ST FRANCIS BAY – Animal welfare advocates across the Kouga region will unite for a common cause on 20 December, as St Francis Bay prepares to host its third annual Animal Expo at the Albert Saunders Building, 150 St Francis Drive, from 09:00 to 12 noon.
Samantha Gie, co-founder of Oyster Bay Animal Welfare and organiser of the event, said that the community event will showcase the collaborative efforts of five dedicated welfare organisations working tirelessly to care for domestic animals throughout the area.
These organisations include St Francis Animal Rescue, SPCA Assisi from Humansdorp, JBay Animal Rescue, Oyster Bay Animal Welfare, and Spay it Forward.
“All of these organisations are run by a phenomenal team of women who really dedicate their lives to looking after and caring for the various domestic cats and dogs in the Kouga region who live in the townships,” said Gie.
“We have had the privilege of working with all of them.”
Gie said that the expo will provide participating organisations with opportunities to sell goods, promote their work, and raise funds through collection tins and product stalls.
“We also do a very large Christmas tree where we place tags for each of the welfare organisations for the various cats and dogs in their care, so that the dogs and cats can get a nice treat whether it’s a nice new toy, food or a new blanket,” said Gie.
She further said that the Rotary Club St Francis Bay will provide cash donations to each welfare organisation participating in the expo.
Last year, each organisation received R30,000 from the Rotary Club.
Gie said that additional participants include the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), who will discuss their coastal conservation work with the public.
Furthermore, local business, Sandy Paws Pet Pantry and Accessories, will showcase their products alongside other pet services.
“We just hope that the event gives the organisations involved an opportunity to raise some much-needed funding and awareness for the fantastic work that they do,” said Gie.
Co-organiser Tracy Degoumois said that the “Unpoison Kouga” community initiative will also be present at the expo.
She said that the initiative will provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about safer alternatives to household poisons and gain a deeper understanding of the devastating impact that commonly available commercial poisons have on wildlife and domestic animals in the region.
Degoumois said that owls, in particular, have been severely affected in the Kouga area, with many dying agonising deaths from secondary poisoning.
She said that this initiative aims to raise awareness of a much larger, largely hidden crisis affecting our entire ecosystem.
“This annual event is a great opportunity to learn about all the valuable work taking place in our animal community and support these incredible organisations,” said Degoumois.
For more information, visit and follow the St Francis Bay Animal Expo Facebook page.
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