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.
