Creative daisies in our midst - meet Gail Petrie!
One of the many things we love about St Francis is that so many amazing people live in this relatively small community. Dune Daisies are particularly fortunate to have not only an absolutely lovely neighbour, but an exceptionally talented advertising agency director living just down the road. I bet you have noticed the beautiful pictures on our equally fabulous website! Well, Gail Petrie is the creative eye behind all of this creativity and we thought you might be interested to find out more about this local daisy blooming in our dunes.
DD: Gail, we have received many compliments for the pictures on our website and we have you to thank for them. What we really love about your pictures is that they show how well you know St Francis. Can you tell us about your history with this village?
Gail: I first came here on holiday with friends in 1981. I had such a wonderful experience that I went home and told my mom how much I loved it. She promptly organised a holiday for us, was smitten and right there and then put an offer in on our house. We moved in a year later and since then it has become the house where our family gathers. For all of us, it is a place of healing and laughter, very close to our hearts To this day, it is still the place where all the family and friends come every December.
DD: How has St Francis changed since you first started coming here in 1981?
Gail: When we first came here, we would have to drive to PE if we needed something as the only shop was the convenience store at the petrol station. All the roads were gravel and sand. But, the hotel was amazing – I wish we still had it! The community and all the holidaymakers would always get together there and everyone had a blast.
For me, the saddest thing now is how much the beach has changed in St Francis Bay. When we first started coming here there were Hobie Cats everywhere and Hobie Beach was busy. We could walk to the river mouth at high tide with about 20m of beach.
DD: When and why did you decide to move to St Francis permanently?
Gail: I moved here permanently after my divorce two and a half years ago. St Francis has always been a place of healing and peace for me, it was my getaway. I had often heard that you shouldn’t live or work in a place that you need to have a holiday from. This helped me decide that St Francis might be a good place to base myself, surrounded by nature. I also knew that my boys love coming here and that they can’t stay away for long, especially when they need some time out.
Gail Petrie Life Coaching
- Tel: (082) 375-7115
- http://gailpetriecoaching.co.za
GAP Advertising
- Creative Campaigns. Marketing Strategies. Design. Publishing. Event Management and Photography.
- Website: http://www.gap-advertising.co.za
- Email: gail@gap-advertising.co.za
Devon (25)is a computer scientist and is following his passion and working for the South African Radio Observatory (Meerkat Telescope and SKA project). He’s based in Cape Town.
Brandon (27) is a commercial fixed-wing and helicopter pilot and runs his own solar company (Lovemore Crescent is lit up thanks to Brandon).
“One of Gail’s most special moments was climbing into a plane built by my son and husband and flying over sunset rock.” GAIL
DD: What challenges have you faced working remotely or by relocating?
Gail: When I arrived here I was thrown into one of the busiest periods of my career. My biggest challenge has been making sure that I find time for me and my dog Scamp. Taking her out for a walk and spending enough time outdoors, so I try to make this a priority.
Regarding my work situation, I can’t pop into all the events I am organising, so I have to be selective in deciding when to make the trip. Other than that, it’s been amazing. If someone had told me ten years ago that I could work remotely, I would have done it then!
DD: You are a lady of many talents, you have an advertising agency, are a professional photographer and also a life coach. How have all these things played out in your life?
Gail: When I was twenty, I moved from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg on a modelling contract. After a few years, my work as an art director got the attention of the Edgars group and I ended up working for them. It was seven of the most wonderful years of my career; we worked hard, played hard, and I learned so much.
When I got married, I didn’t want to leave my kids at a creche, so went out on my own. One of the companies I had done freelance work for waited for this to happen and then scheduled a meeting with me on the first day my company opened. At the meeting, I was awarded a multi-million rand account. Not bad for the first day of business. I ended up working for them for the next ten years. Honestly, I was fortunate in that I landed many wonderful and high-profile clients, including some of the top private schools in Johannesburg. It all just fell into place. And this was in addition to L’Oreal where I was the agency for 15 years. One particularly fun project we worked on during that time was the launch of the Golden Scissor Award which became the world’s most significant ethnic haircare award. Work has been consistent over the years and I have built wonderful relationships with my clients.
