Fluffy Buck And Ben, The SPCA Cape Town Dog Adoption Service

You never know what is going to happen when you step out of your front door.

I like that idea, as I have had some very interesting results by doing just this simple action.

We decided to go shopping for groceries, when I say we.

I mean my wife Linda, daughter Natalie and me, Michael.

We were driving around to the mall in the glorious Cape Town sunshine, to the local Spar and having a blast as always.

We got out of the car into the balmy South African sunshine, and were walking towards the supermarket.

My girls noticed a silvered haired, bearded man with a couple of tressel tables.

It had a wire framed box on top, full of little mongrel puppies.

Now Linda and I hadn't owned a dog in years.

In fact, since we started producing our own little offspring.

Looking for a dog was definitely not on the shopping list.

Anyway Natalie and Linda stopped and were petting the dogs.

They were talking to the stallholder, who was very engaging and was telling them the dog 'rescue' story?

I wasn't paying much attention, too busy admiring Table Mountain in the distance.

Fassman (the German stallholder) had been telling the girls, the tragic start in life the pups, had had.

I distractedly heard snippets of the conversation, until Linda said 'can't we have one' at which point I was fully engaged.

I turned to see what was happening. Then Natalie said, 'I really like this one'

O dear, what is going on here? Now totally engaged and ears wide open, I listened as Fassman regaled us again with their tragic story.

What are we going to do with 3 dogs?

Fluffy Buck and Ben are going to be for life.

Not just something we should get involved with, without careful, considered thought!.

I might as well have been talking to the wall, as the girls were smitten.

Fluffy Buck and Ben it turns out were 3 brothers and were lucky to be alive.

They were found in Guguletu Township, under a rain soaked cardboard box, with their gravely ill mother.

They were undernourished, covered with mange and fleas and hanging on to life.

Listening to Fassman. It made me wonder, where was the law for animals?

They were found and rescued by Fassman who runs a local SPCA affiliate, Animal Shelter.

The dogs had been very lucky to be found.

The SPCA dog shelter had paid for all their treatments and vaccinations, and while they were still not fully fit.

They had a chance of a normal life.

Well what are you, going to do?

Linda liked one pup, and Natalie liked another pup, so that left one pup, and me.

After a lot of humming and haring, the girls decided they wanted the two pups. We still hadn't been shopping yet?

Fassman then plays the trump card. 'Well you know, they are brothers. We would like to keep them together'

Everyone looks at me!... What? I was just going shopping!

Of course we decided to adopt the two dogs, and foster the third.

I was still holding out.

Some sense of rationalism, had to come from someone.

Not Just For Christmas

We had noticed that after every Christmas, that there would suddenly be packs of dogs running the streets.

These were not your average 'missing pet', but animals that had just been abandoned. Obviously these dogs, had been poorly chosen 'gifts', by deeply misguided people!?

Now when things get tight economically, the first thing to go, are extra mouths.

Dogs are kept in South Africa and some other countries, primarily as guard dogs or early warning systems.

They are, in many cases, pets as a secondary consideration.

When people fall on hard times, which is becoming more common in SA, and elsewhere at the moment.

The first thing to go, is that extra mouth. The dog.

Either that, or they are left to fend for themselves.

This is where the SPCA service is invaluable.

Their policy is, never to put down, a healthy dog.

Humane services are only employed in cases, where the animal is suffering, with no possibility of recovery..

We decided to take the dogs home. (like I had a choice)

When the time came to decide, to keep the fostered third dog, it was a done deal.

Fluffy Buck & Ben had a rough start in life, but had found a home, with 3 people that loved them. Yep! me too!

Owning a dog is a big commitment. Next time you are looking for a dog for sale!

Why not visit the SPCA and adopt a dog instead. Everyone's a winner!

Like any pet, dogs should not be taken on; without careful consideration. And never ever, given as a Christmas or birthday present.

The Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA) is a charity financed by public donations. And run predominately by volunteers.

It is open 24/7, 365 days a year. Animals don’t keep business hours.

They don't know that it’s after-hours or a public holiday. The SPCA is ready and waiting to help.