McGonagall’s life had been reduced to one function: breeding. In the Townsend Informal Settlement, this three-legged crossbreed had delivered litter after litter of puppies for profit. And her body bore the cost of that exploitation.
It was the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit who found her, seized her and brought her into the safety of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
That was the day she finally stopped being used and started being seen. She arrived underweight, exhausted, and nursing a litter of 4 puppies. Our veterinary team treated the symptoms that came from years of neglect and overbreeding. She was sterilised, vaccinated, and given the kind of day-to-day care she had never known, regular meals, clean bedding, gentle handling and lots of love. And she loved us back, with everything she had. We knew finding a family would take time. She needed a family who wouldn’t shy away from her special needs and she needed home with no other pets. It was going to be a long wait.
And then came Metro Police Officer Brendon Coetzee.
As he approached her kennel, she started “talking” to him. Soft little whimpers, whines and hopeful warbles. And he spoke back. Back and forth they went, man and dog, speaking in different languages but understanding each other perfectly.
Only when she turned to walk away did he notice her uneven gait. Three legs. It didn’t matter. He was smitten.
That night, Brendon showed her photo to his family. His daughter, Tiffany had wanted to adopt a dog for a long time. For her, adoption was personal. She herself had been adopted, and she knew better than anyone how adoption changes lives.
“Being adopted gave me the best gift, a family who loves me. I wanted to give McGonagall that same gift” Tiffany said.
With that, McGonagall had a home.
As if this story wasn’t already special enough, what happened next was quite simply beautiful. The community around the Coetzee family rallied as if welcoming a newborn. One family brought a kennel. Another bought toys. Others provided some pet care essentials. According to Michelle, Brendon’s wife, it felt like a baby shower. And maybe, just maybe, that was fitting for a dog who had been forced to deliver puppies year after year after year. Only this time there were no puppies, and the celebration was in honour of only her arrival.
At first glance, McGonagall’s story looks simple. A three-legged dog rescued, healed, and adopted. But look closer, and the layers begin to show.
This isn’t one story at all. It’s many. A dog once exploited for breeding gets a baby shower. A daughter, adopted herself chose adoption again, this time for McGonagall.
And four very different protectors all came together for the love of one dog.
- The City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit rescued her from exploitation.
The SPCA gave her safety, food, and care.
A Metro Police Officer opened his home to her.
And standing beside us all the way was you — her fourth protector — without whom none of this would’ve been possible.
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