During that time, I always had this feeling that I wanted to study Psychology. I got to the point where I started looking for courses that I could do in the evening, but I kept putting it off as I was so busy and was still raising my two boys. Eventually, about twelve years ago, I did an ontological life coaching course. It was life-changing and at one point I thought about giving up the agency to do life coaching. A part of the course involved doing biometric and aptitude tests. The feedback from this was that I would be most successful if I could find something that balanced my creative side with my emotional and empathetic side. This struck a chord in me and kept on going around in my head. Perhaps I didn’t have to give up on my creative side. So, I kept the agency and when I started looking at life coaching, I went at it from a creative perspective. I tried to approach my workshops creatively. How could I do the one-on-one sessions more imaginatively than just sitting and chatting? That’s when the ‘Who am I’ and the ‘Choosing Me’ workshops were born. They are based loosely on my life and the lessons that I’ve learned over the years. It’s been incredible still being able to do these things from St Francis.
DD: Can you tell us more about your workshops and life coaching?
Gail: When I was in Joburg, my life coaching workshops were with ten people. But at the moment, I am just offering one-on-one coaching with an eye on moving back to groups later. It’s basically looking at the lens we look at life through, how the things that have happened to us in life have impacted us. How we move forward and what we have learned from our experiences. And finally, making the changes necessary to live your dream life.
DD: And how are you living this?
Gail: A lot of people think that because you are a life coach, you must have it all figured out and have all the tools. But for me, it’s about continuous learning. The need to learn on a deeper level to experience things. I often think that some of the things that I’ve been through in my life have been there to teach me how to help other people in those situations.
I have found it very interesting how at different stages of your life, different people show up in the coaching. For example, after my divorce, I found I was coaching people that were in bad relationships, following that I found myself working with those battling with balancing work and life. After that, people struggling with the empty nest syndrome and then I went through a period where most of my clients had experienced a lot of trauma. That’s really how I concluded that the things we experience are all lessons.
DD: What life lessons have you learned from each of these directions?
Gail: The biggest life lesson I have learnt is to allow what is, to be. If you fight things, you bring fear into them and that never has a good outcome. Also, to get up each morning grateful for all that you have.
DD: How about as a mother?
Gail: I am so fortunate and have been blessed with having two incredible people in my life, my sons. They have taught me so much about resilience and kindness, they bring an abundance of unconditional love into my life.
My gran used to say, ‘this too shall pass.’ The lesson I learnt from that is that, it will pass. But, what lessons have we learned when it has passed?
If we don’t learn from our mistakes we keep inviting the same stories back in – the same hamster wheel spinning around. That’s how we build resilience.
DD: What has your experience been as self-employed? Would you give any words of advice to businesses starting out?
Gail: For me, it was always about following your passion, that’s something I have tried to teach my boys as well. If you don’t follow your passion, you cannot possibly find what you are looking for. And I think in my case, that is why everything fell into place because I was always doing this. It was the same with photography. I had studied it as part of my training as a graphic designer and loved it. So, when I was working for L’Oreal at one of the Golden Scissor Award events, the photographer didn’t show up and luckily, I had my camera with me. I ended up taking the photos and L’Oreal was so blown away by my work that they asked me to take over the photography for future events. Again, it just happened that I was thrown into that side of my career. Something that was always my passion became a business and I tried never to lose that passion even in the business side of it.
DD: Looking forward, how would you like to focus your energies?
Gail: I am currently working on a life coaching book that I believe is quite unique. My goal is to have it published by the end of the year. The agency keeps ticking over, but that’s also taken an incredible shift. It used to be all retail, but now I am focusing on education and pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceuticals in particular have been fascinating because I have learned so much about diabetes and what people go through. At one of the events we put together a program where doctors were actually walking in patients shoes using AI. We are trying to bring empathy and observation back into the pharmaceutical world as it’s something that’s often missing.
