A pair of stray dogs rescued in a two-day mission at the Sasol Satellite Operation in Ekandustria in Bronkhorstspruit have been reunited and are now ready to be rehomed.
Roxy and Sasol — the names given to them by Wetnose rescuers — are about three years old and are believed to have spent most of their lives in the Ekandustria industrial sites, where they were regularly fed by the local community and were healthy and in good condition.
Wetnose Animal Rescue’s social media supervisor Declan Rodocanachi said they received a call last week Monday. The community reported that two large male dogs had entered the area, that there had been a vicious fight and Roxy and Sasol couldn’t be found but were suspected to be hurt.
“A team went out last Monday and searched the area after finding a lot of blood where the fight happened. Eventually they found Roxy, cowering away and terrified. She didn’t appear to be too badly hurt, but we took her in,” Rodocanachi said.
The rescue workers gave their contact details to the local community and asked people to keep a watch for another injured animal in the area.
Early the next morning, they received a call to say that Sasol had been found, but was in a very bad state. They returned to the area immediately and located Sasol, who had been savaged and was badly injured.
“His body was covered in open and infected wounds from weeks of festering. We scooped him up and rushed him straight to our clinic for emergency treatment.”
For the first day, Sasol barely moved; he lay curled up in the corner of his kennel, eyes dull, appearing broken.
According to Rodocanachi, it is believed that Roxy had been on heat which drew the attention of the bigger dogs. Sasol is thought to have tried to protect her, resulting in him suffering massive injuries while Roxy escaped without much harm. Both had survived with their injuries for a few weeks before they were rescued.
When she was examined at the clinic last Monday, it was discovered that she had been pregnant, but had likely aborted due to the stress of the fight.
Things changed last Wednesday — the day after Sasol was rescued.
“It was a bold move on our part, but we decided to put the two together. Sasol was lying in his kennel and we had Roxy on a lead. The moment she walked in, things started happening. Sasol immediately stood up. His tail wagged wildly. His face lit up in a way we hadn’t seen. That room was filled with the kind of joy that was pure magic,” Rodocanachi said.
After their extreme trauma, they were delighted to be back together. He said they were both extremely friendly and good-natured, but completely inseparable. They trust people and have no difficulty mixing with other dogs.
“These two cannot live without each other. They've each got a kennel, but they choose to sleep in one, and they never roam far from each other.”
Now that Sasol has recovered from his injuries and the pair have both been declared fit and healthy, they are ready to be homed.
They are currently at Wetnose Animal Rescue, an organisation that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes animals that are abandoned, abused or neglected. They can be contacted on 082 677 8084.
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