CLAW's Yappy Tails

YAPPY Tails & FURRever homes...

Here are some of the happily ever after homing tales, showing just how blessed, cherished and spoilt our happily homed CLAWbies are, AND how enriched adopter's lives have become as a result of adopting a CLAWbie into their family.

GUMBY

"Gumby (short for Gummy Bear) was handed over to CLAW at an outreach clinic and no longer wanted because he was diging up the garden and chasing the chickens. He was very depressed in the shelter until he was made the babysitter for the CLAW puppies and kittens. Gumby is an old soul, an empath and oracle. After training (Canine Good Citizen obedience training) he went on to become a Paws for People therapy dog. He has also been an outstanding role model and canine puppy trainer both when we've fostered and at a couple of Puppy schools. He has a calmness that is rare, and he brings peace to all the distressed, despairing or anxious creatures (human or canine) he meets. Gumby is a true Adoption Ambassador, and he has converted many people to become Adoption Advocates! There is no greater, more loving dog in the whole wide world!!!"

~Dido~

PETAL

"Petal came into the CLAW clinic as a tiny puppy showing clear evidence of cruel abuse. Her front leg was barely hanging on an emergency surgery amputation had to be performed. After surgery she went into foster care where she turned bright pink as a result of all the medications she was on, and so got the name Petal.

Petal was very blessed to find a home where she is cherished. It was found that her pelvis must also have been shattered and her one hind leg was shorter than the other, so at huge expense, her adoptive mum had a orthotic made. Petal knows she is one SPECIAL furbaby but doesn't feel likes a special needs kid... she may be a bit slower and not walk or run as far, but she doesn't feel disabled and embraces every moment of life with a big smile and a hop, skip and a jump. She gets flown to the seaside with her mum and knows she couldn't be more adored and spoilt"
~Doreen~

"I don't have any 'before' pics of our beloved Livingston as he was adopted from CLAW almost 12 years ago as the cutest kitten in the world! Cora may remember the full story, but he was rescued after some stupid radicals bombed a railway line or something in Soweto. He's so very loved by everybody in our home (apart from the fish who sadly became a sushi snack for him and BlackCat)!We called him Livingstone because he's such a great explorer!

He's had many adventures - not the least of which was getting into the washing machine, me not noticing until I'd turned it on and then waiting for the longest 2 minutes of my life for the washing machine door to unlock again! He still has a morbid fear of full coffee mugs after stepping/ falling into one as a kitten. I must admit I fell about laughing for two minutes before rinsing him off, drying him and restoring (some) of his dignity :-o He's managed to get himself stuck in the neighbour's tree and refused to come down (her 3 x jack russels wouldn't let him) and had to be rescued (again?) by my brother who had to climb into the tree and retrieve him. Toilet seats in our house had to be kept closed as he loved to go 'fishing' but thankfully he's outgrown that particular stunt. He does however still loves to 'fish' for human toes when I'm in the bath! He loves to play 'fetch' with a ball of tin foil and will bring it back until time ends if you don't hide it (the bulldogs don't play fetch - they reckon: YOU threw it away. YOU go fetch it! so at least I get my dog' fix from the cat!) He's a cat-nip junkie and knows how to open the kitchen drawer to get to his stash.

He's my 1st born and the 1st beat of my heart! Thank you CLAW for everything you do!!"
~Rene~

"Herbie was confiscated by CLAW because he was stuck at the end of a long leash with a chokechain in Tshepisong township... and was absolutely tick infested, from snout to tail. I was a miracle he didn't get biliary! He has a chunk of his nose missing and is very snappy and growly when picked up especially if he is lifted head first onto something. We wonder if he wasn't used as a bait dog in dog fighting. He had to kept imprisoned in a cage at CLAW because he was a terrible escape artist if put in an enclosure... which is how he came to be adopted by the CLAW adoptions photographer who felt pity for the snappy, scabby little critter!

He's a growly little guy but fell head over tails with his foster mom and became another "foster failure" one of those that never leave their foster homes becomes they crawl so deeply into their foster paren't home they can't bear to part with them. His adoration for his mom knows no bounds and he has become a really funny little character!"

