KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Animal Welfare Society looks set to be afforded the opportunity to renew the lease for the property it currently calls home, depending on the outcome of the public participation process.
The organisation has operated from the property in Marlin Road since July 2006, which has been their home through thick and thin and has enabled them to grow from strength to strength.
The Knysna Animal Welfare Society (Kaws), that promotes safe animal ownership throughout the larger Knysna municipal area, played a pivotal role in the rescuing, housing, and caring of animals during the 2017 Knysna fires.
But, at the end of 2021 their most recent short-term lease with Knysna Municipality expired and for the past 11 months Kaws has battled to renew the lease with the municipality.
Their efforts have not been in vain, as last week the municipality announced that the Knysna Council intends to lease the property to Kaws for a period of nine years and 11 months, with the option to renew for another five years thereafter.
'It just makes sense'
"The municipality has no intended future use for this property at this stage, other than what it is currently used for. It just makes sense to offer Kaws a lease to the section from which they are already doing their important work," said Acting Municipal Manager Roland Butler.
"This organisation assists the municipality in our function to confiscate and impound stray animals."
He also recognises that they do much more than that.
"They truly care for the animals under their [care] and have saved the lives of countless animals. They clean, feed and provide medical attention when it is required, and work tirelessly to rehome animals with families that will care for them. It is in the municipality and the community's best interests to offer Kaws this long-term lease agreement."
Public comment
The municipality must now advertise the intention to lease the property to Kaws for public comment, and once this process is finished the matter will be resubmitted to the Finance and Governance Committee before being heard by Council again. Comments on the proposed lease can be submitted to the municipality's properties department at nmndebela@knysna.gov.za by 9 December.
"We recognise the critical work Kaws does, and appreciate the invaluable contribution they make to our society. Thank you to all Kaws employees and volunteers for your selfless dedication to the welfare of our animals," Butler said.
Kaws for excitement
Chairperson of Kaws, Cobri Vermeulen, expressed their joy and excitement at the lease approval.
"Kaws is so excited and so grateful that the municipality, after we were trying for so long to get approval, are considering renewing the lease of our kennels," she said. "The positive words about Kaws by the Acting Municipal Manager, Mr Roland Butler, is greatly appreciated. We and the animals thank you, sir!!"
According to Vermeulen, the need for Kaws is only increasing.
"The cruelty to animals increases daily with people who do not have an income to feed their animals, people leaving animals chained without food and water to die, puppies dying a horrendous death without any shelter as it is getting warmer and temperatures rise, mothers who have no milk to feed their puppies because they do not get any food and are just skeletons themselves, the indiscriminate breeding of animals to sell... the list goes on," she said.
"Kaws is seeing the willingness and support of the municipality to grant us a lease for our kennels as the first step in a relationship between Kaws and the municipality that will not just assist and benefit our animals, but also our communities who need our help so desperately."
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