For almost a decade, AfriPaw has served the low-income community of Vrygrond through free sterilisations, affordable primary healthcare and access to food and shelter for township pets. The partnership with TEARS aims to take that work further.

AfriPaw does the groundwork — identifying animals in need through their network of community volunteers and their door-to-door relationships built over the years in Vrygrond, says the partnership.

TEARS steps in to provide the medical expertise: vehicles, medication, vaccines and, crucially, veterinary and additional staff on the ground. Animals requiring emergency care or sterilisation are transported to TEARS for treatment.

"AfriPaw knows this community and has the trust of the people who live there. We bring the medical capability. Together we can do far more than either of us could alone," says Mandy Store, Operations Manager of TEARS.

The fortnightly outreach runs every second Saturday and TEARS covers all transportation and sterilisation costs. TEARS says that all of their vehicles run on diesel, which means transportation costs alone are substantial.

In June, the partnership says it reached a significant milestone. AfriPaw launched a second Pet Clinic in Seawinds — a community that borders Vrygrond but has historically faced additional barriers to accessing services due to its location.

On opening day, 177 pets received primary healthcare, many for the first time. TEARS was there, alongside fellow programme partner the Animal Welfare Society of SA, providing vehicles, medication and veterinary staff to make it happen, says the partnership.

The numbers have grown steadily: by August, the Seawinds clinic had served 260 pets in the month, while the Vrygrond clinic continued to draw over 900. Combined, the two clinics are now reaching more than 1 100 animals every month, adds the partnership.

The partnership says that sterilisation is vital to the core of making this work matter in the long run. Every unsterilised dog or cat in an under-resourced community can result in more litters, strays and more animals without enough food, care or shelter. The more funding TEARS receives, the more sterilisations they can perform.

The partnership says that in some cases, the clinics face new challenges. One example is a puppy named Flea, who was surrendered to the AfriPaw Pet Clinic and transported to TEARS. When Flea arrived, her body was infested with fleas which caused her ears to be constantly raw and irritated.

As a result of a donation to TEARS of half a million rands' worth of Bravecto flea and tick treatment, Flea was one of the first to receive treatment. A single dose provides up to 12 weeks of relief, while its quick onset of action meant the itching stopped almost immediately. Flea has since been adopted and found her forever home, says the partnership.

The partnership says that every second Saturday can be an opportunity to make a difference. In 2026 alone, the two clinics have reached thousands of animals across Vrygrond and Seawinds. 

Donations towards sterilisations and transportation costs directly increase the number of animals TEARS, AfriPaw and the Animal Welfare Society of SA can reach, helping to bring their vision of a community that cares for and protects its pets closer to reality, concludes the partnership.

For more information, visit www.tears.org.za. You can also follow TEARS on Facebook, X, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor