Each morning, the air seems to bite just a little bit more and the sun seems to set a little bit earlier as well. Winter is upon us, and in the Cape, this often comes with whipping winds, days of intense storms and grey skies.

A Hout Bay resident has taken it upon herself to start a drive to ensure Cape Town’s homeless dogs have a more comfortable winter by ensuring they have a warm blanket to settle on as the coldest days approach.

“As much as this is good for our water levels, it is unfortunately a horrible and unpleasant period of time for our less fortunate four legged friends,” said Emily Cox. “Many animals have been surrendered during lockdown which has resulted in shelters over flowing with new animals that have no clue why their owners abandoned them. Not to mention the previous residents of many shelters. Or those who remain on the streets due to shelters being too full.”

According to Cox, a blanket may not seem like a lot to those who have all they need but it is the difference between sleeping on cold concrete or something soft and warm.

“I will be collecting, buying and distributing blankets to various welfare organisations all around the Cape,” she said. “I would be hugely grateful if you could support this initiative by donating any spare blankets, towels or anything of the sort. If you don’t have anything spare lying around and feel comfortable donating money, I will be purchasing bulk dog blankets at R70 a blanket.”

“Please contact me if you would like to donate to this initiative!”

Emily can be contacted via Facebook, by clicking here.

“I have organized a drop off point in Milnerton at Ocean Square vet shop, I am going to contact a few places in Hout Bay to try and organize a drop off point. I am also collecting blankets in the southern suburbs,” she said.

Picture: Pixabay

Article written by

Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.