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BUSINESS NEWS - Across South Africa, animal welfare teams see the same pattern: much of the suffering, overpopulation, and diseases in pets could be avoided through preventative treatments and public education on essential pet care.
For the Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL), sterilisation and vaccination are the cornerstones of responsible pet parenting, and the most effective ways to build healthier communities where animals are protected.
Why sterilise your dog or cat?
Unsterilised pets are the biggest driver of overpopulation, leading to thousands of homeless puppies and kittens entering welfare shelters every year. Many of these young animals arrive as weak, sick, or injured victims of circumstances no animal chooses.
Through years of frontline welfare work, the AACL has seen clear improvements:
- Fewer cases of preventable reproductive illnesses such as pyometra
- A reduction in contagious diseases in communities that participate in sterilisation drives
- A drop in trauma cases linked to roaming, territory fights, and mating-related aggression
- Fewer abandoned litters arriving at shelters
Their teams have treated everything from severe bite wounds and road-traffic injuries to malnourished pets and surrendered litters, many of which could have been prevented through timely sterilisation.
Big-hearted welfare staff provide life-saving treatment.
Affordable vet care in South Africa: Why welfare clinics matter
For many families, private veterinary care is financially out of reach. Yet their pets still need routine care for a chance to live healthy lives. This is where welfare vet services play a critical role.
The AACL’s community vet hospital structure provides:
- Subsidised sterilisation for dogs and cats
- Affordable vaccinations and primary health care
- Emergency treatment for injured or sick strays
- Outreach support in areas with little to no access to veterinary services
These programmes are acts of community upliftment that support both animals and the families who love them.
Big-hearted vets checking in on furry patients.
Dr Ganean Chetty hard at work in the welfare clinic.
From daily struggles to long-term change
Shelter teams frequently deal with heartbreaking cases, but they have also seen remarkable recoveries. Stories where fearful dogs learn to trust again, injured cats regain mobility, and puppies from neglected litters grow into healthy companions.
And a single sterilisation dramatically reduces the flow of animals into these already overburdened shelters.
The AACL’s staff often emphasise that the public’s support, such as donations from dotsure.co.za, directly influences long-term outcomes. Every pet sterilised during outreach programmes reduces pressure on shelters and helps ensure resources can stretch to the most urgent rescues.
Dr Ganean Chetty (left) and Sr Kate Shaw (right), behind the scenes.
One of the many rescued dogs being rehabilitated for rehoming.
A simple, lifesaving choice
Sterilisation is affordable, safe, and available through welfare organisations across the country, and it’s one of the best ways communities can support animal wellbeing. In the words of AACL staff across hospital, kennel, and inspectorate departments: “Responsible pet ownership begins with preventing what we can’t undo later.”
Sterilise your pets. Vaccinate them. Support welfare clinics when you can.
Because when communities take action, more beloved animals can experience a Soft Landing.
Individual attention is important for each animal’s recovery.
Steady routines help the rescued dogs adjust to a more caring environment.
Dotsure Limited (Registration number 2006/000723/06) is a licensed non-life insurer and an authorised financial services provider (FSP39925).
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