Dune Daisy readers, we have this wonderful person in our community, so utilise our local talent. If you would like to learn more about yourself and begin a journey of self-discovery, contact Gail about her “Who am I?” workshop. Read on to find out more and check out her website: http://gailpetriecoaching.co.za
Know your Daisy, Gail:
- Born in Bloemfontein and grew up on a dairy farm in the Free State.
- Her happiest memories are connected to the farm and her two kids.
- Gail is an animal lover and has Scampi, a golden cocker spaniel (her sidekick), two cats and a very chatty parrot named Scruffy (often to be heard saying ‘goodbye’ in the background when Gail is on a call).
- Her favourite food is homemade pasta and making pizza with her boys.
“We see the world not as it is, but as we are.”
Albert Einstein
So, who am I?
The “Who am I” program is a coaching journey for discovering who you are and living your dream life.
A powerful practical approach for understanding how you function, learn and change.
Who am I?
How do I view the world?
By taking an honest and detailed look at the story you have been writing about your life, at both the good and bad decisions, strengths, wishes and dreams, and regrets, you will open the door to understanding “Who am I?”
Discover the lens you view the world through and the story you are writing. Are you living into limiting beliefs? Acknowledge what has worked for you and feels right, as well as things that haven’t gone as well and leave you with heaviness and sadness.
This is a journey to discovery of self.
Donate your threads, Daisies!
THE STREET STORE: LET’S HELP CLOTHE ALL THE DAISIES IN ST FRANCIS BAY
The indignities of poverty are profound, multifaceted and often disguised behind the public ‘face’ of poverty. Truthfully, how many of us have wondered what happens beyond our cash donations and clothing drop-offs at the local thrift store? As morally uncomfortable as it may be, have we ever put ourselves in the position of someone who has no idea where their next meal will come from, or how they will survive the next chilly night with threadbare clothes? Imagine what it must feel like to have no choice in what you receive or what shape your gifted clothes come in.
Well, thankfully for us at Dune Daisies, all of our readers out there, and for the over half a million fortunate recipients across the globe, an amazing team in Cape Town have. Enter the Street Store, the world’s first ‘free’ store for the homeless and those in need. Created in 2014, by M&C Saatchi Abel’s Kayli Levitan and Max Pazak, the Street Store aims to provide a unique ‘shopping’ experience, one which restores dignity and pride to the act of receiving clothing donations. To date, over 1000 stores in 100s of cities across the globe have sprung up on street corners, in community halls and school playgrounds – anywhere where there is a need and a free space to set up ‘shop’.
The concept is beautifully simple. Anyone can host a Street Store by registering on www.thestreetstore.org and taking the Street Store pledge. They are then given free access to downloadable & printable cardboard designs. These documents are available in over 14 languages – testimony to this initiative’s global reach. Once the printed cardboard hangers are ready, the donated items are hung up (in whatever ‘free’ space has been chosen) and a shopping experience is created. Volunteers then help ‘customers’ to browse the options and choose desired clothing, all in a safe, relaxed, dignified environment.
What’s more, St Francis Bay will boast its very own Street Store next month. We caught up with Sam Harpur, of local NPO Heart-Strings, who is the driving force behind hosting this incredible initiative.
DD: Hi Sam, Dune Daisies heard that you are the inspiration behind bringing the Street Store to St Francis Bay. Can you tell our readers exactly what the Street Store is?
Sam: The Street store is a concept that originated in Cape Town and has become a global success story. It is the world’s first rent-free, premises-free, free pop-up clothing store for those in need. It gives those in need the dignity of a shopping experience without having to pay for anything. Everyone deserves the opportunity to choose clothing instead of just getting clothes handed down to them.
DD: What made you want to bring this concept to our home town?
