Many dogs who come into our care need some soul work.

This is mainly due to neglect and/or abuse.

Many Staffie’s who are looking for a new home have not been socialised with other dogs. 

So we take it easy and after some time we assess the dog’s nature so we know if that particular Staffie can be homed with another dog. It also possibly shows us what sort of breed and what other requirements the dog needs to bring along to make it work. 

Sometimes we just feel it is not fair to the Staffie to be homed with other dogs as they have special needs and they first need to be attended to before they are ready for a furry friend.

The first few days at kennels we give the dogs some time to find their feet. To get used to their new routine. For Staffies who come to kennel out of a home environment, it can be quite a shock to their system and some dogs react with withdrawal symptoms hiding inside their kennel/wendy house not interested in the outer world.

Some dogs who come in with a bad background of the location, abuse, neglect we find sometimes the same reaction.

Both dogs need time to find their feet, their trust in the new routine and figure out that we are all there to help and support them.

Some dogs gain trust in short times, some take longer we never know.

Even dogs coming from normal homes – can take some time until they are ready to open up to us.

We experience very quickly what the dogs like and dislike, who they trust and don’t trust and we take it from there, what work they need.

Some like women, some don’t, some are scared of men, different colour types, etc we need to figure out their past in little steps. We learn about their reaction to the tools we use to clean their space. If they are scared of sticks, buckets, caps, beanies all sorts of different reactions we get.

Not one dog is the same as the other but we learn with each dog a little more.

From what we learn heals a soul helps others, maybe not in the same way but in some other way. Their body language and look gives us lots of information to work on.

We are for sure all interested to assist the dog in the best way.

Sometimes just to feed the dog and give them the time they need helps best. They will come to you when they ready. Just to be there and to sit there gives them some comfort.

Some don’t even allow that. Some dogs do not trust our handlers and we need to work around that.

It is such puzzle work and we can say for sure that in the past 8 years we finished all puzzles and got them right.

The best reward is when a dog opens up to you.

The next best reward is to find the best forever home.

Rehabilitation starts from space, to touch, sleeping areas, safety feeling; to food.

Food in kennels is of the utmost importance. Keeping the dog in the right balance that does not bring the dogs to their high-end of energy levels but also must be healthy and full of nutrition to keep their coats shiny and the ideal weight.

We are very snobby when it comes to food donations but it has its reasons.

Many dog food is full of carbs and little nutrition which makes the dogs feel full for only a short time…….maybe need to add more info on food/nutrition??

Kennel space for safekeeping while dogs are waiting for their new home

For us, the importance of safe, secure, and comfortable kennelling is of utmost importance.

Knowing the Staffies and their needs we all know they like padded couches, sit heigh up and be on top of the world we built some kennels in Cape Town and had ….

In Cape Town, we rent a piece of land on a farm outside Cape Town. We having the most amazing setup for the Staffies in need there. Our kennels are built in a fair size for the Staffies to run around their shacks, they sleep indoors on their couches or beds and we ensure they always have enough blankets to keep themselves warm and cozy.

We had couch donations before but over time and once a Staffie started to nibble these couches are not longer! So if any of you in Cape Town or Johannesburg area had an old couch or chairs please think of our Staffies in need they would love to sit on a couch and cuddle up at night time. It is part of a Staffie to have a soft couch under their sweet little bottoms.

For now, we have wooden boxes and many warm blankets for the cold winter nights. We rely on donations for jackets but please read up on our ongoing needs at the end of the page on how you can support us.

The Staffies in kennels whether it is in Cape Town or Johannesburg are feed twice a day and they get a long walk, once or twice daily depending on the amount of dogs we have. We always ensure they get some much-needed attention and love and cuddles.