Furry friends and human companions fill the Sea Point promenade

Picture by Rima Geffen Photography

On Sunday the 19th of March the Mdzananda Animal Clinic hosted their second Paws on the Promenade event – a dog walk fundraiser starting at the Mouille Point light house and extending to the Sea Point swimming pool and back. Participants walked the 5km scenic route with their furry companions all in support of raising funds for the Mdzananda Animal Clinic which is based in Khayelitsha.

A total of 367 humans and 271 dogs took part in the event. Dressed in bows, customized outfits and even orange tutus the dog owners made an effort to dress up to look their best.

Fran Cox, Erica Elk and Carola Koblitz with Frieda, Truffle and Mr Maurice

“We were overwhelmed by the wonderful support that we received at this event,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager and event organizer. “We raised a total of R22 890 profit on a budget of R1050 to set up and market the event.” The funds raised at this event goes towards the Mdzananda Animal Clinic’s running costs which totals around R400 000 per month.

The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is a permanent, veterinary council registered, NPO animal clinic in Khayelitsha serving an average of 700 dogs and cats per month at their hospital. They offer consultations, hospitalization, general and orthopaedic surgeries, continuous sterilizations, mobile clinics and an animal ambulance. Mdzananda has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future.

“Without the support of various organizations we would not have been able to put this event together. We would like to thank Vondi’s Holistic Pet Nutrition who were our partners in this event, ER24 who sponsored the presence of an ambulance, Rima Geffen Photography who captured beautiful pictures and the companies that made the doggie goodie bags possible – Canine Zone, MediPetSA, AtFrits Dog Hotel & Daycare Centre, Marltons Pets and Products, Pets Elite and All Things Natural,” says du Plessis.

The event was run by a team of 17 dedicated volunteers and four staff from Mdzananda.

“We hope to see even more dogs and humans join us next year when we host this event again,” says du Plessis.