SPOT’s main focus and objective is to assist animals in in need in our community of Brakpan, Ekurhuleni, through outreach programmes.
We assist the animals to live happier, healthier lives and educate owners to be responsible for their pets’ well-being and care.
SPOT becomes a reality
Sanette Bosman, one of the directors and founder of SPOT – Sunny’s Pet Outreach Team – was involved with animal welfare for several years within another organisation from which she resigned early 2022.
After a short period, she couldn’t sit idly by knowing animals in the community needed help. Through the valuable experience she’d gained and a passion for animal welfare, SPOT became a reality to be able to assist animals that everyone forgets about or turns away from. It was established in June 2022, then registered in August the same year as a Non-Profit Company.
Sanette believes that instead of waiting or asking “someone” to help, you can be the someone!
Being a single mother who works full-time to support her family, outreach is mostly conducted after hours and weekends. She uses her own personal vehicle, doesn’t have any staff, does most of the physical work by herself, except when her oldest son, Brandon, joins her. Anything from transporting animals for sterilisation or treatment, to installing runners, delivering food parcels and checking on the animals’ well-being is accomplished. During larger outreach days, they have amazing friends, family and sponsors or donors that assist with everything from arrangements to all hands on deck getting down and dirty.
How SPOT makes a difference
Our aim is to reduce the number of welfare animals in our community through sterilisation. We’re also collaborating with owners to remove as many puppies and kittens as possible, instead of them being sold or given to other families in the same dire financial circumstances.
We offer assistance with food, treatment against ticks and fleas, deworming and sterilisation, as well as medical treatment on occasion – but the assistance is reserved for responsible owners who allow us to sterilise their current animals, don’t obtain further animals and ensure the basic needs and welfare of their animals are met. One of our main focus areas is an informal settlement within our community and assisting the owners and animals in that area to improve their pets’ daily lives, especially through education with regards to animals’ needs and welfare. We do make owners aware that even though we assist, caring for their animals remains their responsibility.
The fact is that we could remove these animals, but in doing so, the owners learn nothing and will simply replace the animals, which means the cycle continues. We don’t condone cruelty or outright abuse, and such cases are reported to the mandated authorities.
We continue to monitor the animals and ensure they’re taken care of by their owners in accordance with the education and support we’ve previously provided. Since inception to date, which is three years, we’ve been able to sterilise over 200 companion animals, assisted close to 300 in one way or another, and continue assisting close to 50 monthly on an ongoing basis.
We’re solely reliant on donations, and this means that sometimes we’re unable to assist when we don’t have the resources. We require funding for the sterilisations, medical treatment, tick-and-flea dip and deworming, as well as food to ensure the animals can enjoy some nutrition in their diet (most are being fed what their owners are able to provide, which in most cases is only maize meal and scraps of leftovers).
You can help!
Contributing towards our wish list makes a big difference:
- Our biggest need is dog and cat food of any kind – we mix various brands and quality to make up parcels to distribute.
- Funds for veterinary treatment, including sterilisation sponsorships and necessities such as tick-and-flea treatments, dip, equipment for runners.
- Pre-loved or new kennels are always a blessing too.
- Other items include blankets, large bowls, medium to large collars and leads that help tremendously, enabling us provide even more assistance.
To donate, our banking details are:
SPOT – Sunny’s Pet Outreach Team
FNB Cheque
Account: 6300 8388 167
Branch Code: 250655
For more information, contact Sanette on 072 689 1767 or email to chairman@s-p-o-t.co.za or info@s-p-o-t.co.za or follow on Facebook.