LIVINGSTON

JUNO

VIOLET

HERBIE

"My beautiful CLAWbie is Juno, and she is 3 and a half years old - born in Feb 2011. She started out as a foster, and we just had to adopt her. She was the runt the of the litter, and she just stole my heart. Cora was amazing and showed me how to bottle feed and care for her. The clinic at CLAW helped with vaccinations and sterilisation, just making it extremely easy to welcome Juno into the family. The bond that developed between me and this furry little wonder eventually helped turn me into a vegan animal rights activist. Juno is a joy in our lives. We are very lucky to have her. The love we feel for her is overwhelming and losing her would be devastating. She is an epileptic and has knee problems, so we have to take very good care of her medically and make sure she does not have too much stress. She is our treasure and we are very lucky to have her in our lives. Thank you CLAW for giving us the opportunity to give and receive such an abundance of love."
~Ronel~

"I adopted Violet in February 2014. We had to teach her to walk on the leash, get her to socialise with other dogs and humans. Violet was always running away or shaked when people visited us. Violet is vey protective of me. She did not like being picked up. Violet liked biting and her brother T Cup wanted nothing to do with her. Well with love and patience, Violet is now taking long walks on the beach, without barking at people, now and then still with dogs. As tiny as she is, she thinks she can take on the biggest dog. Violet no longer bites, loves being on the arm and lap and loves kissing. Violet is a bundle of joy! T Cup and Violet are now best friends and now they look for each other. Violet loves her naps in the sun and she is a real little watch dog. She came calling me with a sound that she makes, when I looked, it was a mole. She is very bright and loves telling you when she sees something or someone that should not be outside. CLAW, I thank you for her everyday, she has taught me that even when you come from a bad situation in your life, you can heal every animal with love and attention."

"February 2015 will be a year that we adopted our little Violet. Violet is a little bundle of joy and has come a long way. Violet loves her baths, walks and is moms little shadow! She is so protective over her mommy. Violet has learnt to talk to me in her little way of what she wants, she loves playing with ball and brings back the ball to me. Violet loves the beach. I am not sorry that I adopted her. Violet is such a bundle of Joy and love and makes my day each and Everyday."
~Susan, Volet's mommy~

"Garry came to us as a foster at about 3 weeks of age and 8 years later is still with us. He is the boss of all things comfy AKA the sofa, bed and sunny spots. He is a fun-filled fatty (yes, cats can be fun!) who entertains us with his early morning zoomies down the passage followed by CLAWbie dog Cindy. Being hand-reared he is a mommas boy and knows it. His favourite foods much to the amusement of family and friends is raw spinach and green beans… apparently tuna, biltong and all things meat is evil and should be avoided at all costs."

~Heidi~

GARRY-WILLIAM

"Zeta is a borderline collie found in Zantspruit squatter camp at 2 weeks old. We adopted her at 5 weeks.

The love of my life, Zeta has become a stunning working dog that not only does agility, obedience and is a senior dog in puppy school but is also the owner of my lap and bed! She travels everywhere with me and spends frequent holidays in the KZN midland where she gets to put all that jet-fueled energy into use by running around the farmlands and swimming in the dams. Life without her would be insanely boring!"

~Heidi~

ZETA

"Cindy, AKA 'the Bin', was ound in Northwest Province with an elastic band around her neck, Bin (as she is known) was a shy little dog of about 6 weeks. Although friendly, it took us a few weeks to gain her trust. Now 3 years old she is an outgoing busy dog who thinks all people are her friends, especially children. With her border collie personality, she is ball mad and loves her trips to KZN, where she can chase moles and swim in dams until her hearts content. The clown of the family she steals the hearts of all who meet her... and our two cats are her favourite friends.."

~Heidi~

CINDY

BECKY

"We got Becky in June 2012. She was rescued by CLAW and just had her right back leg amputated, so we offered to foster her.

However, we were terrible foster-failures. J We fetched her on the Friday and by Monday we decided to keep her.

She is a bright dog that’s forever thankful and always wagging her tail.

She does very well in obedience class and has a cat called Peter as her best pal!

She really has brightened up our lives!

I would recommend to anyone to rather adopt before they shop!"

