“I said to my husband ‘let’s bring him home for five days’ and five days turned into five years,” says a proud dog mom of adopted Roo Kotzé.
Roo has been with Natalie Kotzé since he was six months old when she took him in from Thaba Nchu after receiving a call about a dog that does not have front legs.
“He was born without front legs. They [dogs] adapt very quickly. It does not stop him, he swims, he climbs stairs, and he walks upright. I only use his wheels for rehab purposes or when we go to schools,” says Natalie.
Natalie and Roo have been visiting schools around Bloem to raise awareness on animals with disabilities and basic animal care.
“I teach the children that if you are born differently, you are a limited edition. They must embrace their uniqueness because all of us are different. I want to show them: look at Roo, he has two legs and his disability does not bring him down.”
Natalie adds that the importance is educating children while they are young. It makes a big difference. “If they can look after their pets, they can look after each other,” she adds.
The mother of a couple of adopted pets says that when Roo first joined her family, adjusting was a bit of a challenge.
She recalls having pillows all over her home to avoid him from getting hurt as he learned to move around.
“In the beginning I was a bit paranoid, but he was never alone. He comes with us to our shop, we have built a little dog area with a shatterproof window. The kids sit on the other side and they come and look at him through the window. It is so nice, my clients will come in and ask ‘oh wow, is that Roo’? It’s amazing,” she says.
The mixed breed, Africanus dog, is also the official Mascot of New Beginnings in Bloemfontein.
Gypseenia Lion
gypseenia@mahareng.co.za
