Good Morning Angels: Giving rescue Annie a second chance in life
Helping a dog-angel to care for the most vulnerable fur babies like Annie.
"The only creatures in the whole world that mean ANYTHING to me, are animals that were abused and broken and dumped.”
So says Suzette Kotzé, founder of Matlosana Animal Shelter near Stilfontein.
Suzette opened the sanctuary seven years ago, with a very clear vision: Here we choose life.
The sanctuary looks like a big doggy park, with grass instead of cement, beds, blankets, comfort, music, scratches and tickles, doggie kisses, cuddles, extra treats, - just like in a home.
“It’s about making everyone feel safe and happy,” says Suzette, who drives hundreds of kilometres to rescue dogs.
Her animals need extra medical intervention and care as they are often the victims of abuse.
Suzette and her team do all they can to raise funds to do this work, as it is all self-funded.
One of her supporters, Cindy van Aswegen, wrote to Good Morning Angels to ask for assistance for the shelter, but also specifically for Annie, who was rescued a week ago.
She has cancer and is too weak for surgery. However, Annie is getting stronger by the day - she is even able to stand up and eat now.
REQUEST FOR: Suzette Kotze and the animals of Matlosana Animal Shelter near Stilfontein
REQUEST FROM: Cindy van Aswegen
ANGEL: Philip and Angela Nixon
SPONSORING: Philip and Angela are animal lovers and devoted Jacaranda FM listeners. They will support Suzette and Matlosana Animal Shelter with a donation of R25,000.
ANGEL 2: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will match this donation, with another R25 000 towards the incredible work done by Suzette and her team at Matlosana Animal Shelter!
ALSO: 100 blankets from the Warmfees in association with the Round Table will be donated to Matlosana Animal Shelter.
WARMFEES: Join Martin Bester and his band this Saturday, 3 June, at Laerskool Trichard in Secunda for the next Warm Fees Concert.
Gates open at 9am. Martin and band will be performing from 3pm. Remember to drop off your new blanket at the Round Table gazebo!
Show your help here:
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Morning to one amazing team,
My name is Cindy, a lover for any animal and very involved in animal rescue. 4 years ago, I needed urgent help with a dog that my gardener informed me was going to be skinned alive due to some ritual belief that she was evil due to her having pups every 9 months.
I called every shelter and animal rescuer available, but all was just too busy with their own rescues. The dog was 600km away from me in a very rural area, and all I knew was that I had to get her to safety.
My last call was to Suzette Kotze at 5:30 in the afternoon. She is based in Stilfontein, 300km away from me, so I had no hope. Well, let me tell you, one minute call and the next morning Suzette and her husband were outside my house at 5am. We arrived at where the dog was, the situation was not great as the owner refused to give the dog up, insisting that she would be killed in a ceremony.
Long story short, we left with 8 dogs, 6 puppies and left the people with bags of food and some education.
We called the dog Lilly – and she now resides at the shelter in the dog park as an extremely happy/healthy dog. We decided to keep her at the shelter as she loves Suzette and goes home with her over weekends, and is her shadow at the shelter.
However, this is not reason for my mail,
Please meet little Annie,
Annie, a black border collie cross female, who was rescued by Matlosana Animal Shelter. In short, they save lost, neglected and severely abused dogs and find them loving homes. Annie is one of these dogs. When they rescued her on 24 May 2023, she was in a horrific condition: she had almost no hair, her teeth were almost gone from trying to eat stones, she had a pellet wound in her shoulder and a hip injury, she slept on cold hard pavements and was on the verge of giving up. When Suzette and her team arrived, they softly picked her up and rushed her to the vet. Unfortunately, she is too weak for any surgery, but she will slowly gain her strength and start to love and be loved.
Annie is scared, yet so loving with the most soulful eyes – the second I saw her, I knew she needed help. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with cancer in her breasts, she will urgently need an operation to remove the mast cells and the cancer as well as chemo tablets – she has almost no teeth left and a dental is so needed(at moment she gets fed chicken and rice). Annie is in a soft bed with Suzette and Maggie next to her, spending most of their time just to show her not all humans are evil.
Today, I’m asking, if there is anyone, that could help Suzette at Matlosana with Annie, she just can’t keep head above water with all the injured abused dogs. If not with a monetary donation for vet fees, if you would kindly just share the below invite as we are trying everything at this stage and is having a fundraiser in Irene for little Annie.
The Shelter is also in urgent need of:
Dog jerseys – all sizes
Blankets
Food – puppy/adult
Puppy milk powder
F10 – detergents
Building material – they are building an 8foot wall to secure shelter
I thank you for your care and amazing campaign – even if you can’t assist us, you do amazing work, well done team.
Cindy
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