Guest :  Luke Kruyt | Animal Care Manager at TEARS

At the TEARS Animal Rescue centre in Cape Town, every morning starts with a
symphony of excitement. First comes the percussion. Paws pound against metal mesh to form the beat. Next, a choir of howls. Pit bulls, tiny lap dogs, and pavement specials all bay in varied intonations, sounding the arrival of potential forever families. But when
COVID-19 spread across South Africa, the shelter sank into a deafening silence. Fearing
the dogs would spend weeks without human contact, TEARS marketing coordinator
Luke Kruyt and his team hatched a plan to keep tails wagging.

TEARS Animal Rescue is a sanctuary for companion animals in need and strives to end
homelessness, neglect and abuse in the communities they serve. They offer with
medical assistance, rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming. They are active in Ocean View,
Vrygrond and Masiphumelele.
The non-profit has about 60 staff members and a number of volunteers who now need
to comply with the lockdown. Their clinic will however remain open with emergency
staff to oversee the adult cats and kittens as they are much more challenging to foster
out.