Nooi

A Swift Collection

I rescued Nooi on the 18th June, 2025, following a call from a member of Law Enforcement, who notified me of a dog who was in need.

As soon as I received the call, I told her I was on my way, we met in town and she escorted me to the home of the person who Nooi was living with.

There were a couple of other big dogs there, in good condition, and then there was Nooi, who was much smaller, very sweet and scared.

The man who was taking care of her scooped her up and put her in the back of my bakkie, and I then proceeded to take all the details surrounding her rescue, together with ensuring the completion of a Surrender Form.

I took care to ensure that he understood everything I was saying and he was very happy for me to take her as the owner of the place where he lived didn't want too many dogs around.

A Job Well Done

The person from Law Enforcement commented on how impressed she was with how I do things, including coming straight away, without hesitation, going through everything and taking care to ensure that the previous carer was comfortable and knew that Nooi would be safe.

It was nice to know that my efforts were recognised, valued and appreciated and I was happy to have been able to help out.

The first stop was the vet as Nooi had mange and needed to be checked over, and from there, I took her home and we integrated her with the other dogs.

She has never been a problem and was my easiest dog ever, I don't think I have ever heard her bark in all the time she was with me, which was just under 6 months.

Interestingly, when we took her for a steri a couple of months later when she was well, we saw one of the local kids who recognised her by her lovely pink collar that her uncle had given her, and she stopped to say hello and give her a pat. 

God Is Amazing

The timing was so perfect and this was how we found out that she had been used to being around children, although her temperament was so gentle, peaceful and placid that she's ideally suited to being around kids.

As such, the first home we chose for her was with a lovely family who had a baby who was around 1, and when we took her to meet them, Nooi was as good as gold, she didn't move, even when the baby was clumsy around her.

It quickly became apparent that this wasn't a match as the baby showed signs of jealousy towards Nooi, wanting all the attention to herself, and I drove all the way to Capetown to collect her at the earliest opportunity.

This photo was taken when she was in the car on our way home as she was so happy to be collected, before we stopped off at a restaurant to refresh, where she was as good as gold, just sitting quietly, being a perfect dog.

It is my experience that God protects all of my animals in the most beautiful ways and I'm so grateful to Him for the grace that he so lavishly pours out.

Another Opportunity

Shortly after, another opportunity came along when her soon to be new family contacted me to ask if I had any dogs that they could come and see with a view to offering one a home and the dog that came to mind, once I had assessed them, was Nooi.

When they came to see me, they thought they were coming to choose between two dogs, Mercy and Nooi, but the Holy Spirit had already selected Nooi, and therefore, there was no choice, only Nooi, who had been pre-selected.

The family thought that Mercy was the one because from the photo, they thought she looked like a previous dog they had called Annie, but in reality, she looked nothing like her and they were not a match.

Before they came, I asked God to make it very clear who the right dog was and confirmation came through Mercy who growled at them!

Meanwhile, Nooi sat in the corner, quiet and unnoticed at first, the exact qualities that made her a perfect match, and when they approached her, she wagged her tail and welcomed their attention, touch and liver biltong!

The Journey Home

This was the first time that I had allowed anyone to come my home to meet and collect a dog and I allowed this because it's important that interested parties make the necessary effort. 

I told them everything I knew about Nooi including the fact that I had been told that she had had puppies before I rescued her and lost them all, which was so sad and must have been traumatic for her.

This is very common in the local townships as they are underfed, malnourished and often left outside in the cold, with insufficient warmth, and the necessary vet care and home care withheld due to ignorance and a lack of finances that results in neglect.

The family spent a couple of hours with her and before they left, we prayed for a smooth transition, safe journey home and a continued relationship so that I could be an extra Guardian Angel should Nooi ever need.

They carried her out, she seemed settled in the car and I felt peace in my heart, even though it was bitter sweet, and I cried for the end of our journey together as my friend went to live with another family who would become her world.

Anxiety Set In

That night, I was woken up twice with anxiety over the level of care that she would receive as she family had told me that they use the local AACL & SPCA's, which I'm not fond of as my preference is always private, and the best.

Both times, I prayed and asked God to settle my heart and went back to sleep, only to be woken again two more times the following night.

I couldn't get past the fact that the donation I was given was a lot less than what was promised, and I felt that this was an indication of things to come with regard to Nooi's care and I couldn't shake it.

Even though that the family increased their initial donation to just under the promised amount, my heart wasn't settled as it is imperative that all of my rescues get the best possible care and this is not something that I can compromise on.

When I was woken the second time at 4am, following praying, I immediately got up, woke both of my guys, told Simba to get up and asked Morgen to come in early as we were leaving early to drive to Capetown.

Another Mission To Cape Town

Everyone who knows me knows that I struggle to get up in the morning, but when it comes to my rescues, there's nothing I won't do and I immediately have energy.

By 4.30am we were in the car, having prayed before leaving and we arrived before 8am in an ambush that I offset with a text to announce our arrival.

The family were very welcoming and I apologised for the surprise visit, and when we sat down upon being invited in, I shared what was on my heart, which was that I didn't have peace.

Everyone was very calm and reassured me that they were a good family, which I sensed them to be, otherwise I wouldn't have placed Nooi in the first place, and I had to address the elephant in the room, which was my reason for being uncomfortable and not at peace.

And so I shared my concerns around the AACL and SPCA and they assured me that they only used them for routine things, going to a private vet if necessary should the next level of care be required, and reminding me that they would contact me if they ever needed additional help.

Nooi Lead The Way

I wasn't put at ease by what they said, it was more the feeling of peace that was in the room, Nooi's behaviour and the feeling of peace that came over me, which can only be attributed to the Holy Spirit.

Nooi was very settled there and moved around freely, between Noel's parents and between him and his wife, and then to Simba who was her main carer, and then to me, taking care to spend equal amounts of time between everyone.

She wasn't desperate to leave and was just happy to see us, and equally happy when it was time for us to go, saying goodbye to us, before returning to her spot.

Her confidence was growing, she even mustered a gentle bark when there was noise from another dog across the way, and it was clear that she was feeling at home and happy with our choice, and it was this, that enable me to feel the confidence to leave her.

I just needed more clarity and to see her in her new environment, which I received from our visit, which was by no means a wasted trip.

Confirmation In An Unlikely Way