Tears Anumal Rescue - Feed Hungry Pets Campaign (1)

The recent wave of food, electricity and fuel price increases that have impacted South Africans comes in the wake of the World Economic Forum’s warning last month of “dire human consequences from the fragmentation of the global economy”. The impact in South Africa, where more than 50% of the approximately 59 million people who make up the population are still living below the poverty line, means that more people and pets are being impacted by food insecurity and going hungry.
TEARS Animal Rescue has launched the Feed Hungry Pets Campaign in order to help bridge pet food insecurity in the low-income communities the Public Beneficiary Organisation (PBP) supports, as increasing numbers of vulnerable pets are dying of starvation.
The TEARS Mobile Clinics have recorded a 66% increase in rescues over the last year, with a 300% increase in the number of pet owners requesting help in terms of surrendering their pets or for pet food support.
Says TEARS Operations Manager, Mandy Store, “The knock-on effects of COVID and the increases in food and fuel costs are wreaking havoc in low-income communities as pet owners are not able to feed themselves, their families or animals. We desperately need to provide starving community pets with pet food as a means of mitigating the number of animals that are succumbing to malnutrition and lack of food. Those animals that aren’t chained up, are forced to scavenge to stay alive, while others, if they are fed, are often fed mealiepap, which doesn’t provide them with adequate protein or nutritional support. TEARS is operating at full capacity with 250 animals in our care at the TEARS Kennel and Cattery, with extensive waiting lists for more animals needing admission. As soon as one animal is adopted the space becomes available for another. We strongly advocate for people to ‘adopt’ rather than ‘shop’ when it comes to pets. Adopting a shelter pet saves two animals, the one being adopted and the one being given its second chance to a new journey.”
TEARS is not the only animal welfare NGO battling to cope with the alarming number of starving, sick and homeless animals that need help.
As part of its partnership approach, TEARS provides veterinary and pet food support to registered beneficiary organizations like Afripaw in Vrygrond, 1-Kennel-At-A-Time in Ocean View and Redhill Animal Rescue in Red Hill as a means of increasing its impact and welfare footprint in those communities.
“TEARS wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t for our non-profit community partners who operate on the ground, and work directly with community leaders and community pet owners to identify the most critical needs, enabling us to provide a coordinated and collective response in terms of pet food donations and welfare veterinary services,” explains Mandy.
Non-Profit animal welfare charity, AfriPaw works with the community of Vrygrond to educate families on their pets' primary needs and facilitates access to affordable support services. Together with TEARS, the organisation operates a monthly Pet Clinic in Vrygrond, with TEARS providing the veterinary and healthcare support to vulnerable pets.
Says AfriPaw Co-founder and Director, Anel Wesson,” Right now, our biggest need is pet food. When you walk the streets of Vrygrond and Overcome Heights it's difficult to prioritise the most critical needs because wherever you look there is need. It’s not because of a lack of care or concern on behalf of pet owners, but because of desperation. TEARS and AfriPaw bring hope to communities through practical solutions. Together, we manage this in a structured and targeted way, either during monthly Pet Clinics, favouring those who have sterilised their pets and attend Clinics regularly, demonstrating a pattern of responsible behaviour, or during Spay Days, where each sterilised pet is sent home with a generous bag of food. Pet food is used as a powerful incentive, so donations not only fill the stomachs of hungry dogs and cats, it acts as leverage to encourage responsible pet ownership. So every bag of donated pet food makes a difference on both an immediate physical level but also on a long-term educational level.”
Similarly in Ocean View, 1 Kennel At A Time is a non-profit initiative that was co-founded by Ocean View resident, Ingrid de Storie. Ingrid, also affectionately known as “the Mother Theresa of Ocean View” by locals, works tirelessly to help relieve the suffering of pets through a network of registered animal welfare partners, including TEARS.
Says Ingrid, “Through our animal welfare partners we’re able to supply kennels and warm bedding, get veterinary help for animals in distress, educate pet owners on the importance of sterilising and vaccinating their animals, and most important of all, help feed starving pets. We couldn’t do this without the support of Tears Animal Rescue. I get calls every day from people who want to surrender their animals because they can’t feed them, or who report dogs that are chained and starving in yards, or have been stolen by the dog fighting syndicates to be used as bait. Our biggest needs are for dog and cat food, and deworming and tick and flea deterrents.”
Says TEARS Head of Fundraising, Lara Van Rensburg, “The TEARS Feed Hungry Pets Campaign not only raises awareness of the harsh realities faced by homeless and starving animals but also highlights the plight of more and more marginalized pet owners who themselves don’t have the means to support their families or the pets that they love. We rely on the generosity of the public for donations to enable TEARS to continue providing vital veterinary healthcare, rescue, and emergency pet food support to at risk companion animals. R200 will feed one hungry community pet for a month.”
By handing out pet food parcels to community pet owners, TEARS aims to help keep pets in homes as there are simply too many to rescue. Please support the TEARS Feed Hungry Pets campaign by donating funds via www.tears.org.za/feed-hungry-pets or purchase a dog kennel or blankets from the TEARS Online Shop to donate to vulnerable pets this winter.