Aneska and Shaun
Written by Aneska Spies
It all started as a crazy idea one afternoon in 2021 when I attended an animal vaccination drive in Sir Lowry’s Pass, Somerset West. I was blown away by the sheer volume of animals brought in by people of the community, from adults to kids as young as four years old.
That day I walked away with a heavy heart and a deep appreciation for my own dog at home, who had her very own kennel, a warm and comfy bed at night, breakfast, snacks, and supper every day, and access to veterinary care at any time. My heart ached for the people who wanted more for their animals but were financially unable to provide for them.
I asked my husband, Shaun, “There must be something we can do?”
And that’s where this crazy idea was born.
We want to provide a kennel for every single dog. It may sound crazy, but not as crazy as knowing the desperate need out there and not doing anything about it. We aim to assist animal organisations who have first-hand experience with the families and their furry kids in need of these kennels. And so, our crazy journey began – one dog kennel at a time.
While I’ve been focused on launching my own business venture in 2023, after being with my previous employer for almost 11 years, I’ve also poured my heart into Kennels for a Cause. Even though it feels like we can’t get our kennels out as fast as we’d like, we’re tirelessly working on them part-time. It hasn’t been easy juggling the demands of entrepreneurship with our commitment to helping animals, but the joy of making a difference fuels our determination every day.
If you ask any of the rescue organisations or the people involved with helping us, they’ll tell you that I’ve proclaimed time and time again that Kennels for a Cause will run full-time. I have such big aspirations and dreams for what we can achieve as a team together.
To date we’ve built almost 400 kennels, including the specialised kennels we built for the Radloff Painting Day for two years in a row; now THAT was a rewarding challenge! Receiving photos of dogs with their new kennels makes the hard work, stress, splinters, backaches, and everything else seem trivial compared to the joy of changing a dog’s life.
Regarding donations and sponsorships, we always welcome people to get involved in any way they can, whether through donations of wood, coach screws, waterproof paint and membrane, UV paint, roofing materials, or by helping cover the cost of labour. We also welcome volunteers to help us paint the kennels. It would be even more amazing if we could get more kennel builders on board.
The cost to sponsor a kennel is R550-00, and our banking details are:
Kennels For a Cause
First National Bank
Cheque Account
Account number: 629 157 257 51
For more information, call 066 271 7141, email kennels4acause@gmail.com, or follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kennels4acause.
