Finding fulfilment in helping animals
Sam De Wet, 35, from Botha’s Hills in Durban is the Co-Founder and Director of Animal Antics Pet Rescue (AAPR).
The non-profit organisation has been taking care of animals, mainly dogs since 2017.
Their aim is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home them. They focus on cases where animals need more time to heal and recover before being sent to a loving home.
De Wet said she was inspired to start the organisation because of her love for animals .
“Co-Founder Ally Du Plessis and I, have always had a passion for animals. When we became friends in 2017, I was fostering a puppy Layla, who was found in a rubbish dump.
“We soon realised that Layla was blind and had hip dysplasia. I knew she was meant to stay with me because she had these issues. Ally and I decided that we wanted to help more dogs like Layla and we decided to embark on the journey that is Animal Antics Pet Rescue. Little did we know it would turn into what it is today and we are very proud of how far AAPR has come and what we achieve each day,” she said.
De Wet runs AAPR from her home and has six kennels on their property. Other members of the organisation are Ndu Zakwe and De Wet’s husband Juan.
The organisation relies on donations from the public in the form of food or second-hand items to sell in order to raise funds.
“Taking a very ill or injured animal to the vet costs money, sometimes lots of money as they can spend weeks in the vet getting the medical care they need.
“Our other challenge is food. We use pellets and tinned food or pets mince daily. Our rescues get fed twice a day. We do request help on our Facebook page and WhatsApp groups. We also hold raffles and fundraisers to try and get funds in,” she said.
De Wet said that she finds fulfilment and joy in helping animals.
“I wish every single pet could live an amazing life being loved and treasured. So for the ones we can save, we carry on and do what we need to do,” she said.
De Wet said she hoped to someday get a bigger property so she could house more kennels and help more animals.
“I would like to have huge running camps so the dogs can run and play all day and only have to spend the evenings in their kennels. A place where people can come and spend time with the dogs and give them attention. A place where we can educate kids and adults alike on how to look after and treat pets. This is our dream,” said De Wet.