~Helia~

"When we came to CLAW looking for a pet, my partner didn't even look twice - he spotted Red huddled in a corner near to the fencing and immediately said "that's our dog!" A small and thin dog who was scared and was being a little bullied by his big brothers at CLAW, Red arrived at our house looking apprehensive and suffering from car sickness. When I tried to wash him, one look at the hosepipe sent him running for the hills! On his first night with us, he slunk onto his blanket and had to be coaxed with treats to join us in the lounge - the sound of the TV and the gas heater was too much for him and he retired back to his corner.

The next day, I walked him to the corner shop to buy some milk and the full extent of his fears became clear: the sound of car hooters, the sight of groups of people on pavement corners and anything relating to construction sites (metal, sand and bricks) made him want to bolt. He was nervous of strangers and wary of bakkies.

But what amazed me most about our precious hound was how quickly he came out of his shell! Within a week he was walking through our suburbs with less fear. Within two weeks he was walking around the house like he belonged. Within a month, he put on 4 kilos - and within 6 months, he packed on an extra 5 kilos of muscle and weight. From a measly 16, he now weighs in at 24 kgs and the vet is thrilled with his condition. We have had people approach us to ask his breed as his glowing red/orange coat is now a sight to behold! People love to make a guess when we say "we have no idea!"

Red is now the boss of us: he wakes us every morning by nudging open our bed-room door and prodding us awake with his wet nose, explaining that it's time for his morning run. In the evenings, he'll frolic about the dog park with his friends, and then spend the rest of the night on the couch where he is a far-too-large lapdog. He can never get too many cuddles and is the centre of attention whenever we have guests round! He came first in his obedience class, got over his car-sickness quickly and has even become a firm favourite of our landlord!

His confidence has progressed steadily. One of the challenges we had with Red was that it took him a while to feel ok in new situations. If we took him on a new running route, for example, he would hold back; he was particularly concerned about traffic noise and metal gates. I am proud to say that after a year with us, Red now approaches new situations cautiously but confidently.

RED

One of the BEST things about getting a rescue dog is how smart they are: Red has never run into traffic; has never bitten anyone; he knows when to bark (when he sniffs a stranger on our property) and is silent otherwise; he is supremely house-trained and brilliant with other dogs - very gentle with children too (my one year old nephew likes sticking his fingers up Red's nose!) He knows exactly where the love is - inside our house - and has never tried to run away or bolt through an open gate or garage door.

One year on, the only hang-over from Red's past is his obsession with crunching up old chicken bones that he finds during our runs!! I don't think he'll ever forget how to forage. In short, adopting Red from CLAW was the best decision we made: our house is a home with him waiting by the gate to greet us and resting his head on our knees when he needs an ear tickle. His soulful expression (which means he wants a doggie treat!) is a constant reminder of how much we should care for those who put so much trust and love in us. Thank you CLAW - we not only got the best running companion ever, but an oversized teddy bear and devoted friend too! "

~Robyn, Jono and Red~

OLIVE

"Olive was handed over to CLAW at an outreach clinic as unwanted. She was so afraid unfriendly and reactive (at a time CLAW was very overcrowded) that it was even considered she may be better off (and at peace) if she were PTS'd. Fortunately she soon settled and was increasingly allowed out and about and she became the meet-and-greet welcome committee for CLAW (@ FORA)

She was taken into foster care to learn lifeskills and to become more socialised as a family member, and was also taken to dog training school all in preparation to go to a really great home in Cape Town Sadly the new adoptive mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer and the decision was taken to leave Olive with her big foster pack where she'd become a very loved, welcome and valued member., in fact she's become her Dad's preFURred running buddy"

WHISKERS & OOGIES

"My boyfriend Chris and I adopted 2 kittens from CLAW, we have named them Whiskers and Oogies.

We are so blessed with these 2 amazing babies. They are like our daughters. We love them endlessly. We have only had one hiccup/challenge where Whiskers broke her Tibia but enormous thanks to Blue Bush Animal Clinic for being totally amazing. She is due to have the pin taken out next week Friday. "
~Lauren~

YOGI-BEAR & BRITAIN

"We had a pedigree Beagle who needed a friend and Yogi’s photo on the CLAW Facebook page meant an immediate call and weekend visit to see if they got along, we described them as the Princess and the Pantsula.

That was 2012.

