Happy Paws

Starting in October there was very small puppy sneaking in through a hole in the wall and sleeping in the garage at night curled up amongst the gumboots. We decided that she had chosen Happy Feet as her home and started taking care of her both for her benefit but also in hope that through adopting her, the children will learn how important it is to have compassion and the benefits of responsibility. Many children in the townships grow up being very fearful of dogs so it has been a great learning opportunity for them to learn to care for a dog and in turn have a dog be friendly and loving back to them.

We decided to name her Happy Paws and make her an official member of our group. She had a bad case of mange so we started taking her to the weekly SPCA clinic here in Langa every Monday. The clinic visits combined with proper puppy nutrition  have enabled her to transform from very lethargic and missing a lot of fur to now an energetic playful puppy whose skin has almost completely recovered.

The beginning of November brought on the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day which means a lot of very loud fireworks and firecrackers. We were very sad to find that Happy Paws was missing and were very concerned about her wellbeing. Five days later the kids found her on the complete opposite side of Langa roaming around the train station and cemetery.  We have no idea how she managed to get so far away from home but were thrilled to find her OK and back at the project.

Happy Paws now has her own dog house but still enjoys spending her time in the garage while the kids practice their gumboots dance and is quick to except any “donations” from the kids during meal time. When the kids are at school she also enjoys running around and playing with a couple of the other dogs in the area. She seems to have adjusted quite well to her rambunctious life with Happy Feet and we’re very happy she’s a part of our team.