Written by Leana Smit
Professional photography by FidoPhoto – Dog Photography
Ayesha and her brother, Frodo, were found at the Horison railway station when they were only eight weeks old. No one ever claimed them. As they grew, they were inseparable and were taken in by Elke du Bruyn of Nordic Rescue SA. I foster for Nordic Rescue SA so took them in as fosters. Soon they became part of my family.
The pack escaped
I moved to Princess, Roodepoort, in 2019. Little Frodo contracted biliary and sadly didn’t survive, but Ayesha was still going strong. In December 2023, I moved to a rented home in Lindhaven. Just before Christmas the weather one night was terrible and my dogs were scared of thunder, and as I was closing up at the back of the home, they all escaped through the front. I went out into the rainstorm and could only find three, but late that night the others found their way back to the house.
On the 31st of December 2023, the New Year’s Eve fireworks were so loud that night and it scared them. The pack, including my Toy Pom, escaped and I spent the entire night looking for them. I found all of them except for Ayesha. For days I went looking for her, walking through the nearby veld areas and Davidsonville. We put up posters and offered a reward but heard nothing; she was nowhere to be seen.
Ayesha is spotted
I received a call from Elke four months later saying that Ayesha had been spotted nearby in Lindhaven. The residents there had seen her missing poster. The lady, Pat, has two Huskies, Snowball and Charlie, and it was with thanks to them that Ayesha first came out from the bushes and was seen.
One Tuesday night, Pat phoned at 23h30 while I was in Lindhaven looking for her, but by the time I got there, Ayesha had disappeared once more. The next day I walked the streets but couldn’t find her. I decided to give Pat an item of my clothing for Ayesha to smell, with the plan that they’d phone the moment that she came for food.
After 20h00 that night, Pat phoned to say that Ayesha was on the corner. I rushed there, saw her standing halfway in the street, and called for her – but she ran.
There was a guy coming from the top of the street; I was at the bottom when Ayesha just vanished to the right side. I asked him if he’d seen the dog and he said yes, she slept there some nights. He went to look inside the backyard but couldn’t find her.
But my heart knew she was there. I asked if I could climb up the rocks against the wall. I scrambled up – and there she was! Ayesha was hiding on top of the lapa roof.
I was crying and people came out of their houses in the dark. We put Ayesha in the car and took her home.
Home sweet home
At the gate, she heard the small dogs barking and her ears immediately perked up. But she wasn’t interested in anything else – water was what she needed as she was so thirsty. I gave her food and she just rested. The next day I had to shave her because of all the ticks and the tangled hair. She went back to hiding from me, but one week later, Ayesha was her old self again!
It’s with thanks to Elke from Nordic Rescue SA; for her it’s never too late, never too much effort, and it was due to her effort that I found Ayesha. And thank you to Pat, Snowball and Charlie from Lindhaven, and all the neighbours – thanks to you all Ayesha was found after four months.
I’m convinced somebody tried to keep her, but she got out and was always looking for me. My heart always knew she was in the area. Ayesha is a strong girl, streetwise and with so much love. I’m so blessed to be reunited with her
