Animals are a big part of my life. I have 3 cats adopted from various shelters. They are part of my family and we treat them as if they are little humans that love to cuddle. They go for yearly vet check-ups, we had them “fixed” and they have probably travelled more than most cats (because I am so attached to them).

Last week I was contacted about attending the opening of the Woodrock Animal Rescue and Sterilisation Clinic out in Hennops River, but couldn’t attend. However, here is all the information you need.

How can people get involved/donate?

• Get a MySchool/MyVillage/MyPlanet card and load them as your beneficiary!
• Visit their website, click in the links to the ‘Wish List’, or the’Back-a-Buddy’ page. Click on the links to donate.
• There are ways to volunteer.
  Keep an eye out for calls-to-action on the Facebook page
• You can SMS ‘Dog’ to 40733 to donate R20.

Is this a pro-life shelter? Can people adopt from here?

Woodrock are Proudly pro-life and do not believe in Euthenasia. Every animal deserves a chance: Dogs with open gaping wounds from being knocked down; Dogs that cower that have been slashed with a panga; Burn victims; We take them to shelter and build them up. We put them back together. On rehoming. We ask, “TEACH ME TO BE THE DOG YOU WANT ME TO BE”. We afford all adoptees the luxury of returning a dog that they feel is not a fit. No person that is a Woodrock adoptee is permitted to surrender our animals elsewhere that we have worked so hard at rehabilitating, or to give away to a kill facility! We will drive to the end of the earth to collect an animal in need! Space, Staff and Salaries are forever a concern. But Pro-Life we sure are!

How many staff/volunteers?
Woodrock is proud to have the most incredible volunteers. They call them ‘Woodrock Warriors’. Woodrock asks and in true warrior style they come, do and give. “As poor or as little money as we may have, giving comes in many forms. The most wonderful way of giving is from your heart.”

Woodrock staff totals 20 salaried members – all very dedicated and deserving.

GIVE WITHOUT REMEMBERING AND RECEIVE WITHOUT FORGETTING.

Saturday, 12 May 2018, Hennops River: Through concerted and creative fundraising efforts, Woodrock Animal Rescue was able to the raise R1-million they needed to make their dream of building a state-of-the-art animal sterilisation clinic come true, kickstarted by The Schnauzer Project and Deborah Blane.

In a celebration held this past weekend, the co-founders of the rescue centre, husband and wife team, Estelle and Nicholas Meldau, unveiled the initiative that will go far in helping Woodrock to make a difference to the lives of so many animals. The centre works to educate the surrounding communities about pet care, health and sterilisation, as well as medically treating rescue animals.

Whiskas Brand Manager, Nivashnee Moodley, was in attendance and said “We are proud to be associated with Woodrock Animal Rescue and believe in the benefits of adoption, safe sterilisation, nutritious food and balanced diets.”

“Woodrock do amazing things in their community and have worked incredibly hard to raise funds for this great facility, and we wanted to help create awareness of that,” she adds.

Regarding the Clinic Dream fund, and the work that went into raising the money required to compete phase one of the project, Dean Meldau from Woodrock Animal Rescue said, “We remained focused and kept our eye on the ball. Patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait. Asking is hard, begging is unattractive. But to ask on behalf of the voiceless, to us was essential. If not us, then who?”

Whiskas and Pedigree have supported Woodrock through the donation of over 1,400 cases of pet food to Woodrock Animal Rescue in the last two months. To further support the brands’ adoption ethos, the brand will be providing them with Kitten and Puppy Kits to give to families who adopt animals from the centre to make sure that they have all the basics they need to get their new furry family members off to a great start in life.

The Kitten and Puppy kits contain dry and wet food, to support essential balanced feeding, an information pack with anything you might need to know about introducing a new pet to your home to help make the transition of having a new family member a little easier.