TEARS - The Emma Animal Rescue Society

OPENING TIMES

DAILY

MONDAY-SUNDAY

(inc.public holidays)

8:30am to 4:30pm

ADOPTION HOURS

MONDAY-SUNDAY

(inc.public holidays)

10am to 3:30pm

TEL: 021 785 4482

FAX: 021 785 4354

E-mail: tears@tears.org.za

KENNELS:

TEL: 021 785 4482

Lekkerwater Rd, Sunnydale

(Off Kommetjie Road)

CATTERY & BOARDING:

TEL: 021 785 1310

Wenga Farm,

21 Kommetjie Road,

Sunnydale

POSTAL ADDRESS:

P. O. Box 22376,

Fish Hoek, 7974

For the past couple of months many of the volunteers and dog walkers at The Emma Animal Rescue Society have been attending the Open Paw dog rehabilitation programme being presented at Tears by Taryn Blyth, a local dog behaviourist and trainer. The Open Paw programme was created by American behaviourists and focuses on rehabilitating rescued dogs in a shelter environment and teaching basic manners which improve the dogs’ chances of being adopted and staying adopted.

While the staff at Tears is dedicated to making all the dogs as comfortable as possible, even the best shelter environment can be stressful for many dogs. Open Paw aims to equip volunteers with the skills and knowledge to reduce the dogs’ stress levels and to improve their experience of the kennel environment. Volunteers are also instructed on how to teach the dogs to enjoy being groomed and having collars and leashes fitted. The highest levels of Open Paw focus on teaching basic obedience and loose-leash walking using positive reinforcement. Many people who adopt dogs from Tears are in fact quite surprised at just how responsive their dogs are and how many instructions they are able to follow!

To complete the course, volunteers are required to attend 4 lectures followed by 4 sessions of practical application. They are also required to complete 4 short written tests to ensure that they had a thorough understanding of what they have learned. Once they have met these requirements, they are issued with a certificate stating that they had qualified as an Open Paw volunteer.

To find out more about the Open Paw programme, please contact the Tears office at 021 785 4482.

Pictured here are the first two groups of qualified Open Paw volunteers with their Certificates and with Suki, one of the dogs waiting to be adopted from the shelter.

Back Row: Marina Briedenhann , Elma van der Vyver, Michelle Olivier, Kathy Burden, Karen Sinovich, Sasha McLean, Gill McPhun,
Karen Gray-Kilfoil, Margaret Farquharsen Liz O’Donovan, Melanie Richards
Front row: Ros Raubenheimer, Taryn Blyth, Barbara Cunninghame, Sharon Rowe, Susan Fowkes, Monika Kraus and Charmaine French

Not pictured, but also completing the course were: Kariema Williams, Inge Buchner, Geraldine Leibrandt, Roz Hadley, Jill Sykes, Tinka Shapiro and Sam Malyon.

TEARS – THANK YOU ROTARY CLUB OF CLAREMONT

On many days, working in Animal Welfare can be very soul destroying and heart- rending. With the country in the midst of a recession, ever increasing fuel and electricity costs, constant rising animal populations - there are days when you feel overwhelmed in working in animal welfare! A helping hand magically appears ” Two Angel’s “ in the form of Chris du Plessis and Peter Trebell, from Rotary Club of Claremont; gave us a wonderful donation of R5000. Giving us the opportunity to purchase a much needed Projector! This will enable us to showcase our organization to more clubs, business and schools.

Thank you Rotary Club of Claremont for making a difference!