[imagesource:fallenangels.org.za]

Fallen Angels Pet Rescue Centre in Melkbosstrand is in a race against the clock, urgently appealing for foster and permanent homes for their animals after the City of Cape Town (COCT) ruled they must shut their doors within 90 days.

Home to 250 dogs, 100 cats, and 50 farm animals, the shelter has been a sanctuary for the abandoned and neglected since its founding in 2010 by Gayle Basson, Shireen, and the late Lilian Williams.

Despite Basson purchasing the 20-hectare agricultural property in 2014 under the impression it could host an animal rescue facility, COCT has refused to grant the necessary Special Consent Use Permit that would prevent this forced closure.

Basson admits the deadline is daunting, calling it a logistical nightmare. Three months to move the shelter and find homes for all these animals is impossible, she notes, which is why the team is desperately calling on the public to help rehome their fury friends before time runs out.

For a rescue centre that has poured over a decade of love, sweat, and tears into saving lives, the fight for survival has never been so urgent.

Image: Fallen Angels Pet Rescue Centre

IOL reports that when the COCT was asked why the application was refused, Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, stated:

“All applications are evaluated on their own merits, having regard to the decision-making criteria in Section 99 of the Municipal Planning By-Law.”

Asked whether Fallen Angels Pet Rescue could have done anything to change the outcome, Alderman Andrews went on to say:

“There was nothing the applicant could have done to change the outcome of the application. The applicant’s responsibility is limited to submitting applications to the City, which may be approved, refused, or approved in part.”

Despite Melkbosstrand and nearby areas rapidly expanding with high-density residential developments, the City has flagged the location of the rescue centre as a significant issue as the property lies within a five-kilometre radius of the Koeberg Nuclear Plant’s emergency zone, a factor that heavily influences spatial policies for land use applications.

Commenting on the matter, Andrews explained, “The application was duly assessed and refused. The land use application process has not yet concluded, and the applicant was informed of their right to appeal.

“Should the applicant decide to appeal, the Appeal Authority will consider the application and grounds for appeal in making its decision.”

Basson shared that the rescue centre has already sunk a whopping R250,000 into the land use application, with an appeal set to cost another R15,000—money that should be going toward feeding the animals and paying for much-needed vet care.

Image: Fallen Angels Pet Rescue Centre

Now, the team is making an urgent call for help, knowing that if they’re forced to move, the challenges ahead will be nothing short of mammoth. They’ll have to dismantle and haul the entire farm’s infrastructure while finding a way to safely transport over 300 animals to a new sanctuary.

The cost? Eye-watering. The logistics? A nightmare. But for the Fallen Angels team, giving up isn’t an option—it’s about doing right by every last dog, cat, and farm animal that depends on them.

[source:iol]