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In an act of true compassion, Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA fulfilled a heartfelt promise he made to a dog named Rocky at the time of his rescue.
Rocky, a severely emaciated and suffering Boxer was found on a property in Eerste River, Cape Town. Despite multiple warnings issued by the SPCA’s Inspector Lwazi Ntungele, Rocky’s owner failed to provide him with proper care, leaving our inspector with no option other than to obtain a court order for his removal.
The court order was executed on 29 of September, in collaboration with The City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit.
Rocky was in a desperate state of neglect. “He was literally a walking skeleton,” says Pieterse. “It broke my heart to see his condition. I promised him that I would find him a good home and I was determined to keep that promise, no matter what.”
Following his rescue, Rocky was admitted to a animal hospital in Grassy Park, where a team of veterinarians immediately took over his care. Unfortunately, Rocky deteriorated a little more every day, despite the best efforts that included a premium diet and consultations with private veterinarians. When tests confirmed the worse fears, Pieterse was devasted. “Rocky was diagnosed with cancer, his diagnosis was terminal with no hope of recovery and the fact that I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise to him kept me awake at night,” says Pieterse.
He made the decision to adopt Rocky, so he could make good on the promise he made to him two weeks earlier. “I knew it would be one of the most difficult things I would ever do, but I had to honour my word and love Rocky as hard as I could for whatever time he had left,” he says. Keeping Rocky pain-free and comfortable as a priority and with clearance from the veterinary team, Pieterse gave Rocky the full loving-owner experience that included a trip to the beach so he could experience the ocean, a ride in a car with his head out the window, more treats, love and cuddles than he’d ever had in his entire life and on his last day, a trip through the KFC drive through. The order – “A streetwise two, with no chips, please,” followed by a picnic of the deboned chicken on the grass.
When Rocky became too weak to take more than a few steps unaided, and there was nothing more he could offer him other than love, dignity and peace, Pieterse held him close, like a loving owner. “It was a hard hello and an even harder goodbye. I’ll never forget him, and I’ll keep fighting cruelty every single day, in honour of his memory.”
Rocky will be cremated, and his ashes will be spread at the beach he enjoyed so much.
