines back to camp; Amy and Lee Ann, Philippa, lungeing and grooming; Sam, Carla, Ashley, Demi, Ryan, Nicole, Amy and Lee Anne, Kerry and Sam – carroting and pm feedup, Renata, Sam, Eugene, Danny and Nicole, Robin.
Well, that was July! Please pray for rain!
Banking Details: Standard Bank Account 080733875, Code 0512001. Reference: Your name or project
Facebook: EAST CAPE HORSE CARE UNIT
Contact numbers Office cellphone 072 357 2505
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