Sam: We were fortunate enough to get invited to a talk by Mike Abel from M&C Saatchi Abel, as part of a Client Care investment function. It was during this talk that Mike introduced the Street Store concept as one of his passionate community projects. When we heard about it, we immediately felt that it could be a project that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of our community members. And so the 1002nd Street Store, in St Francis Bay, was created.
DD: You mentioned while we were chatting that you plan to meet with key community leaders to discuss how to make sure that the items reach those who need them the most.
Sam: We are in the process of coming up with an invitation system. We will be working with community leaders to identify the community members who are in the most desperate situations and then extend an invitation to these people. We don’t want a situation whereby we only have sufficient clothes to assist 100 people and have 500 arrive on the day. Logistically it could be tricky to manage large crowds of expectant people.
DD: Has this type of community work been a long-time passion of yours?
Sam: We have always had a heart for people and reaching out but really felt a strong call to make a meaningful difference when moving to St Francis Bay. We love that we can live in a small town and invest our efforts into our community.
DD: Can you tell our readers more about the other work that you and your partners are doing in the community? (keep an eye out for future posts delving deeper into what these awesome ladies are busy with)
Sam: Our Non-Profit Company called Heart-Strings has been born out of a love for community and has recently been officially registered. We are 3 women, having moved to St Francis, that have a common heart and different passions. Kim Cornish, a nurse, has a heart for well-being initiatives in the community. Nicola Lyle, a High School Teacher, is passionate about making a difference with the youth and hopefully investing her effort into the future high school we foresee in St Francis Bay. I am Early Childhood Development trained and determined to create a stronger foundation at the grassroots level and am passionate about increasing early literature exposure.
DD: So, how can our readers help with the Street Store? Do you need volunteers or donations – what can we do?
Sam: Our most immediate need is for the donation of clothing, without clothing we don’t have a Street Store. We are appealing for men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. Items can be dropped off at the Client Care Offices in the Old Village Shopping Centre, behind Calibre Security and next to Off The Menu Restaurant.
We are also always looking for extra sets of hands to sort clothing, to assist in organizing the event and assist us on the day.
DD: Can any kind of clothing be donated?
Sam: We would be so grateful for any and every bit of clothing including shoes, hats, bags and jackets. We will sort them by gender, size and type.
DD: What if we have items that are not in great condition – should we bring them along anyway?
Sam: We are appealing for items that are still in good condition as we really want this to be an opportunity for these community members to choose lovely items of clothing that they would be proud to wear.
DD: We heard you may be sharing more at the SFB Brewery’s next Story Slam – can you tell us a bit about that?
Sam: Yes, we are very excited to have been invited to the next Story Slam on the 20th of July. My husband, Frank, will be sharing information about the Street Store and how our community can get involved. There will be an opportunity to drop off donated items at this event.
DD: Can you suggest any additional sources that keen readers can follow up on?
Sam: We have recently been awarded the distribution rights, for our area, for an incredible early literature program called Book Dash. We have over 326 children in the Sea Vista Community that will be receiving their own books in the next few weeks. These books are in English and their home language. The website is www.bookdash.org. This is a great resource for free digital children’s books. I have also been reading an incredible book called Mission Possible by Tim Tebow. It is a great book of faith, living mission-minded and finding your purpose.
Know your daisy
I was born in Johannesburg in 1983. I am very lucky to be a wife to Frank and mother to Madison (14) and Troy (12). We have three furry family members – Satara, Kyra and Chloe. We relocated to SFB 1 ½ years ago, post covid, and have been establishing a beautiful life in our small town. Having chosen a complete reset, we are investing our time into our children, building our businesses and community projects that are close to our hearts. We love the outdoors, especially adventuring into the African bushveld at every opportunity we can get and exploring our new backyard (the Eastern Cape).
