Cape’s ‘Dr Dolittle’ looks for farm to expand animal sanctuary

For Cheryl-Lyn Potgieter, a rescued dog should have more than somewhere to just survive.

It should have its own bed and at the sanctuary she runs on Cape Town’s rural outskirts, that means pillows and duvets, too.

It is a small domestic detail, but for the animals arriving after neglect, abandonment or cruelty, it has a larger meaning – they have somewhere to call home while they recover.

“They’ve all got their own beds,” she says, “with their own pillows and duvets.”

R3 million donation brings hope of a permanent home

Now, a R3 million donation in honour of the late author, Wilbur Smith, has brought Cheryl-Lyn’s Rescue Organisation halfway to buying its own permanent home.

Another R3 million is still needed for the purchase, with additional costs to be covered before a secure future can be celebrated.

For Potgieter, the goal is not simply land. It is the ability to keep opening the door.

16 years of rescuing animals in need

She has spent 16 years rescuing animals, including five years before the organisation was founded in 2015.

Her involvement grew out of voluntary neighbourhood watch work, when animal call-outs repeatedly drew her attention.

“They used to call me Doctor Dolittle,” she says.

Potgieter moved from Cape Town’s Table View as the rescue grew.

For the past four and a half years, she says, the organisation has operated on rented land near Atlantis. It now cares for 180 dogs and 14 cats.

“I’ve given my whole life up for these animals,” she says, but now the farm on which she operates is in the process of being sold.

Finding homes while more animals arrive

Finding new homes is part of the work, but departures do not necessarily mean fewer mouths to feed.

So far this year, she has successfully homed more than 30 dogs that she rescued, only to receive another 22 dogs in need.

“You can’t say no to these animals,” she says. “They come to the farm and if you don’t take them, they throw them away.”

Mixed-breed dogs are harder to place than the small dogs prospective adopters often ask for. Yet the right match can transform a life.

She speaks proudly of a mixed-breed dog adopted overseas, describing it as having “a Dutch passport”.

“I get good homes. I really do.”

Rehabilitation, veterinary care and a second chance

For those still waiting, the sanctuary is a home in its own right.

There is veterinary care, rehabilitation and the patient work of preparing an animal for adoption.

New arrivals are kept in quarantine while their health is assessed and vaccination and sterilisation remain priorities.

Not every rescue ends happily, but those that do recover go on to homes of their own.

It is this possibility that keeps her going. Some of the animals in Potgieter’s life also work beyond the sanctuary.

She says her long-haired German shepherd is a qualified therapy dog who makes weekly visits to people living with dementia and those needing frail care.

How to help secure the sanctuary’s future

The donation changed what Potgieter can hope for. Now she is looking to buy a smallholding, to give life to her vision of a space with dedicated quarantine and rehabilitation areas.

She wants an area where newcomers can recover before joining the other animals, and where those waiting for adoption can live comfortably.

Fully registered with a properly appointed board, Cheryl-Lyn’s Rescue Organisation is now looking at raising a bond for the balance of the asking price for a farm she’s seen.

Anyone who would like to contribute to a permanent home for Cheryl-Lyn’s Rescue Organisation, help with veterinary care or supplies, volunteer, or inquire about adoption, can contact the organisation on 082 770 2667, e-mail [email protected].

They can also donate to the backabuddy page.