Yogi-Bear had been chained, covered in Dieseleen and his paw was ridden over with a remaining raw patch that he licked nervously.

After a trip to the vet, Manuka Honey was lathered on his ridden over paw with a bandage twice daily, all healed and sealed 3 months later with physio on his back legs daily to get some muscle strength back.

It took a while for Yogi-Bear (and me) to adjust, small things like a bed, a blanket and a toy were new to him, so he was a tad possessive, also certain people, how he was touched and what they carried bought out different reactions in him – nothing a Puppy Training 101 and 102 couldn’t solve which he gave every effort to be as strong as the other pooches in his class.

He is the gentlest soul who has just lately started finding his very deep voice and loving to swim, all love and licks.

On the passing of our 3 year old Beagle from renal failure, we had lost a child, our 1st, and it took us a fair amount of time to want to commit to another puppy, but we had so much love to give another dog which was being wasted in our loss followed by a firm family debate on whether we get a bred beagle or rescue.

Rescue was decided but we couldn't find a rescue beagle.

Yogi was then in charge of finding his new friend, he chose Britain 7 puppies later on neutral ground at Ark Animals, who were taking care of him (Trump was his name there) whilst the CLAW riots were on.

Britain came home and any Yogi anxiety issues aside became his best friend, his new brave friend that Yogi could show the ropes.

Britain has the habit of sitting on Yogi, or never far away enough not to be touching him.

He’s super intelligent, number one puppy in puppy class learning everything 1st time.

He’s our little shadow, up when we are, following us around no matter what time, always keen on love and having his head resting on some part of us.

His ears are ridiculous.

They’re so spoilt, Dullstroom, Ramsgate, my folks not kennels when we go away, Royal Cannin, to many toys, on the bed, under the blankets, wet food between dry food, long Delta Park and Emmerentia walks off leash, chipped, on MediPet, all vaccinated up, leather collared, groomed every two weeks by Twisted Whiskers. We wanted to turn Yogi’s life around, we did and Play-Doh (our beagle) left a space for us to do the same for Britain.

Best thing is, they turned our lives around too."

~Karen~

SHADOW

"Shadow was extremely nervous when we first adopted him, and actually tried to hide behind a cabinet when I went to collect him from CLAW. On arriving home, he hid under my car for 3 hours, where I had to eventually drag him out.

He had no trust in humans, and would run in the opposite direction if you tried to approach him, and hide in the smallest place he could find.Shadow was extremely nervous when we first adopted him, and actually tried to hide behind a cabinet when I went to collect him from CLAW. On arriving home, he hid under my car for 3 hours, where I had to eventually drag him out.

He had no trust in humans, and would run in the opposite direction if you tried to approach him, and hide in the smallest place he could find. Shadow soon became best friends with our Jack Russell, and would follow him everywhere, hence changing his name to Shadow. He was still very wary of people, but had his moments of trust, where he would allow us to pet him and give him love.

Wow has Shadow come out of his shell! It took a lot of patience and kindness, but now, every morning when my alarm goes off, he is at the side of the bed, thumping it with his tale, looking for morning cuddles. His confidence has come in leaps and bounds, and he likes nothing better than going for a run in the dog park. SEE MORE...

Adopt a CLAWBIE!!! You will not regret it!"

~Cathy~

LEILA & RAMBO

"My fiancé and I were looking to adopt a dog, and I immediately suggested we go to CLAW to have a look at the doggies that were up for adoption. We arrived at CLAW just to LOOK and not adopt immediately. Little did we know that Leila and Rambo had something else planned for us. We walked in to your old facility and immediately (out of all the dogs and puppies) Leila and Rambo jumped up and demanded our attention. It was love at first sight, and we always tell everybody that these two furry angels chose us. It was as if they knew they were going home with us from the moment we walked in to the kennels. Rambo is the most loving dog you will ever find in your life, his favourite place is right by your side. His second love in life is running after and catching his ball, he will never tire of playing ball and absolutely loves it when we take him to the Emmarentia Botanical Gardens! Leila is a little lady, you have never seen a doggie with that much attitude and class. She loves playing with us, up until a certain point when she gets bored and prefers to watch. She is petrified of water, but we have slowly but surely gotten her in the bath tub for a bath and she will now stand in the stream at Emmarentia.