I love running and feel blessed every time I put my takkies on and get to run around our scenic beach town, it still takes my breath away (because of its beauty and because I am unfit). My favourite place in St Francis is Bruce’s Coffee Shop where we can sip on a delicious cappuccino while we look out onto our magnificent ocean. In my downtime, I enjoy reading, spending time with my precious family and watching my daughter horse ride and my son play soccer.
So to all the Dune Daisy readers out there (and your aunties, friends & neighbours), this is a call to action to gather up your unwanted and unused clothes and donate them to this amazing cause – you will be helping not only the environment (Small Town Swaps & Sustainably Dressed Daisies – Dune Daisies ) but also the less fortunate who call this beautiful place home.
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The Africanis - Strolling our Dunes
“The Africanis is the real African dog – shaped by Africa for Africa. It is part of the cultural and biological heritage of Southern Africa.”
Gallant
An ancient breed
The Africanis dog breed, also known as the African dog or African pariah dog is a remarkable and resilient breed that has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Highly valued for their hunting skills, loyalty, and ability to adapt to harsh environments, the Africanis breed can trace its roots back to ancient times.
Result of Natural Selection
“The Africanis is the result of natural selection and physical and mental adaption to environmental conditions. It has not been ‘selected’ or ‘bred’ for appearance. For centuries, the fittest and cleverest dogs survived to give us one of the rarest remaining natural dog landraces in the world.”
“Africanis is well disposed without being obtrusive: a friendly dog, showing watchful, territorial behaviour.”
Gallant
Intelligent and Loyal
Known for their intelligence, loyalty, and adaptability, Africanis dogs are highly trainable and eager to please their owners. Despite their independent nature, they form strong bonds with their families and are known to be gentle and affectionate.
Robust and Healthy
Due to their long history of natural, not human selection (i.e. not bred to specific breed standards like many Western dogs), Africanis dogs are generally healthy and robust. They have developed a strong immune system and are resistant to many common canine diseases. With proper care, they can live up to 12-15 years, making them a long-lasting and loyal companion.
Resilient and Adaptable
One of the most remarkable characteristics of the Africanis breed is its adaptability to various environments. These dogs have evolved to survive in diverse climates, from the scorching deserts of North Africa to the humid rainforests of Central Africa. Their ability to thrive in different conditions makes them an ideal choice for owners living in a wide range of climates.
Hunters and Problem Solvers
The Africanis breed has a strong prey drive and exceptional hunting skills. They are agile and quick, making them excellent at chasing and capturing small game. Their natural instincts and intelligence make them adept at problem-solving, making them valuable working dogs in various roles, including search and rescue, tracking, and even as guard dogs.
Despite their historical significance and unique characteristics, the Africanus breed has faced challenges in recent years. The rise of modern dog breeds and the introduction of foreign breeds have threatened its survival. However, there are dedicated individuals and organizations working tirelessly to preserve and promote the Africanis breed. These efforts include breeding programs, education, and raising awareness about the breed’s importance and value.
Dig Deeper
Dogs became domesticated about 15000 years ago.
Evidence of domestic dogs in Southern Africa
- 570 AD – Diamante farm near Botswana border.
- 650 AD – Lower Tugela valley
- 800 AD – Cape St. Francis Khoisan settlement
Dune Reading
- Johan Gallant. The Story of the African Dog (2002)
- Van Sittert, L and Swart, S (eds.) Canis Africanis: A Dog History of Southern Africa (2008)
- The Africanis Society of Southern Africa – Johan Gallant and Joseph Sithole
Township dog vs. Africanis?
The Africanis dog has existed in South Africa for well over a thousand years. It is a resilient and strong breed in that only strongest survive. Although township dogs can be Africanis, especially in rural areas, they are more often Africanis mixes. As more Western pure breed dogs are brought into townships, the strong lineage of the Africanis is diluted by the less robust pure bred animal.
Susan Rae Fox and the St. Francis Animal Rescue
Anyone who has spent time in St Francis has come across the St Francis Animal Rescue, whether it be at the market, on Facebook, at a fundraiser or even if you have ever driven through Sea Vista on a Thursday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.
