Don't Give Up!

When I came home one night, the sliding door was broken out, alarm cords were ripped from the walls, and my dog was gone!

It was the first time since I've moved to Durbanville that I’ve left Nène alone at home, locked inside the house.  

I looked for her throughout the night.  As day dawned, me still not having found my dog, I thought that I was about to loose my head.  I then realized that if I go into a total panic and collapse, I would not find her.  Everyone had to know that she is gone, that she is my dog and where to get hold of me.  I must not give up until I’ve found her.

I phoned about 40 vets, animal shelters, dogcatchers and SPCA's.  After another fruitless day and night, I printed 1000 colour posters.  I started putting them up, handing them out and speaking to anyone that breathes. 

Nothing came of it.

I repeated this throughout the week (6 000 posters), placed a picture ad in the Burger, broadcasted it 3 times on radio Tygerberg and had a friend flying over the squatter camps by helicopter.

Thursday morning I got a call from Rita, a woman whom I’ve met on my journey. She said that God had spoken to her and she wanted to help me. She's done work under the gangsters and rastas in the squatter camps and she said she will drive around with me through these camps.  Not scared really (except that my mom would find out about it!) We went through informal settlements & all areas around.  By then the reward for her safe return was R5 000, the posters were up in security bakkies, taxies and every visible spot/tree.  People said that they saw her in Bloekombos and described her up to the last white toe.

On Friday morning I had a call from a black lady from Bloekombos.  She said that she knows who's got Nène.  D/ville police didn't wanna help me, so I went to Kraaifontein's one.  There I met a guy who helped me look for her.  We located the thief after 2 hours in the camp.  He was so on glue that he couldn't remember what he had done with her.  After a whole day of pakslae (very traumatic day) and a few hours in the police cell, he said that he tied her up in his yard.  Everyone in the camp had seen her with this dude and she apparently had a green and white rope tied to her collar.  When we got to his yard, this rope was tied to the fence, but she was gone.  We decided to lock him up @ d/ville police station, since this is where my house breaking case was, and he has admitted that he breaks into houses in the d/ville area, steals the dogs and then sells them for R50 bucks.

I got a call from a lady in Durmonte saying that she thinks she's found Nène.  It WAS my dog! After this black guy saw her, he admitted that it was she.  She must've broken free that morning and tried to run back to her mom!

Her pelvis is broken in 12 places, she has cuts and bruises and one of her big eyeteeth is missing.  I took her to the vet straight away, then took her to a surgeon (cause the normal vet couldn't help her after he'd seen the x-rays and  all the fractures) They performed a nerve scan, since her reflexes in the right hand leg was non-existent.  They decided not to operate, as there is too much  scarred tissue and an op would just make it worse.

She's much better and her mother even more so!  Having her back is the biggest blessing I’ve ever received and I am very thankful to God.  To me it is an absolute miracle.  I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for every call, every prayer and every thought.  The support structure from everyone was absolutely amazing.  Thank you.

Thank you so much.


Melanie and Nène Erasmus