A Gordon’s Bay family battling the loss of their missing canine is offering a monetary reward for the beloved furry friend’s safe return.

Social media has been abuzz with alerts and calls to help find Shakirah, the missing six-year-old Great Dane whose pictures are strewn across various platforms including Facebook.

“Please, we beg you to help us find our baba. She must be so scared. She is our family,” urges owner Magda Newton.

According to Newton their four-legged family member has been missing from their home in Protea Drive for over a month. The grey-coloured, spotted dog was suspectedly prompted into the streets after the property gates were left open while maintenance work was done.

“We have been through so much with Shakirah, and can’t stand the thought of her being out there somewhere in the unknown,” says Newton.

She further shared Shakirah has been the family pet since she was nine weeks old. The Newton’s bought Shakirah from a breeder in Rustenburg. Together the family saw the loving pup through a broken paw (an injury sustained after running between her mom’s giant-breed paws and accidentally getting stepped on) and the deadly canine parvovirus at 10 weeks old.

“She is such an irreplaceable part of our family. She grew up with our kids…she doesn’t even know that she’s not human.”

Newton said the family relocated to the basin from Pretoria earlier this year and the furry companion is not yet familiar with the area. Furthermore, Shakirah hates being outside as she is used to living indoors.

“We miss all the cuddles and her playful temperament. We miss having her flap her ears in a request to cover her with her blankets or when she wants to go outside. There’s a certain way she would nudge you when she senses your’e emotional and now we can’t comfort her when we know she must be so scared,” shared a distraught Newton.

“It’s heartbreaking not knowing if she’s safe, whether she has a warm place to sleep or if she has something to eat. Not having her around feels empty. We feel broken.”

The family has offered a reward of R4 500 to anyone who can help locate Shakirah and bring her back home safely.

“We would like to urge the public to help us, help her please! If you would be so kind to maybe just put a bowl of water out wherever you live, just in case she might pass and stop to quench her thirst. We might be able to find her,” implores Newton.

The family remains hopeful that their ending will be similar to that of Bella, a pitbull cross-breed that was reunited with her Strand-owners after being missing for more than three weeks (“Runaway dog found in Lwandle,” DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, Wednesday 6 July 2022).

  • If you’ve spotted Shakirah, please take a photo or video and send it to Magda Newton on 072 157 4422; or Clarice Redelinghuys on 072 781 2048. 

You need to be Logged In to leave a comment.

Gift this article