Violet: The Tale of the two “Tannies”
On the 31st of January 2021, the TEARS Veterinary Hospital was phoned for an emergency: an injured dog in Ocean View required urgent help. Knowing that time was of the essence, the TEARS Mobile Clinic was dispatched.
Upon their arrival, TEARS Animal Welfare Assistants found a beautiful black dog with her skin hanging off in shreds. She was in obvious pain and shaken from the trauma of her recent experience of being chased by two other dogs into razor wire. Desperate to flee, she found herself stuck, and as she struggled, the razor wire ripped into her. Then, the two chasing dogs caught up with her and ripped into her as well.
Violence, as she was called, was rushed to the TEARS Veterinary Hospital where she was stabilised, cleaned up and given pain relief. The veterinary team assessed her and ascertained that she’d require plenty of treatment: stitching and bandaging and wound care, and months of recovery. Her owners weren’t interested in having her back, and so she became a TEARS dog.
Smiles and wiggles
Right from the beginning, despite the pain and trauma, this dog only wiggled her whole body at both dogs and humans, lifting her lips to reveal a gorgeous pearly-white smile. As there was clearly not a violent bone in her body, her name would have to be changed. Not knowing how long she’d been called Violence, the TEARS kennel staff changed her name to Violet so that her new name would be easily recognisable and familiar to her.
While a bandaged dog usually looks so sad, bandaged Violet just smiled and wiggled. She stayed in the hospital until she was stable enough to be moved to the TEARS feeding kitchen where she enjoyed a cushy life and plenty of spoils while healing. Each staff member and volunteer walking past was greeted with a smile and a wiggle from Violet, and every evening she went home with TEARS Kennel Manager Luke Kruyt so he could change her bandages and keep an eye on her.
The puppy trainer
Violet’s healing took several months, aided by VetMed Wound Care. During this time, the TEARS kennel team discovered what a kind soul Violet was – especially towards puppies – and she quickly took on the role of “Tannie” of TEARS. She’d help all the pups who were nervous, scared or had behavioural issues. Her teaching style seemed to work wonders! Every puppy mentored by Violet found its forever home quickly!
This wonderful dog that had been attacked and suffered so horribly harboured no ill will towards other dogs. And, in her own special way, Violet became a valuable and much-loved member of the TEARS team! Smiling Violet wormed her way into each and every one of our hearts, and often staff would sneak her home for the evening for a night away from the pups and some spoils. However, both TEARS staff and volunteers longed for her to have her very own home.
One staff member in particular wanted Violet to become a part of her family indefinitely. Marketing Manager Wendy Scheepers longed to take her home permanently, but the timing and circumstances just didn’t seem to work. Praying that she’d be available when things had worked out, Wendy balanced Violet’s need to be happy in a home against her want for her to be happy in HER home.
Wendy Scheepers shares how a dream came true…
Louw-Jean is more than our neighbour; she’s our Tannie next door. We eat dinner together several times a week, go on outings together, build puzzles together and help each other just as a family would. Because the Scheepers family are tenants in the building, we’re not allowed to have pets – after months of trying with the Trustees, we’d given up hope. However, Tannie Louw-Jean is an owner, and she’s permitted to have pets. Tannie had always wanted a dog, but because of her bad knees, she wouldn’t be able to walk the dog properly.
During one of our outings to Table Mountain, I suggested we drop in at TEARS on the way home so that Tannie could visit Violet. She suggested that she adopt Violet, and in so doing, with Tannie permitted to have a pet and the Scheepers family walking her and taking her to work, Tannie gets to have a dog and so do we.
After much work and discussion with family and neighbours, I was able to bring Violet home permanently, making her not only Violet Scheepers, and Tannie Louw-Jean’s honorary dog, but also a TEARS employee who comes to work with me daily to continue providing her valuable teaching services to TEARS puppies.
Violet now enjoys visits with Tannie Louw-Jean, her doggie friends Jessie and Kody, outings to the beach and fields with her family, and lots of spoils and walkies.
Violet is the “good-est” dog that I know. After working at TEARS for almost five years, I’ve been able to resist adopting for this long, but Violet was the one I just couldn’t say no to.
Violet loves her big brother, Wouter, and is always present when we drop him off and pick him up from school. She’s enjoying training and is a keen learner. Violet truly is a joy, and her silly antics fill the house with laughter!
There really are two Tannie heroes to this story.
Tannie Louw-Jean comments…
“I’m a huge dog lover, but I wouldn’t be able to have a dog due to my bad knees. Knowing that Wendy works for TEARS and also wanted to adopt Violet provided the perfect opportunity for me to get a dog. Now, Wouter and Violet are constantly in and out of both of our homes. We’re one big happy family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
