Holly, the little dachshund-staffie, went missing following the Table Mountain wildfires. Capetonians from all over put their efforts into spreading the word and keeping an eye out for her, and after what felt like an eternity of searching, she has been reunited with her family.
Cape Town, South Africa (02 May 2025) — When wildfires strike, there are many consequences beyond excess smoke. While we often think of worst-case scenarios from a human-impact perspective, there’s another side of the coin in which wildlife and domestic animals alike are heavily impacted. Fires on the loose mean a hugely distressing time for animals, which can lead to runaways, injuries, and worse. For the owner of Holly, the little dachshund-staffie, the past few days meant worrying about all of the above. But in fantastic news for her many search parties, Holly has been found at last!
As Animal Welfare Society of South Africa explains:
“After three long days of searching the burnt mountain—through scorching days and cold, dark nights—Holly is finally safe at home.”
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA dubbed the news as something “everybody had been praying for.” This, because Holly’s disappearance on account of the wildfires had been widely circulated on social media; with many locals taking to spread the word and keep an eye out for the chocolate pooch.
“Her owner’s son, Gavin, responded to a sighting at Cape Point Vineyards and was finally able to catch her,” said the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
Peter Edward Deering, her owner, explained that she had initially gone missing on Silvermine near the MTB parking area on Sunday morning.
Both the Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the Animal Welfare Society offered Holly medical check-ups, with Miss Holly said to have gone for a full assessment at the AWS hospital.
“This work can break us sometimes – but today we celebrate in spite of it. The fire took so much but today it gave us a beautiful reunion! To everyone who kept an eye out, sent in a lead, or whispered a prayer for her safe return — thank you.” the Cape of Good Hope SPCA shared.
You can support future rescue efforts, here!
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