GEORGE NEWS - A group of admirable women have seen to the sterilisation of an amazing total of 207 dogs from poorer communities around Hoekwil in the past year. The hard-working women of Hoekwil Humane Society - which celebrates its first anniversary this month - is led by businesswoman Laurell Pelser.
They hit the 200 milestone last week and there are more to come.
"Disease, hunger and abuse happen when animals overbreed, which is bad for them and the community," says Pelser.
She and two friends co-founded the Hoekwil Humane Society after witnessing conditions during lockdown.
"Working in soup kitchens, we saw the challenges people faced to feed themselves, let alone their animals. So our focus became stopping puppies and kittens being born into households that couldn't afford to look after them."
That meant going door to door in poorer communities, talking to owners, organising outreaches and raising funds.
The year has been full of challenges, not least juggling work and home life with animal welfare. "All bar one of our members are women," says Pelser. "We all work, and most of us have families to look after. The more you do in animal welfare, the more problems you uncover, so we had to figure out how to manage it all. But we're women - we know how to multitask!"
Other animal welfare women have also showed support. Pelser credits Moira Gibbs of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), Talana Oosthuizen Van Zyl of Sedgefield Animal Matters, Colleen Smith of Odin and Hayley Kayser of York High Animal Club for their encouragement.
"We've also been very lucky to work with Rita Brock of Cat Garden Route," she says. "Rita and her team have sterilised 100 cats this year alone, so we could concentrate on dogs."
Most of the Hoekwil Humane Society's dogs are sterilised by the Garden Route SPCA, whose managers, clinic team and inspectors have proved invaluable.
Pelser hopes the Hoekwil Humane Society can be a model for others to follow. "It's hard work and it can be heart-breaking," she says. "But you quickly see a difference in the lives of the animals and the owners. That's very rewarding."
To find out about the society's work, follow them on Facebook: @Hoekwil.Humane.Society.
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