Susan Rae Fox is one of our very special daisies in town. She started this organization seven years ago and has achieved mind-blowing results, having touched so many lives in this community, both furry and human (we even have a four-legged daisy as part of our Dune Daisy team, Milly).
Dune Daisies couldn’t not feature this fabulous lady and the St Francis Animal Rescue.
DD: How long have you been running the St Francis Animal Rescue and where were you before coming here?
SRF: Before coming to St Francis Bay, I lived in Durban where I was Managing Director of an advertising and marketing agency. I retired to St Francis Bay with every intention of spending my time writing books and completed four, before establishing St Francis Animal Rescue in 2016. I set up this charity to do my best to help the great many neglected, starving, unsterilized dogs wandering the streets of Sea Vista
DD:We know you do so much for the dogs and cats in Sea Vista, could you tell our readers more about what the St Francis Animal Rescue does?
SRF: In 7 years, St Francis Animal Rescue has made a very significant difference in the lives of cats and dogs living in Sea Vista. We have changed the diet of the majority of cats and dogs. Where once they used to eat table scraps, bread and pap, and forage the streets, these animals now eat pellets which we subsidize and sell into Sea Vista Spaza Stores so that the food is available and affordable.
We sterilize approximately 4-6 dogs per week. Cats are also sterilized regularly, though in smaller numbers. Many are feral cats, trapped by our Cat Lady, Jodi Kruger who works tirelessly to keep St Francis Bay free of unsterilized ferals.
We have removed over 70 dogs from chains by building fences around their properties to keep them safe and stop them from roaming – a principal reason why most dogs are chained. We vaccinate 50 pups and adult dogs every month to keep them safe from life threatening diseases. We also vaccinate against Rabies and through two campaigns have vaccinated over 850 dogs to prevent the spread of this lethal disease.
St Francis Animal Rescue responds to calls for help for medical care, particularly for dogs who have been injured in car accidents, wounded through cruelty and abuse and burned. We take sick dogs and pups for medical attention and provide home visits to monitor their progress. Our welfare vet is the Humansdorp Vet Clinic where a team of caring vets and nurses help treat all dogs and puppies in need of medical help.
We regularly remove dogs and pups from neglect and cruelty and do everything possible to rehabilitate and rehome them with loving families. Over the years hundreds of dogs from Sea Vista have been rehomed throughout the Eastern Cape and even beyond into Gauteng and Cape Town. The challenges we face result from extreme poverty and lack of education. People continue to breed pups as a means of providing an income to feed families. Cruelty is rife, not only inflicted upon dogs, but children and women.
DD: What are some of the greatest challenges you face?
SRF: One of the greatest challenges we face, is to persuade people to bring their dogs indoors at night to keep them safe and to develop a stronger bond with the family. Dogs left outside are at the mercy of the weather and are often stabbed or hurt by drug users and drunkards coming home late from the taverns.
The way we overcome this challenge is to regularly bath and groom dogs to keep them clean and treat them for fleas and ticks. Once clean and brushed, it is much easier to persuade owners to bring their dogs inside at night. Each dog is given a blanket to sleep on, once they are indoors.
Another challenge is to prevent an influx of puppies and adult dogs coming in from Humansdorp, JBay, PE etc. Our sterilization program is seriously compromised by people bringing pups and dogs from outside areas, so that our numbers of breeding dogs continue to grow, no matter how many we spay and neuter. Some of these from PE etc, are pedigree breeds like Huskies, Boerboels, Jack Russells and Border Collies. None of these breeds do well in Sea Vista and it becomes our problem to do our best to sterilize them so that they cannot breed.
DD: How can locals get involved (what kind of volunteer opportunities are there)?
SRF: In terms of Volunteer opportunities, St Francis Animal Rescue is always looking for new animal lovers to join our team.
