One day. One dog. One woman who cared enough and rallied her community. Suddenly, the Uitenhage SPCA had R42,000 more toward its new home.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (16 February 2026) – The support for the Uitenhage SPCA just keeps on growing. Hot on the heels of young Riley’s school fundraiser, another beautiful act of kindness has turned hope into help, this time led by Nicole Blignault De Jager and her very special dog, Willow.
In just over 24 hours, Nicole and Willow raised an incredible R42,200 (with R40,000 reflected on the printed board before the final donations came in) for the SPCA’s #RebuildSPCA fund.
“A massive, heartfelt thank you to Nicole for this extraordinary fundraising effort, and to every single person who supported her and donated — your generosity has made a real, tangible difference for our animals. We are beyond grateful and forever humbled by your kindness,” the SPCA shared in gratitude, adding: “As a shelter with a very soft spot for pitties, it meant even more that this was raised on behalf of the gorgeous Willow. Thank you for turning love into action and hope into something real.”
Once you know Willow’s story, it all hits even harder.
Willow was found abandoned, thin, scared and fighting for his life. Nicole rescued him from the side of the road, and soon after, they discovered he was battling aggressive cancer. He has since undergone two operations and chemotherapy in the fight for more time and more life.
Instead of letting his story end in sadness, Nicole chose to turn it into something powerful.
In a Facebook post written from Willow’s perspective, she asked supporters to donate just R50 to help the SPCA, explaining that without shelters like Uitenhage SPCA, many dogs like Willow wouldn’t get a second chance.
The community’s response exceeded Nicole’s expectations tenfold, and a total of R42,000 was raised!
The funds were officially handed over during a visit to the SPCA this week, where Willow – dressed in a very pretty bow – got to see the very kennels he was helping support. For a shelter currently operating out of shipping containers and racing against time to secure a permanent home, this kind of support is everything.
As previously reported, the SPCA has until 20 February to vacate its long-time premises and is working to raise R2.7 million to purchase a new property. The Rebuild SPCA Fund is steadily growing, but there is still a long way to go.
If you’d like to donate, please do so by following this link.
Sources: Linked above.
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