Last Sunday in Cape Town, a flight attendant was walking home through Nomzamo, a densely populated settlement lined with makeshift homes. As she passed a drainage channel that had become a dumping ground — filled with plastic bags, food containers and sewage — something amid the debris shifted.
Her stomach dropped. In the middle of the foul, debris-choked water was a brown dog, struggling to stay afloat. She realized he’d been there since the morning when she left for work — trapped for at least 24 hours.
With daylight fading, she sprang into action, calling every animal rescue she could think of. The person who finally picked up was Kyle Girodo, an inspector with Animal Welfare Helderberg.
Within minutes, Girodo pulled on his rain boots and drove 20 minutes to reach the settlement, where the woman guided him to the dog’s location.
“In that area, it’s human feces, pee, rubbish — everything you can imagine dumped in there,” Girodo told The Dodo.
Still, he didn’t hesitate. He stepped into the knee-deep sludge, his boots quickly filling and becoming “wrecked,” as he trudged toward the terrified dog.
“Going in there, you have no idea how that dog’s going to react,” Girodo said. “He’s scared, freezing, in shock.”
Dogs in the area are often kept for security, not companionship, so Girodo suspected this pup had never experienced a gentle human hand. When the dog bared his teeth, Girodo wasn’t surprised.
He draped a towel over the dog for protection, then lifted him into his arms.
“As soon as I picked him up and hugged him, he relaxed,” Girodo said. “It was like, ‘Oh… this is nice.’”
Girodo carried the dog — now named Moose — to his car, dried him off and wrapped him in blankets to keep him warm and out of shock.
Moose spent the night at Animal Welfare Helderberg’s hospital with a full belly and a safe place to rest.
“The smell was unbelievable,” Girodo said. “He stunk out our entire hospital.”
But once volunteers bathed him the next morning, Moose visibly brightened.
By law, Moose must stay at the shelter for 10 days before he becomes eligible for adoption. He’s being treated for potential infections and is slowly learning to trust people.
“He still flinches a little when you get near his face,” Girodo said. “But he’s not snapping or growling. He’s trying.”
Girodo is hopeful for Moose’s future.
“A lot of dogs we take in react with immediate aggression,” he said. “His first instinct wasn’t to bite — that says a lot.”
Once the staff determine which dogs he’s comfortable around, Moose will get to join playgroups to help him socialize and rediscover what it’s like to simply be a dog.
If his progress so far is any indication, Moose is well on his way from fearful survivor to beloved companion.
Animal Welfare Helderberg is fully funded by the public. If you’d like to support their work — or help replace Girodo’s now-ruined boots — donation details can be found on their Facebook page.
