Dog falls down Kimberley's big hole

Albereth said:
Agreed. And it's a pastor too.
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That figures.

I recently wrote ( http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/373258-Building-Nightmare?highlight=mooi ) about my sister being ripped off by two very good, long time friends of hers but what I never mentioned was that the dominant part of the pair is an Anglican priest who left UK after some sort of dodgy legal hassle and started up in SA. His boyfriend is younger and totally sub and is the front for their ongoing scam.

It's easy for me to imagine them doing something similar in order to get some profitable mileage for themselves
 
‘I just want my dog back’ November 27 2013 at 12:46pm

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/i-just-want-my-dog-back-1.1613205#.UpocUsRkOYk
November 27 2013 at 12:46pm
By Sandi Kwon Hoo

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Pastor Chris Baadjies, who came forward to claim Gigi as his dog. Picture: Soraya Crowie

Kimberley - The question of who will finally own the dog that survived unscathed after spending eight days in the Kimberley Big Hole, may possibly end up in court, as the legal teams of the potential owners lock horns on Wednesday.

Both Pastor Chris Baadjies, who came forward to claim Gigi as his dog, and the local SPCA, where she is being cared for, are prepared to fight tooth and nail for her.

Warrant Officer John Seeley from the police’s search and rescue unit, who was instrumental in saving her from a possible death in the Big Hole, indicated that he too, was going to keep the dog “no matter what”.

Elliot, Maris Wilmans and Hay Attorneys partner Iwan Schoeman, representing the SPCA, stated that they would meet with the owner of the dog on Wednesday and were prepared to take the matter to court if necessary.

SPCA inspector Mario van der Westhuizen pointed out that stringent criteria had to be met before a dog was released into the care of any owner.

“Our primary concern is to provide the dog with a loving home, where she will be given the best care possible.”

Copy of Copy of DF dog 2311 f
Warrant Officer John Seeley, from the polices search and rescue unit, who saved the dog. Picture: Soraya Crowie
DFA
Baadjies said he wanted his pet back and would gladly pay the costs of the rescue mission.

“I am more than willing to pay for her recovery with no strings attached. She is a healthy and strong dog and would not have survived for so long had she not been given good care in the past.”

The costs that were carried by the rescue teams involved are estimated to be in the region of R40 000, where the police, ER24, Sol Plaatje Municipality’s Emergency Services, De Beers and the SPCA were involved in a massive two-day rescue mission.

The costs are determined by the hourly rate of each emergency rescue worker as well as the expenses of the use of the equipment and vehicles.

If a helicopter was used the costs would reportedly ballooned by another R80 000 per day.

Spokesman for the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Sello Matsie, said that at this stage they were not able to quantify the cost of the rescue mission, although usually it would be for the account of the owner of the dog.

Baadjies indicated on Tuesday that he did not wish to make any further comment until he had consulted with his lawyer.

He added that he was in no way negligent and that he was at home at the time that Gigi wandered out of the gate.

“My wife was working night shift and I was attending a conference when she went missing. Dogs often jump over fences and take to the streets when they are on heat. I am not interested in a fight. I just want my dog back so that I can carry on with my life,” Baadjies said.

On his Facebook page Baadjies added that he had photographs to prove that Gigi was his dog and conveyed his heartfelt thanks to the rescue team, especially to Seeley.

“You are not just Gigi’s hero but also mine. My family and I are very grateful for the perfectly executed rescue where Seeley even put his life on the line to rescue our dog.

“I pray that you have a long life sir, that you will be celebrated not just in Kimberley, (but in) South Africa and the rest of the world. I always saw these things on television but never thought it will ever happen to me. So if there is anyone that insulted me by implying that I am a liar and a fake here is Gigi to the world. We are honest Christians and have not taken anything from anyone.

“She is part of my family and we pray that the red tape is removed as soon as possible and she can come home where she belongs.”
 
How dog was rescued from Big Hole

Pics at the link below:
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...-rescued-from-big-hole-1.1611870#.UpogWsRkOYk
Kimberley -

The dog who miraculously survived after it fell an equivalent of 50 storeys down the Big Hole in Kimberley, and then managed to stay alive without food for eight days, was finally brought to the surface after a 15-hour rescue mission over the weekend.

