This Mandela Day, Petworld will dedicate its time, energy, and hearts to Animal Welfare Society, Stellenbosch, where love is measured in tail wags, warm noses, and second chances. On 18 July, our team will honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy through action—spending our 67 minutes at the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch (AWSS), where kindness is a daily practice, and hope has four paws.
With food donations packed, treats ready, and volunteers eager to connect, we’ll make our way to the AWSS shelter—a sanctuary that has stood for over sixty years as a beacon of compassion in the Stellenbosch community. This won’t just be a visit. It will be a gesture of solidarity with the tireless souls who care for South Africa’s forgotten pets, and a reminder that Mandela Day is about being present where you’re most needed.
Giving Back the Petworld Way
Mandela Day calls on all of us to take 67 minutes out of our day to uplift others. At Petworld, that call resonates deeply. Our lives are built around the bond between people and animals—and on this special day, we’ll honour that bond not just in words, but in action.
Nourishment That Says "You Matter"
We will begin our Mandela Day journey by donating a generous supply of premium pet food to AWSS. Each bag of food we bring is more than nutrition—it’s dignity, wellness, and the promise of better days ahead. Because in the world of animal welfare, something as simple as a full bowl can be a powerful act of love.
Every Pawprint Counts: Beyond the Donation
But our impact won’t end with donations. Our team will stay on to cuddle the kittens or a senior catto waiting for a second chance. We will walk the dogs, offering them a rare moment of freedom and joy beyond their kennel walls. We’ll brush their coats, soothe their nerves, and shower them with affection. We’ll offer treats with gentle voices and open hands. We’ll give these animals what they crave most: presence, touch, and a taste of what it feels like to be loved.
A Home of Healing: The Work of AWSS
There is something extraordinary about the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch. Tucked just beyond the bustling vineyards and historic streets of Stellenbosch, AWSS is a quiet powerhouse of compassion—one that has served animals and their communities for more than six decades.
Expanding Care: Healing Pets and Supporting Communities
Operating as a registered nonprofit, the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch runs a full-time veterinary clinic and offers rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption services. Their outreach work extends to vulnerable areas, bringing much-needed medical care, vaccinations, and sterilisation to pets who would otherwise be left behind. They are not only saving animals. They are educating communities, preventing suffering, and reshaping the future of animal welfare in South Africa.
Where Every Life Is a Story Worth Telling
And yet, for all the scale of their work, what strikes you most at AWSS is the intimacy. Each animal is treated as an individual. Each rescue carries a story. Each adoption is a celebration. Their team works with tenderness and resolve, often in the face of overwhelming need, to ensure that no animal is forgotten.
Our Mandela Day Promise: Hands, Heart, and Healing
When our team steps into the shelter grounds on Mandela Day, we will do so not as visitors, but as partners in a shared mission. We know that 67 minutes won’t solve the challenges of animal welfare—but it can brighten one dog or cat’s day. It can lighten the load for one caregiver. It can spark the kind of joy that ripples outward in unseen, lasting ways.
A Moment of Joy for Those Who’ve Waited the Longest
We will walk beside animals who have waited weeks to venture into freedom and nature. We’ll look into the eyes of dogs who still hope, despite all they’ve endured. We’ll reach out to cats who have learned to fear, and remind them that gentleness still exists.
Choosing Presence: The Heart of Mandela Day
The simple act of giving time, of choosing presence, is what Mandela Day is all about. It’s about showing up, heart-first, in places like animal welfare, where care is most needed.
Why Animal Welfare Matters Now More Than Ever
Across the country, animal shelters like AWSS are facing rising demand and dwindling resources. The need for responsible pet ownership, community education, and sustained support has never been greater. Animal welfare is not just about animals—it’s about how we define our shared humanity.
Building Empathy Through Everyday Acts of Kindness
When we show kindness to animals this we nurture empathy in our communities. When we teach children to care for pets, we are sowing seeds of compassion that will shape the adults they become. When we choose to adopt, donate, or volunteer, we are changing lives—not just of animals, but of the people who love them.
Honouring the Bond That Connects Us All
AWSS embodies this truth in everything they do. And on Mandela Day, we will stand with them to celebrate the resilience of animals, the dedication of their caregivers, and the unbreakable bond that exists between all living beings.
How You Can Support the Work of AWSS
We invite our readers, partners, and fellow animal lovers to explore how they too can support the life-changing work of AWSS. Whether you have 67 minutes, R67, or a bag of pet food to spare, your contribution matters. Here are a few ways you can get involved:
Donate
AWSS relies on the generosity of its supporters to fund veterinary care, shelter operations, and outreach. Monetary donations help keep their doors open—and their animals safe. You can donate securely through their website: www.awss.co.za
Volunteer
Even a few hours of your time can make a meaningful difference. Play with a young catster or walk a dog, clean a kennel, or lend a hand at an adoption event. There’s always something to do, and always someone in need of kindness.
Adopt or Foster
If you’re ready to open your heart and home, consider adopting or fostering a rescue animal. You won’t just be changing their life—you’ll be changing your own.
Spread the Word
Follow AWSS on social media and share their stories. Awareness is a powerful tool for growing support and inspiring action.
One Day, Many Lives: The Power of Mandela Day
As we prepare to step into AWSS tomorrow for Mandela Day, we do so with gratitude—for the opportunity to serve, for the lives we will touch, and for the reminder that love is never wasted. In honouring Mandela Day through animal welfare, we are embracing a vision of the world that is gentler, kinder, and more just for all beings.
To our team, to AWSS, and to every animal waiting patiently for a second chance: we see you, we honour you, and tomorrow, we walk with you.
Walk With Us: Make Your 67 Minutes Matter
Join us. Be part of the change. Visit www.awss.co.za to learn how you can help. Because the legacy of Mandela lives not just in our words, but in the choices we make, the hands we extend, and the lives we lift—one paw, one promise, one day at a time.