We run an outreach every Thursday afternoon (2pm-4pm), where we feed, vaccinate, spray pups and adult dogs for fleas and ticks and deworm all puppies.
- We vaccinate pups on the first Thursday of every month and provide basic wound care for cuts, burns, bites and ear and eye problems.
- We regularly treat and heal dogs with mange problems.
- Pups and adult dogs are bathed and groomed at our bath station.
Volunteers are always needed at our outreaches.
We have a team of transporters who take dogs from a specific pickup point every Wednesday and Thursday to the SPCA Assisi in Humansdorp, to be sterilized. Transporters are invaluable though they need to have a spacious vehicle to transport dogs in crates, two per car.
Our fundraising team is also in need of volunteers. We work together to devise ways and means to raise funds to support our charity and ensure it’s sustainability.
This is one of the greatest challenges we face and it is difficult to continually raise funds in a small village with many people suffering from donor fatigue.
DD: Any happy or fascinating stories that really stand out in your memory?
SRF: There are more stories about experiences in rescue than I have time to tell. One which is particularly memorable is the following.
We work a great deal rescuing Pitbulls from horrific cruelty. In one instance, a male Pitbull, chained for a long time, was regularly beaten with sticks. We approached the owners and attempted to negotiate a way for him to be removed from a chain. We offered to construct a fence and gate and provide a large kennel for him.
The owners refused all offers of assistance and became rude and threatening. We asked the SPCA for assistance and their inspector left ‘letters of warning’ at the house
At our wits end, we convinced a friend to dress up as a policeman, visit the house and ‘confiscate’ the Pitbull, which he did. We kept Jock in kennels for 3 months to put on weight and had him assessed by dog trainer, Philip Van Heerden, who judged him to be gentle, despite years of suffering from monstrous cruelty.
Jock was adopted into the happiest home and has been living a wonderful life for many years.
In a similar case, Reg was a male Pitbull used for breeding. He was chained to a filthy mattress, surrounded by his own faeces, and left in a dirty courtyard, without food and water. A neighbour alerted us once the owner went away for a weekend.
With help, we cut through the gate padlock and sawed through Reg’s chain and removed him to kennels. After a bath and a good meal, he looked a different dog.
Reg now lives the happiest life in Bathurst with a bachelor who loves this dog like a child.
DD: What are the annual fundraisers to look forward to?
Our Golf Day is coming up, and this is our primary Fund Raiser every year. We will be hosting our usual Bingo Nights, Cake Sales and collaborative promotions with key sponsors. Coming up at the end of the month is our Flowers through the Homes event on July 29th. We are also celebrating Mandela month by trying to collect 67 bags of dog and cat food.
The St Francis Animal Rescue website is very comprehensive and has all the details about volunteering and upcoming events. Be sure to check it out – we even have a dog blog!
A daisy's best friend - Milly, the Africanis
Milly’s Story
My life in St Francis is brilliant, some would even call it privileged. I have a soft bed and am never cold at night, my belly is always full and best of all, I am loved. My favourite activities are beach walks, runs on the Wildside, coffees at Bruce’s and going to Nippers with my mom.
But, things haven’t always been this good – one could even say I had quite a rough start. My dad left before I was born. My guess is that he was a handsome bloke, athletic and popular with the ladies. Definitely prolific – my resemblance to many of my peers is uncanny. Mom, on the other hand, wasn’t in great shape. From what I remember, feeding my brothers and I really tired her out. Sometimes she was even too exhausted to lift her head. Then her milk ran dry.
Thankfully, we lived alongside a busy road and there was often an assortment of tidbits we could scavenge. It was quite scary with cars constantly whizzing past, but if you were quick and could get there before the pigs or chickens, you could find some worthwhile scraps. All in all, not an ideal upbringing. I missed my mommy’s warmth and was constantly hungry. I knew where to find her and would come to check on her every now and then, but mostly we spent our days looking for food. Sleeping in the mud was yucky, but it was even worse being chased by people with sticks. Nighttime was terrifying. I learned that whenever you hear loud voices and it’s dark, you should hide. Many of my friends had been kicked or hurt when people who had that smell on their breathe came home from the tavern down the road.
