Mountain
Photo Credit: Cluny Animal Trust

Animal hero Nico Mahlohla climbed a mountain to make sure eight dogs and a cat had dog food to get through the winter chill; he went above and beyond!

 

spar hero of the week

Free State, South Africa (08 July 2024)—Nico, who works at the Cluny Animal Trust, has gone above and beyond in the name of animal welfare. He trekked up a mountain with 25 kgs of dog food on his back to reach a herder who had a pack of eight dogs and one cat. This animal hero deserves every praise.

The Trust had been alerted to a pack of dogs and one cat living at the top of one of the mountains frequented by cattle herders.

“Mid-May, we posted a story about a wonderful Cluny supporter who alerted us to these animals living on top of a mountain with a cattle herder. We did do what we said we would do and went up a month later, taking more food and blankets, but we found a different cattle herder, who didn’t seem to really care about the animals being there and if we are totally honest we were a tad disheartened when we left.” 

Not to be deterred, the team planned another mission to the top of the mountain.

“So, we decided that the moment any of us got a gap, we would go back up. Last week, Nico, along with his younger brother Vinay decided this couldn’t wait any longer and they set off up the mountain. Now if you know Nico, you will know there isn’t much to him, but he carried a 25kg bag of dog food all the way up that mountain with some help from Vinay!”

“And this time we were all pleasantly surprised…he found another new cattle herder, called Jabulani and the best news is that he loves animals.

All of them have put on weight, and are looking much healthier, even the young pup we were all concerned about looks much much better and has filled out a little. They are all fully vaccinated and Jabulani chatted to Nico about us helping to sterilise them (the cat included).”

Nico took the time to spend time with Jabulani, sharing how best to care for them. They swapped numbers, and he then set off back down the mountain.

Nico is a Cluny Trust staple, his passion for animal welfare goes beyond his usual duties at work, he does whatever is needed. And when his heart calls him, he listens and follows. Many donors of Cluny have grown fond of him and supported his efforts as much as the Cluny team’s. One committed donor once knitted him a cosy set to keep warm in the freezing Free State winters.

They say kindness breeds kindness, and Nico’s sure does have a way of multiplying! Already, supporters are offering to send more food if Nico is up for the hike, which he most definitely is. The team have been in contact with Jabulani to start arranging the sterilisations for each of the dogs and the cat too. They hope to offer support for this pack.

The Cluny Animal Trust plans to keep everyone updated; if you would like to follow along or support in any way, you can reach out via Facebook here.


Sources: Cluny Animal Trust
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About the Author

Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues, animal welfare and social upliftment. Outside of Good Things Guy, she is an avid reader and lover of tea.

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