From the moment we adopted these two they have given us so much joy and comfort. They are amazing with other dogs and children and we regularly take them with to our friends’ houses where they socialise with other dogs and children. All our friends and their children love Leila and Rambo and have therefore started advocating adoption themselves.

When we adopted them we thought that we would be able to give them a home and change their lives forever, but it was actually the other way round!! They have absolutely turned our house into a home and changed our lives, we are now a family!!

Take care, and thank you so much for the good work that you do."

~Danielle~

LADY, NIM & MORRIS

3 years ago we went to Claw to get a kitten. We fell in love with a little black female and landed up taking her, her mother AND her brother! We just couldn't bear leaving the rest of the family behind!
At first we were slightly overwhelmed at the idea of 3 cats, but within weeks we couldn’t imagine not having all of them. Having more that one cat is actually easier than having a single one as they also have each other for company so don’t only look to you for attention. Those days when you just can’t get home from the office as early as you hoped you feel a little less guilty knowing that the cats have each other.

The mother was sweet and friendly but as the kittens had had little human contact and were over 8 weeks old they were a little skittish. But with time and a the help of a little behavioural training they slowly came around and learnt to love and trust us. There is not a lot that compares to winning the love and trust of a previously skittish and mistrusting animal. We are simply mad about all 3 of them and honestly cannot imagine our lives without them.

There is something very special about changing an animal’s life (and how they change your life!) that I wish all people could experience.
Thank you Claw!

~Leigh-Anne & Ross~

1. PICKLE

Pickle was our first puppy from CLAW and our first introduction to this amazing team. We didn’t even see a photo of him – Saskia just arrived with this tiny little dog who has crept in to all of our hearts and we absolutely adore him. Pickle was so tiny to start that when we first sent picture of him sleeping on my husband – my brother asked if it was a doughnut or a dog

2. ROSEBUD & 3. ZULU

Rosebud and Zulu were our next 2 CLAW kittens. Rosebud was planned but on arriving at Leannes who was hand rearing them and we had just lost our beloved Siamese to cancer- suddenly we looked down and amongst all the kittens was a tiny kitten that looked just like our Siamese. Needless to say both were put in the basket and taken home and are the most incredible cats – such characters.

4. PESTO

Pesto was our next CLAW dog – again we saw no photos of him – I just contacted Saskia and said we were looking for a big dog and home that evening came Pesto. My husband was led to believe that he was only staying until Monday… but as I always say to him – I didn’t say which Monday. Pesto out of all our animals has been quite a challenge as he has severe fear issues and we have had to work really hard with various amazing people and with CLAW advice to get him to where he is today. For me personally he has been a real lesson in love and I am so proud when I look at him and see how far he has come. I know we still have many hurdles to cross with him but I wouldn’t change what I have gone through with him for anything – he has taught me so much. Pesto is definitely a case of him rescuing me!

Skabenga our 5th CLAW kitten (but as far as my husband is aware Pickle found Skabenga at the river on our morning walk and bought him home……) – Skabenga has been the most amazing, naughty and full of character kitten – he arrived home and it was like he had always been here. He just slotted in and we absolutely adore him.

~Vicqui~

5. SKABANGA

1. DIXIE

In April 2012, Dixie who was a CLAWbie in foster care with Leslie and Mel, found an adoring home with Jill Olivier and her aging white Standard poodle Daisy. Initially quite shy and avoidant, Dixie flourished and has gone on to (like Dasiy) become a registered Paws for People Therapy Dog. His soulful, gentle nature has touched many lives. The kiddies chant "Dixie, Dixie" when he arrives for visits and even the most afraid child will pet him, shake his paw or feed him a treat.

2. JOLIE

Jolie was rescued alone in the veld by a couple of children in Soweto and handed in to a CLAW outreach clinic. She was very weak and had a serioud birth defect - neither back leg developed any tibias. Despite her disability she had a real joie de vivre and is able to walk by doing hand stands... she doesn't know she is different... In the second pic she is lying with her PAWsome sister Daisy (a Standard Poodle)... She quickly adjusted to the dogs and loves cuddling on her mom's lap... it's a PURRfect fit! She doesn't stop purring and seems to have realised she has landed with her bum in the butter...

~Jill ~