Written by Tracy Williams – Director: Staffordshire Terrier Rescue SA
Professional photography by ICapture Solutions
Our little man, Boerseun, AKA Happy, is a story going from despair and sadness to a very happy ending.
One chilly day in October 2022, we were called to meet an old 14-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Boereseun. Nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to witness. Being fairly new to rescue, my heart was still very tame, and my eyes were innocent and blinkered.
Arriving at the kennels that Sunday morning, I was horrified to see that this was indeed a “paying” kennel where people left their beloved pets while they went off on their holidays. Surely people could see that this was a hell hole, yet they willingly left their fur babies here without a second glance over their shoulders. Maybe I was missing something.
Boerie was bought out to us. We were told that he was sick and that the vet had said he would possibly need to be euthanised. He was on a whole lot of meds, and they weren’t sure what was wrong.
He was so skinny, his eyes were sunken into his head, and he was no doubt shut down. It was a painful sight. He had been left for the last 6 months in this concrete cell block by his original owner, who had gone off to travel around Africa as a preacher. Boerie and his companion Bella, a younger Staffie of 6 years old, had been together, but the shelter had recently re-homed Bella, leaving this poor old soul lonely and alone.
We took him for a walk. He was wobbly on his legs but wanted to walk and sniff the tufts of grass in the area close to him. I couldn’t bear the thought of him going back inside. The noise of the other dogs barking and crying was deafening. I hoped he was immune.
I followed the kennel handler inside. The smell was putrid of stale urine and faeces, dogs in tiny cages with no room to even turn around, let alone lie down comfortably to rest. My colleague had to turn back as she couldn’t handle what we were witnessing.
And people pay for this!
I cried all the way home after arranging to go back the next day to collect him. We were going to do the kindest yet hardest thing and take him to be sent over the rainbow bridge and out of this prison.
We arrived the next day early afternoon thinking: “Boerie, our darling boy, today we are going to set you free!” Once again, the tears rolled down my cheeks. Big hearty sobs made me nauseous – so this is what rescue work was all about!
I was shocked when this old man jumped almost sprightly into the back seat. Was this the same dog from yesterday? He seemed to brighten up as soon as we were out of there and on the road, stopping off at KFC to buy him some chicken nuggets “to treat him as his last meal”.
We took him on a lovely walk around to sniff the fresh grass and smell the clean spring air before driving to our vet. But he was a different dog from the one we met yesterday. I believe animals have a sixth sense and this was definitely shining through now he was safe here with us.
Our vet checked him over and said that he wanted to make his own diagnosis and keep Boerie there overnight. These words ultimately saved his life and gave him a new one.
Twenty-four hours later, I contacted Heidi Stohr, who had contacted us a few months earlier for an older Staffie as company for her elderly Staffie named Phoenix, who had Hydrocephalus. Heidi didn’t even hesitate: of course, she would take Boerie in! A meet-and-greet was arranged immediately, and off he went to meet Heidi and Phoenix.
Boerie, now Happy, is one of the lucky ones. Here at Staffordshire Terrier Rescue SA, we are desperate to find homes for the many senior Staffies that find their way to us. Right now, we have several seniors in our care. These beautiful companions offer so much more than a puppy or younger dog, especially for someone who is less active.
Heidi, Happy’s new owner, shares...
I had approached Tracy a while back about adopting an older Staffie as a companion to my senior Staffie, Phoenix. By the time Tracy contacted me about Happy, I had decided that it was possibly best that I didn't adopt another dog, as my Phoenix was becoming really fragile.
However, upon hearing his story, I agreed to foster him, depending on how Phoenix felt about him.
Phoenix was so calm about his arrival - I think she knew that he had nowhere else to go. He was so skinny and so clumsy; he kept tripping over his own feet and face-planting. He was trying so, so hard to fit in with us, and I could see he was trying to figure out all the ins and outs of this new place.
He followed Phoenix everywhere - she loved being outside during the day, and he would be there with her. (Now, he only uses the outside for his business and for walks unless it's bucketing down – then it's the best place to be!)
She was too frail to walk very far, and they would share space in the stroller when he got tired too.
Phoenix's health deteriorated drastically, and by January, there was nothing more the conventional and holistic vets could do for her, and I had to let her go.
The Broken Hearts Club…
That was really hard for me and for Happy. She was my soulmate, and for him, it was yet another loss in his life that he had to deal with. He has been my ray of sunshine.
It's been almost 2 years since he came into my life, a feisty, stubborn, goofy, part duck, snuggle bear on a mission to conquer every molehill in the 10-minute radius of our house.
I am so blessed he came into my life, and I only wish I had met him sooner.
