Cape Town has a vibrant yoga scene and with summer around the corner its the perfect time to do this meditative and physical exercise outside. Mdzananda Animal Clinic will bring Capetonians a very unique outdoor yoga class this October, accompanied by furry friends in need of a home.
Locals will have the chance to roll out their mats in the beautiful setting of De Waal Park and practice their flow techniques with the help of man’s best friend.
On Saturday October 27, the first ever Downward-Facing-Adopt-A-Dog event will take place, lead by instructor Lee-Ann Elliot. Visiting Yogis can enjoy a one hour gentle flow guided by Tombstone Pete’s live acoustic music.
The event came about after the local clinic received a larger than normal influx of homeless dogs in September. Being an non-profit organization (NPO) animal hospital, the Clinic is not set up to house stray dogs but will never turn away a pet in need.
“Our animal hospital serves up to 700 Khayelitsha pets per month through consultations, hospitilisation, surgeries including serilisation, general and orthopeadic, mobile clinics and an animal ambulance. Our outside runs were dedicated to patients for exercise but they have now been taken over by our strays and converted into a stray unit. We can house up to 20 stray dogs and 20 stray cats at a time. Sometimes we go over this limit making the facility very crowded,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager.
The aim is to bring dogs for adoption to an easy accessible location, where people can meet them while enjoying a yoga class.
“Many people are too scared to visit our organisation as we are based in Khayelitsha. This makes it more difficult for us to find homes for pets. We always encourage people to visit as the experience of driving through the diverse and creative community is one everyone should experience. It also opens one’s eyes to the struggles in Cape Town for both humans and pets,” says du Plessis.
The yoga class will start at 11.30 am but locals are advised to be there at 11am to get a good spot (and to spend some time with the dogs).
Bring along a yoga mat or towel and invite everyone who is in the market for a new furry friend. The cost of the class is donation-based and all funds raised will go to the Mdzananda Animal Clinic.
For more information contact [email protected] or visit their website on www.mdzananda.co.za
Pictures: Supplied
