Grab the tissues, because this right here is a story of a dog owner who repeatedly endured hard and long walks on foot to seek help for his dear Coco, who had been suffering from a broken leg. Just when Mr Gertse prepared himself to say his final goodbyes, unexpected kindness and delicate care changed their fate in the BEST way!
Cape Town, South Africa (13 June 2025) – With his head held low and his heart nearly broken, Mr Gertse walked for over an hour, covering more than five kilometres from Sea Winds to reach the Cape of Good Hope SPCA Animal Hospital as he carried his little dog in his arms.
With worry etched into every line on his weathered face, he endured the heartbreaking journey because he loved his dear Coco. And that was a love that mattered more than anything.
Once at the hospital, the SPCA team examined Coco right away. It wasn’t long before they discovered that the adorable pup had a broken leg, the kind of break that usually needs specialist surgery.
“But we couldn’t perform it at our primary-care hospital. So, we sent one of our Inspectors to break the news gently,” the Cape of Good Hope SPCA said.
The next day, Mr Gertse made the same long walk again to the animal hospital, this time with an even heavier heart as he braced himself to say goodbye to Coco.
“You could see it in his face. The heartbreak. The helplessness.
“That feeling every one of us knows — when love meets a wall of impossibility.”
But the thread of hope Mr Gertse held onto made way for a miracle. Thanks to the donors who so generously support the SPCA and its welfare programmes, the team went back and was able to give Coco a second chance!
“We applied a Robert Jones bandage to stabilise her leg. We kept her still. We nursed her. We monitored her. We hoped. Every day. For over four weeks. And then the day came…Coco healed.”
Mr Gertse returned to the SPCA, this time not for a goodbye but for a reunion that has our hearts in an absolute puddle of mush!
“What a moment that was. There were tail wags, nose kisses, and, yes, more than a few happy tears.”
He had initially endured a long and emotionally taxing journey to say goodbye to his dear Coco, but because of the kindness of givers out there, Mr Gertse was able to say hello and go home with his precious furbaby.
A video captured their emotional reunion, and the love was just uncontainable!
That is the overwhelming and boundless power of kindness!
Sources: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
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