This is the story of Pezula Baines. I saw her at the Knysna Animal Welfare about 3 years ago.
She had been brought into the clinic with her sister, from the squatter camp, with Parvo virus. Her sister died that day. The staff, especially the manager of A.W.S., was determined to get her better, so took her home with her every night and nursed her back to health. When I asked why so much effort had gone into a very tiny puppy, the answer was “because she tried so hard to help us get her better”.
When I saw her she was about 4 months old and still no home had been found for her. Thank goodness - otherwise we would not have her now! Apparently a lot of people wanted her but as she was so special to the staff nobody was good enough for her.
When I asked if we could have her, I was with my friend Zoë, who was a volunteer and the fundraiser for A.W.S. Zoë gave the staff a glowing report about us and said that this was the best home that “Katie” could have and that we should have her although we were taking her back to Cape Town and did not live locally.
When we left the office we were told that she did not walk on the lead and did not know about balls. So we took her back to the apartment we were staying in at Pezula, hence her name.
When we got back to the apartment I made a bed for her down stairs as she would not go up the stairs to the bedroom. There she stayed the whole night and did not make a sound or have an “accident”. I did not have too much sleep as I was peeping over the banister almost hourly to see if she was alright.
The next day we went back to A.W.S. to sign the adoption papers; she walked into the office on the lead and holding a ball in her mouth. I knew then that I had a winner! She was perfectly fine in the car on the way home to Cape Town. When we stopped she walked around on the lead and had her “pit stop” then jumped back into the car, as if she had been doing it all her life. At home she settled into the Baines menagerie with no difficulty at all.
She went to two training schools but was attacked by the dogs at both, so we had to leave as she was terrified of even getting out of the car when we arrived. She would not retrieve anything, even though at home she carries fluffy toys around the house with her all the time. Other exercises she could do really well. She got her Canine Good Citizen Certificate with ease a year ago.
Now we have started training in Kommetjie and Zula has blossomed. She loves going to school and when she sees her training bag come out of the cupboard on Saturday mornings she will go to the garage and sit by the car until I am ready to leave. She is now starting to “enter into games” with the other dogs at school and is generally a very much happier and more confident person at school. Thank you Taryn and everyone at your school who have encouraged us both so much, it has definitely paid off. Now for the wooden dumbbell!
With love and thanks from us both - Liz and Pezula Baines
