South Africans mobilised on social media to rescue Max, a border collie stolen during a hijacking, with the power of online solidarity leading to a heartwarming reunion with his owner.
Johannesburg, South Africa (01 December 2023) – The power of social media has once again proven its ability to bring people together for a common cause. This time, a beloved border collie named Max found himself at the centre of a community-driven effort after being taken during a hijacking incident.
The saga began when Sivan Ben-Yitzchak took to Facebook yesterday to share a distressing situation involving her mother and their cherished canine companion.
The post, laden with emotion, read: “My mom was just hijacked outside ‘Hello Love’ by Corlett Drive. She is fine but they took our border collie! Please look out for him and call urgently. Phone was last tracked in Ring Road Alexandra. I have no clue where my boy is now.”
Ben-Yitzchak witnessed the hijacking as she had met her mom to take the dogs for a walk.
“My mom managed to somehow open the boot where my 2 border collies were waiting to go for their walk. The one jumped out and the other one didn’t. I witnessed this all and felt so helpless knowing I couldn’t do anything but watch them drive away with my precious boy still in the car.”
The plea for help quickly resonated across social media platforms and WhatsApp, with thousands of compassionate South Africans sharing it far and wide. The collective hope was that Max would be located and safely returned to his worried family.
Late into the night, a glimmer of hope emerged as an update was shared, revealing that the CAP (Community Active Protection) team had successfully located Max and reunited him with his overjoyed owner.
The update expressed gratitude to a caring individual in Alexandra who played a pivotal role in facilitating Max’s return home.
“Thanks to a caring person in Alexandra who called Max’s owners and arranged for CAP’s team to collect him, this beautiful boy is on his way home. Well done to all.” – CAP
Ben-Yitzchak updated the community after a harrowing day of trying to locate her pup.
“6 hours later I got a call from a young guy and his mom who live in Alex asking me if Max is my dog as he found him in the streets of Alex running around lost. I notified CAP and they responded and went to get my boy and brought him home. There really are some good people out there and yes he will be rewarded by me.
I cannot express how thankful I am to each and every one of you who contacted me and over 1000 shares on Facebook to help spread the word. You are truly incredible and just want to say thank you to all of you and the special people who helped me, some I don’t even know. I am blown away. I am happy because I have my beautiful boy back home and I am happy because my mom is home safe. We are blessed so thank you!”
The heartening resolution to this canine crisis showcases the remarkable ability of social media to rally communities and foster a sense of collective responsibility. In the face of adversity, the online world transformed into a virtual neighbourhood, where people from all walks of life joined forces to ensure a happy ending for Max and his family.
Crime in South Africa is a tragic reality that we face on a daily basis but we cannot forget that in times of tragedy, we must look for the helpers as they will always be there, and a story like this is a reminder that perhaps the best way to look for a helper, is to become one.
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