Young Ntando was mugged, hit over the head with a hammer and his possessions stolen; as he wandered away from the scene, he found an abandoned dog and went to get help.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 November 2022) – CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare) is looking for a heroic young man who, despite having just been mugged and painfully injured, found an abandoned dog tied to a tree and called for help to save the animal.
Community-Led Animal Welfare (CLAW) has spent the last two decades working in impoverished communities where traditional veterinary services are often unavailable. CLAW provides desperately needed veterinary services to dogs and cats, as well as vital animal care education to pet owners in Johannesburg’s poorest township areas.
CLAW has not only established a reputation for helping animals within townships; the organisation works closely with community-based organisations, schools, the Department of Agriculture and veterinary services around the city. They distribute food parcels, facilitate home-based care programmes to teach people how to care for the sick and dying, run food gardens, support child-headed households and help communities to access health and hospice care.
The organisation was recently flagged down by a young man who shared that he had just been mugged. He explained that it wasn’t him that needed help though. After wandering off from the assault, he came across a dog tied to a tree in a place it would never be left unless abandoned.
The team collected the dog and then assisted the young man. The inspector was able to learn that he was still in school, perhaps the age of a Grade eight learner, his name is Ntando and lives in Meadowlands, Soweto. The inspector had given him some lunch and taxi fare as the muggers had taken his phone and money. The young man then set off on his journey home; the inspector realised he has not taken down the contact details for the young man.
CLAW shared the story online in the hope of reconnecting with the young hero.
“Tied up out of sight to starve to death.
Fortunately for this dog, a young man who had just been mugged, came across her and alerted us.This brave young hero was mugged on his way to us!
Edit: Ntando was robbed by two grown men, just meters away from a huge police roadblock in Durban Deep.
He was hit on the back of the head with a hammer, and his old phone and a small amount of cash was taken
We gave him lunch and taxifare and he left before we could get contact details.He lives in Meadowlands, Soweto, and we think he is a grade 8 pupil at a high school in his neighbourhood.
There is a slim chance that someone who knows him reads this post.We would love to see this young man again!”
If you have any more information, please reach out to CLAW here.
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