Dear Eyla,
Our Pet Rescue team in Johannesburg has come across some desperate situations through the years. But this one stunned even them.
In Africa, AIDS is at epidemic proportions. Sadly, there are many children left as orphans when their parents pass away from the awful disease.
At an AIDS hospice near to IFAW's veterinary clinic, people suffering from AIDS receive emotional and financial support for themselves and their families. Many of the needy are mothers with young children.
It was to this AIDS clinic that a desperately hungry woman arrived with a sweet puppy named Mixer. She was so desperate to feed her family, in fact, that she came to the clinic to trade their beloved puppy for food for her children.
The hospice, of course, gave assistance to her and her family. And they took in Mixer - not as payment for the food, but because they didn't want Mixer to be a burden on the struggling family.
The hospice then called IFAW, and we immediately fetched Mixer and brought him back to our veterinary clinic.
Mixer is such a sweet puppy - and he has taken quite a liking to a litter of kittens also at the clinic. He curls up and sleeps with them and gently plays with them.
It's heartbreaking to think of the struggle that so many families dealing with AIDS face every day. The work of the AIDS hospice and other human-aid charities is so needed.
Of course, the pets of these families, and many other animals in these impoverished communities, also face great hardship and desperately need help. And that's where we come in.
Without us - without me and you - animals like Mixer and his kitten friends may have little chance for survival. They'd likely end up on the street with no food, and they'd quickly face starvation. And they'd be easy targets for painful infections like mange, heartworm, and the many other diseases that afflict street dogs. Even if they did survive, they'd likely live a life of great suffering.
But thanks to IFAW's clinic, and the support from animal lovers like you, Mixer and his kitten friends are now safe. And they have the opportunity to find loving new homes, free from the threat of starvation and painful diseases.
Eyla, you can make a real difference in the lives of animals like Mixer - a lifesaving difference.
Please make a donation today to help IFAW rescue animals, care for them, and find them new homes.
For a gift of $51, you can help rescue a puppy like Mixer, provide them with the full balance of medicines they may need for the most common infections, and feed them for their entire first week at the shelter.
I know that times are tough, and that $51 is a lot to ask. But please know that - for whatever amount you can spare - your generosity will mean so much to suffering animals.
Your donation can truly be the gift of life for puppies like Mixer, for the kittens he curls up with, and for animals around the world who would face such suffering without your help.
Please say you'll be a hero to Mixer - and to animals who have nowhere else to turn - by giving today.
The animals desperately need us...and your gift will help so much.
Fred O'Regan
IFAW President |  |
PS. In impoverished communities like Mixer's, often the human and animal aid agencies work together for the good of suffering people and animals. So your gift of $51 - or whatever you can spare - will directly help animals, and will also have a positive and lasting effect in many disadvantaged communities. |
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