MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A three-year-old border collie cross, Sophie, has been given a second chance to find her forever home after the Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay branch rescued her from a life as a working security dog.

In 2022, when Sophie was three months old, she was adopted by a resident of Hartenbos.

Sophie was taken back to the SPCA a few months after her adoption for her vaccinations and to be spayed, and all seemed well until 24 August this year, when the SPCA went to conduct a home inspection where Sophie was supposed to be living.

"Sophie wasn't there. We were told by the adopter that she had donated Sophie to a security company because she was highly aggressive and had to give her up," said Garden Route SPCA Mossel Bay branch manager, Elize Goosen.

Digging
"The woman told us she could not remember the name of the company, so we had to do our own digging and we eventually found Sophie, and her entire adoption contract from the SPCA in a file at a security company's premises," said Goosen.

However, when the SPCA requested that the company give Sophie back to them, as per the SPCA's adoption contract, the company refused.

Goosen said that the SPCA's adoption process is legally binding and that the contracts, which each person must sign upon adopting an animal from the organisation, states that the adopter will not part with the animal except to return it to the SPCA, if for any reason they are unable to keep it.

It also states that the adopter "will not use or allow the animal to be used as a watchdog on any industrial or commercial premises".

Upon the company's refusal to return Sophie, the SPCA asked for help from BDLS Attorneys, based in Gqeberha.

Pro bono
Attorney Karien van Schalkwyk told Mossel Bay Advertiser that she and Advocate Alex van den Bos offered their services to have Sophie returned to the SPCA pro bono.

"Non-profit animal welfare organisations already have limited funds, which should rather be utilised to assist animals," said Van Schalkwyk.

"The matter was resolved quickly as the dog was returned after we sent letters of demand to the adopter and security company. Should the company not have adhered to the demand, we would have launched a High Court application for an interdict to return the dog to the SPCA," she said.

"We were ecstatic when we heard she was returned to the SPCA. From the video clips we have seen, it is clear that Sophie is a loving, beautiful dog, who deserves to find a forever home, where she can live a rich, balanced life, meeting her emotional needs as a family member.

"After a shift, the guards return home to a family, but the dogs return to an isolated cage," said Van Schalkwyk.

Loving
On 29 November, Sophie was returned to the SPCA by the security company.
"She is such a sweetheart and just wants to give love and be loved in return. She is not aggressive at all," said Goosen.

When the Advertiser visited the SPCA on Monday, 9 December, to take a photo of Sophie, she greeted the journalist by jumping into her arms, tail wagging.

Goosen said the SPCA team met many unexpected angels in the journey to rescue Sophie. She thanked Van Schalkwyk and Van den Bos for being the voices for Sophie, who could not speak for herself.

"We also thank the Mossel Bay Animal Hospital for its friendly and loving service, conducting a veterinary assessment of Sophie and ensuring she received the medical care she needed.

Additionally, Adam de Moore, who overheard the issue while at Mossel Bay Animal Hospital and kindly paid Sophie's bill, and lastly, the well-known dog behaviour expert Steven Montgomery, who assessed the kind and loving Sophie," she said.

"We are excited to walk this journey with Sophie and soon find her the new home she has been waiting for."
Goosen added that if you cannot keep your adopted animal, please bring it back to the SPCA. 

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