WE'RE ON A MISSION TO HELP

The Olifants have started an ambulance service for animals from less fortunate communities

- MAXINE PETERS

THE phone rings with a call from a worried dog owner - their beloved pet is as cold as ice and having difficulty walking, and they're not sure what to do .

Minutes later there's another call: a family's cat seems to have injured its leg and needs to see a vet urgently. Can they get help? Bronwyn Olifant and her husband, Danfred, receive calls like these every day from pet owners in need of their services - and while they're often run off their feet, they do their best to respond to every call.

The couple operate a one-of-a-kind animal ambulance service, Diere Ambulaans Diens or DAD - from their office in Eerste River, Cape Town, and they've mastered the art of keeping calm in an emergency.

"It's usually Bronwyn who gets the calls and responds to them," Danfred (51) tells YOU.

"With the help of our volunteer, Manelise Sigwela, she picks the animal up and makes sure the paperwork is done correctly - we need the pet and the owner's details as well as consent for medical procedures. Then the animal is taken through to a welfare organisation to assist."

Danfred, a former police dog handler with extensive training and behavioural experience with animals, trained Bronwyn (32) how to identify signs of a sick or injured pet.

In the same way a paramedic arrives on the scene to attend to a human patient, the couple's animal ambulance provides on-the-spot first aid. They transport animals to vets, hospitals and animal welfare organisations if further care is needed, where the animals receive vaccinations and sterilisations.

"Whether there's a worrying lump on the animal's body or a puppy hasn't been eating for days, Bronwyn knows what steps need to be taken," Danfred says.

The team offer their services in the northern suburbs of Cape Town and concentrate on less fortunate communities. They'd like to start doing trips to the southern suburbs too but they're careful not to bite off more than they can chew.