The mixed breed that has stolen the hearts of dog lovers across the world almost never made it because it was considered too dangerous for rescue workers to venture so deep, where the ground is rocky and unstable.

The heroic rescue turned into a media sensation with social networks, online stories and videos of the dog going viral all over the world.

While offers are flooding in from as far as Canada, England and Saudi Arabia to adopt it, Warrant Officer John Seeley, from the police’s search and rescue unit, who risked life and limb to save the dog, is toying with the idea of becoming its new owner.

Seeley, who visited it at the veterinary surgery on Sunday, said that he had already developed an emotional attachment with the dog.

“She sat on my lap and other than being extremely tired, she is in perfect health. Even if I don’t adopt her because I have four other dogs and cats at home, I hope that she remains in Kimberley so that I can visit her regularly.”

The dog, according to the veterinary surgeon who examined it, recently had a litter of puppies and is about two years old.

The veterinary surgeon added that the dog had a good appetite and apart than some fleas and the nails that were worn from climbing onto the ledge, it was expected to make a full recovery.

“Although she was frightened and a little cautious of people when she came in, she quickly became accustomed to humans and loves being petted. It is difficult to say whether she is a stray dog because she would not have survived so long or been in such a good health.”

No one has come forward to claim the dog yet.

The operation, involving the police’s search and rescue unit, ER24, the municipal fire brigade, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and De Beers officials, had to be called off at 5.40pm on Friday because it was too dangerous for the rescue attempt to continue.

Witnesses said they saw the dog in the Big Hole on November 16, although it became more visible on Friday morning at about 9am when it was spotted swimming around the perimeter of the hole.

Big Hole project manager, Dirk Coetzee, was not certain how the dog had managed to get into the premises, although officials believed that it was running around the edges of the hole and had entered through a hole in the wire fencing.

“It is astonishing that the dog survived such a steep fall without any injuries” he added.

The rescue attempt was put on hold for a second time on Saturday when the dog jumped back into the water after Seeley swam more than 300m to reach its resting place near a ledge.

Seeley then waited for another hour to win the trust of the dog after it crawled into a crevice in the Big Hole. He eventually managed to place a life jacket and a harness around her and the two were pulled to the surface on Saturday around 12.15pm.

“From the moment I went into the water, I knew that it was not going to be an easy task. At one stage we were going to give up. The dog was traumatised and had gone through so much. I managed to calm her down and after I touched her and placed the harness around her, she gave her full co-operation.”

Seeley said he spoke to the dog, calling it a “beautiful dog” and managed placing a leash on its neck.

“While we were swimming back, the dog became exhausted and stopped swimming. The harness dragged her down and I used my one arm to keep her afloat.

“My love for dogs kept me going even when I wanted to give up. The dedication of the rescue team and the support of members of the public made it all possible. What is important is that everyone is safe and the dog is in good health. I hope that she finds a good home,” he said.

Seeley added that the mission became an easy task after anchor points, with the assistance of De Beers, were found for the unstable ground.

The dog will now be accommodated at the local SPCA where it will be put up for adoption.

SPCA inspector, Mario van der Westhuizen, estimated that the dog would have been able to survive for about a week without food because it was able to rehydrate herself with the water at the bottom of the Big Hole.

“However, the dog has been swimming in the water for a long time.”

The dog has been nicknamed “Captain” by some members of the public after singer Kurt Darren offered to pay for a helicopter to assist in the rescue mission.

The possibility of using a police helicopter that would have flown in from Bloemfontein was abandoned after it was discovered that the wrench ropes were too short.

De Beers spokesman, Abel Madonsela, said the company had secured a 100m steel rope that was being used as an anchor to hoist Seeley and the dog to the surface on Saturday.

“We are happy that the dog was brought to the surface alive.”

He indicated that the operation was initially called off on Friday because the ground was too unstable.

ER24 Northern Cape operations manager, Albert Hensberg, said ropes measuring 400m in length were used to get to the precipice during the first rescue attempt.

“The rocks were very sharp, while the ground was extremely unstable and loose and could easily have resulted in injury due to slipping. We could also not risk losing another life in the process.”

He added that the dog was a strong swimmer.

The viewing platform at the Kimberley Big Hole was filled to capacity as visitors flocked to the site to catch a glimpse of the dog.

Some people were overcome with emotion and were crying and praying for the dog.
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