One day, out of the blue, everything changed. An angel with a crown of golden curls and a soft voice came into our lives. My brothers and I had just come back from our afternoon scavenge and were checking in on our mom. There seemed to be more people than usual hanging around and then I saw a lady in a blue shirt hovering over mom.
At first, I was sceptical. Should I hide? What did she want? Humans normally don’t pay us much attention. But there was something about the way she looked at Mommy, almost as if she could feel her pain. So, I decided to watch from a little bit away.
Suddenly, her eyes turned towards me, and she held out her hand for me to smell. How did she know I really wanted to give her a good sniff? Maybe, I could trust her. She put a little pile of delicious-smelling bits of food on the floor in front of her. It didn’t take long before the pain in my tummy got the better of me and I inched forward to try my luck. I mean, how dangerous could it be – she had such a kind face? It was soooo delicious. I couldn’t stop eating and ate so much I thought my tummy would explode. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, she picked me up, lay me in the crook of her arm in a soft blanket and rubbed my belly. I couldn’t help it, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I was somewhere completely different. My brothers were there too but it felt very strange. It was quiet, warm and dry. We always had food and could play and sleep as much as we wanted – sometimes we would play so hard that we fell asleep in the middle of a game on top of each other. I expected to wake up at any moment and find myself back in our old spot under the floorboards, but it never happened.
For many weeks we were all together and had a man and a lady looking after us. Then, one day, we were bathed (an altogether awful experience) and our angel in a blue shirt came to pick us up. She piled us in a basket and took us to a very noisy marketplace. There were people everywhere – so many new smells. We sat with her under a tree for hours, as she proudly showed us to anyone walking past. Small humans loved picking us up and rubbing our tummies. It was such an exhausting day that, once again, I gave in to my urges and eventually fell asleep in the arms of a little girl with dark hair.
After a lovely nap, I opened my eyes and to my surprise, my brothers were nowhere to be seen! I was at another new place with a whole range of different smells. Next thing I knew, I was being given the once over by a tan Africanis named Penny. At first, I don’t think she liked me very much and she just sniffed around me. Naturally, it didn’t take long before she succumbed to my charm. She taught me things nobody else could; she showed me where to do my business, how to make a noise when someone walks past, how to sit and look sweet when our two-legged mom has treats, and best of all, what to do when she is mad at us (and this happened a lot in the beginning).
In my new house, there is (or was) a giant soft couch. One day when she was out, I started chewing on the corner of a cushion. It felt so good. Before I knew it, I had demolished all of the cushions and found myself surrounded by soft white fluff. The more I flicked my head, the more stuff came out in little clouds. It was the most fun I had ever had, I simply couldn’t stop myself.
Unfortunately, when my new mom came home and saw the mess, I nearly got sent back to Sea Vista. Penny came swiftly to the rescue and showed me how to look up at her with my ears up and a little bit of the whites of my eyes showing. Like a secret weapon, it always managed to soften her up a bit and the sun never set with her angry. There were many more incidences and accidents, mostly just misunderstandings I think. All those stuffed toys were surely put there for my enjoyment and deliciously odorous socks lying on the floor wouldn’t be meant for anyone else but me, right?
Penny and I have had so many adventures together. Our favourite pastime when mom was out was to climb trees so that we could jump over the back fence and go and greet all the other dogs in the neighbourhood. Sometimes we even took ourselves for a run on the beach! It felt a bit like old times. We loved our independence but made sure we always knew the way home. Sometimes, if we were gone for too long, mom would even come and find us. Those were the days! The only downside was that it made mom a real crankypants.
She has found all our escape spots now – so our daily excursions have come to an end. I can’t complain though, my life is still brilliant. She says I am calming down, but I think I am just relaxing.
Finally, I am home.
