On the 28th February 2016, the AACL (Animal Anti-Cruelty League) will celebrate 60 years in animal welfare. National Chairman Tony Guia, had this to say: “This milestone in our history of animal welfare is certainly something to crow about. The success of the organization has largely been due to the overwhelming support we have received over the years, financial and otherwise, from the animal loving public. That, coupled with the dedication and commitment of our staff and volunteers, are core components to our longevity and what has made us strong. The profile of charity organizations over the past twenty odd years has definitely altered, with social responsibility having become integral to modern day consciousness. This is a good thing in the face of the burgeoning number of NPOs that exist today, and must remain durable and a moral investment by society as a whole. It is also important to recognize our achievements on a national level. Besides our Johannesburg branch which is also the head office of the AACL, we have a further five branches situated in Durban, Ladysmith, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Bredasdorp. Interestingly enough, all of our branches have been in operation for well over twenty years, with our Durban branch coming a close second to Johannesburg, having been established in 1959. I think this is pretty conclusive evidence that we are a constant in a world that in many ways, has become more than a little fickle and that as a service organization, we have been willing to embrace change and where necessary, shift our priority and focus. Some of our more recent achievements over the years include · The establishment in 1999 of our volunteer programme; · In 2006 we established the first Old Age Village in S A for senior pets; · In 2013 we established our feral cat programme; · In 2014 we established a Freedom Cat Village · And last but not least, 2014/2015 saw the re-establishment of our mobile clinic service and the revamping of our hospital Community involvement and giving back is an extremely important facet of our services. This year we aim to grow our outreach/mobile clinic service exponentially, continuing to assist previously disadvantaged More ……….. /2 Page 2. communities which have little, or no access to veterinary care and require subsidized assistance. In line with our programme ‘A healthy pet is a safe pet’, our services interalia, comprise deworming, vaccinations (includes rabies vaccination), internal and external parasite control, sterilization and the distribution of general information leaflets, which provide basic guidelines on responsible pet care. Animals that require surgical procedures or more in-depth medical intervention are brought through to the AACL Johannesburg’s welfare hospital for treatment and returned thereafter to owners post recovery. Animals are an important, essential component of life as we know it and their welfare should never be compromised. Nowadays, with the many challenges facing society as a whole, socio-economically and politically, it is all too often these very animals that will become the casualties of cruel victimisation in one form or another. As our motto states, ‘Caring is our business’ and we continue to do our best to alleviate their plight. At the same time through education, our programmes are structured in a way that will hopefully influence young minds and preconceived behaviours. With the continued support of the animal loving public we look forward to building on our past achievements well into the next sixty years. To learn more about our programmes and policies, and how you can help us to make a difference, please visit our website: www.aacl.co.za and/or contact the General Manager on 011 435 0672.” Issued by : AACL Johannesburg
