After putting together this week’s edition of Bolander, which has so many uplifting, and sad, stories regarding the welfare of animals, it was with great sadness that I learned of the tragic death of Inspector Pieter Prinsloo, of the Animal Welfare Society Helderberg (AWSH), who was hit and killed by a car, while rescuing cattle on the N2.
It was disbelief that I assimilated the news: ironically, I had just placed Helen Wynne-Dyke’s lovely story on page 18, where she referred to Pieter’s dedication.
Julia Evans, the general manager of AWSH, shared the following with us:
“Pieter first joined our society in December 2010. From the get go, he was passionate about his work and at the time of his death, he was still officially ‘in the field’.
“Pieter was a man who was always on duty. He left home early each morning and would be called out for after-hour emergencies late at night. No crisis was to big for him.
“In my mind’s eye, images of Pieter over the years roll past. Rescuing injured animals, chasing down difficult strays, working with the fire brigades and various security companies to get cats out of trees, breaking up dog fights, wading out to sea to retrieve dogs stranded on banks.
“He was often seen rescuing cattle, wildlife and many other weird and wonderful creatures. He could be found most mornings, feeding animals on various street corners of the Strand; the dogs got to know him well.
“With the last devasting fires, he not only assisted in the evacuation and rescue of many animals, but alongside his colleague, he helped to keep the raging flames from consuming a home belonging to people he didn’t know.
“I see Pieter as a man dedicated to his work. He spent many frustrating hours in the Magistrates rooms fighting for the rights of animals.
“When called upon, he assisted many other welfare organisations and went out of his way to do his best for them.
“Most of all, I see Pieter with his young daughter Nadine, whom he loved above life itself.
Our condolences to his family. We salute you.”
Bolander joins with the many voices of sympathy, and all I can think is that Pieter was welcomed by wagging tails and warm, bright eyes, and his legacy is a measure of the man he was.
I also wanted to touch on the fundraiser to Bring back Bruce, which raised an incredible amount of R36 000, of which a total of R8 700 was donated to AWSH and PetPals (see below). Good prevails…
Carolyn Frost: Editor
