Cape Town Marathon runners unite for SPCA fund-raising
SPCA team members Petronel van Rhyn, Natasha Johannes and runner Andrew Ross with Buddy, his dog, in whose memory he is running.
Image: Supplied
More than 50 runners are lacing up for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this weekend, raising vital funds for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to support animal welfare initiatives.
These runners will participate in various running events, including a 10km Peace Run and a trail run on Saturday, October 18, and the main event of 42.2km on Sunday, October 19.
Sixteen runners are taking on the Peace Run, including 13 SPCA staff, among them is Cape of Good Hope SPCA CEO Moyo Ndukwana.
Their goal is to raise R60 000 to fund 100 sterilisations that prevent unwanted litters and reduce suffering across the city.
Mr Ndukwana said that he is not a runner but is chasing a dream where dogs walk beside "their people" and the cats outside are chasing butterflies in their own gardens.
"That dream begins with sterilisation, because when we prevent unwanted litters, we prevent suffering on a scale you cannot imagine,” he said.
He said that gifts of any amount count.
"Every sterilisation moves Cape Town closer to a future where every animal has a home," he said.
Fritz and Yanic Klue, founder of South Africa’s first dog hotel, celebrating its tenth anniversary will be running 10km at the Peace Run, to raise R10 000 for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
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Yanic Klue, founder of South Africa’s first dog hotel, will be swapping leashes for running shoes as she takes on the 10km Peace Run on Saturday, October 18.
She has dedicated her mileage to raising R10 000 for the SPCA, with each R1 000 representing a year of the hotel, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.
These funds will be used to sterilise 20 dogs, preventing countless unwanted litters and positively impacting animal welfare in the Western Cape. To date, she has raised R5 500.
Ms Klue said that it was more than celebrating a decade of the hotel's existence.
"It’s about giving back to the community and standing up for the animals who can’t speak for themselves. I want every step to matter," she said.
Pictured at the back is Muhammad “Mo” Sanglay and in front is Asgar Dalvie. These SPCA supporters will be running the 42.2 km race in tandem, inside a foam car suit nearly 2 metres long.
Image: Supplied
On Sunday, October 19, 33 runners will be doing the full 42.2KM marathon for the SPCA.
This includes fund-raisers Asgar Dalvie and Muhammad “Mo” Sanglay, who will be pushing their limits again by running in tandem, inside a foam car suit nearly 2 metres long.
In 2018, they helped pilot the five-man Worsie sausage dog suit to the finish line, much to the delight of the crowd.
Mr Dulvie has also conquered the distance as “Captain Crowalot” in a full rooster suit, and together they’ve endured marathons in animal onesies ranging from seals to squirrels.
Their goal is to raise R42 000, the annual fuel cost of keeping a single Cape of Good Hope SPCA Inspectorate vehicle on the road.
Supporter Gavin Becker, from Welcome Glen, will lace up to do the 43 trail run on Saturday, October 18.
The team will be running for a home for every animal in branded SPCA running gear.
Members of the public can help them reach their fund-raising finish line by donating to the SPCA.
Belinda Abraham, spokeswoman for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said they were grateful to Mo and Asgar.
"They’ve turned a hilarious idea into something lifesaving, because without fuel, our inspectors can’t reach animals in crisis. Every rescue starts with a turn of the key, and the thought of a call for help going unanswered because there’s no petrol in the tank is simply unthinkable,” she said.