On Saturday, 19 January, the Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Makhaya will be hosting its second Downward-Facing-Adopt-A-Dog yoga event, at the De Waal Park.
Yoga and dog-lovers alike are invited to take part in “this one of a kind yoga class with homeless dogs”.
A variety of homeless dogs will also be up for adoption, with an hour long gentle flow yoga class. The class will be led by local yoga instructor Lee-Ann Elliott and will be guided by Tombstone Pete’s live acoustic music.
“Our first Downward-Facing-Adopt-A-Dog took place in October last year. Sixty five people joined 10 dogs for an unforgettable yoga class. Unfortunately, no dogs were adopted but just under R6000 was raised for the clinic,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communications Manager.
“We hope to see some furry friends adopted at this month’s event.”
The event aims to raise funds for the NPO animal hospital, but mainly to introduce people to pets needing homes.
Du Plessis says Mdzananda has experienced an enormous influx of homeless pets during the festive season. The clinic usually caters for 10 dogs and 10 cats in their small stray unit. They currently have thirty of each.
“Our small stray unit is packed to the brim,” says du Plessis. “Being an animal hospital, our focus is on medical treatment for pets of the Khayelitsha community.
We do, however, not turn pets away and have found ourselves with a stray unit that is currently filled beyond capacity. We had numerous pets handed over to us during the festive season, some even tied to our gates or thrown over the walls at night.”
The yoga event was created with the aim of bringing dogs for adoption to an easy to access location. Here people can meet them while enjoying a yoga class.
“Many people are too scared to visit our organisation as we are based in Khayelitsha. This makes it more difficult for us to find homes for pets. We always encourage people to visit as the experience of driving through the diverse and creative community is one everyone should experience. It also opens one’s eyes to the struggles in Cape Town for both humans and pets,” says du Plessis.
The class will start at 10:30. Participants are urged to arrive at 10:00 and bring a yoga mat or towel. The cost of the class is donation based and all funds raised will go to the Mdzananda Animal Clinic.
For more contact info@mdzananda.co.za, or on www.mdzananda.co.za. Facebook events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/254619998516153