Animal Rescue Work in Cape Town(Trip #57869)

Tour Overview

TEARS is a non-profit, pro-life animal rescue society, since the beginning of the centre in 1999, they have re-homed over 4500 animals. TEARS works directly with local communities and informal settlements not only rescuing animals but providing food parcels, veterinary treatment and animal care education for those that could not otherwise afford it. TEARS is in the business of "hand-on, grass-roots" social improvement. They try to teach children, by example, an ethic of compassion for animals. To do this to people who are struggling to survive themselves, is a tough job. Studies have shown that where traumatised and sometimes brutalised children, teenagers and adults are taught to care for something more helpless than them, the cycle of abuse can be broken, and this is an area where TEARS is trying to have input. TEARS also is assisted by the work of the international fund for animal welfare (IFAW) by providing a base of operations for the IFAW representative, Nicholas, and his operations to provide regular, front-line primary animal healthcare within the local communities.

Day by Day Itinerary

This center is a domestic animal rescue organisation located near Cape Town. Their goal is to provide animal health care and sterilisation to the local impoverished communities along with running an adoption programme for abandoned stray animals. Your work here will take on many roles from feeding and caring for the many animals to working closely with staff as they go out into the local informal settlements to collect, return and vaccinate animals on site. There is also the opportunity to work along side the resident vet, who requires assistance daily; this is not for the faint hearted. On quieter days you can get involved with a programme called 'Open Paw' which is a training programme to help the dogs understand basic commands helping with the adoption process.