More than 200 children from Chris Nissen Park were treated to lunch and a sweet treat at a veterinary company’s outreach initiative on Saturday 16 July.
Dr Hilldidge Beer, CEO of EberVet Community Veterinary Care, said the team’s regular animal welfare work in the area had alerted them to the plight of hundreds of hungry children whose parents are unemployed. “Covid-19 robbed these families of employment,” she said. “We couldn’t take care of their animals without trying to help the children too.”
A dozen EberVet employees from the company’s veterinary clinics and vet shops volunteered to make and serve soup, bread and sweets to the children, while five of EberVet Pet Clinic colleagues and volunteers from The Outreach Programme (Top) administered 115 rabies vaccinations to dogs in the area. Every animal vaccinated was also protected against parasites and sent home with a bag of food.
“We firmly believe that compassion is learnt from a young age, but one can teach it only if one shows it,” Beer said.
The veterinary team also treated several animals for injuries and illness.
