Jumping for Joy with Jameson

Remember when you were five years old, and you would run around the playground splashing in puddles, waving at people going by while smiling from ear to ear?

When everything was new and bright, and you could hardly contain yourself at a passing butterfly, and you didn’t have a care in the world? That is who Jameson reminds me of. He reminds me of the friendliest toddler you can find on a playground. He is playful and messy and curious and just all kinds of carefree. You couldn’t find a friendlier dog if you tried!

Life has a funny way of giving us exactly what we need when we need it, and on the day we met Jameson, I needed that little rascal to help pick my spirits up. His little, but older, brother Sambuca was also part of our beach shoot for the day, which made the visit even more special seeing that both dogs had been runners-up in our annual cover model competition on two separate occasions, and we finally got to meet them along with their mom who, let me tell you, is one of those people who has so many inspiring stories to tell. Her stories are so inspiring, in fact, that we will feature some in our upcoming issues.

So, to give Emma her fix of beach sand and a healthy dose of Cape Town South Easterly, we headed to the beautiful, but busy, Sunset Beach close to Blouberg.

Jameson, being his boisterous self, greeted everyone he could. Sambuca on the other hand, just trotted along like a little steam engine, knowing that he would get his chance to play in the water as soon as his mom found the appropriate spot. When we finally made our way past the adrenaline filled kite-surfers, we found a spot to give the boys their moment to shine. While the boys were a little nervous and a little distracted, they did brilliantly. It also doesn’t hurt to have such a wonderful photographer doing the shoot! Once the headshots were done, it was time to play. And what a sight that was. Happiness incarnate!

Here’s what you need to know about Jameson, Sambuca, and their mom, Lucy.

Lucy grew up knowing exactly what she wanted to do with her life from the tender age of five. She was raised by a family that adored animals, and couldn’t imagine herself doing anything else. “I have always had a strong passion for helping and caring for animals, and improving their wellbeing and health. My second year out of school, I worked for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA where I learnt a lot about the importance of vaccines, sterilisation, and general animal care.

“When we head to the beach, Jameson loves to run zoomies, and swim until he’s tired.”

I went over to the UK to study veterinary nursing in 2002. This is where I discovered that I was truly passionate about post op care and special care nursing. This was due to a case of Parvo I was assigned to. I pulled a Doberman puppy through the terrible virus, and to see the best results in the end was fantastic and very rewarding. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, I had to come home. On return, I was offered a job to work for Steenberg Veterinary Clinic. In the sixteen years I worked for them, I was their practice Manager, and for ten years I ran their Vetshops.

In late 2020, I was very fortunate to be employed by Animal Travel Services. I help the young babies get to their new homes, and some of the oldies find their forever homes. I really enjoy uniting families with their fur babies!

When I can help the local rescue centres, I do bottle-feeding of abandoned kittens. I love giving this dedication to help the defenceless babies that really rely on you for everything.“

Since welfare is such a big part of Lucy’s life, I’m sure no one will be surprised to find out that both Sambuca and Jameson were adopted.

“Sambuca was adopted from Animal Welfare Society Philipi. I saw his post on Facebook on the Friday, and by the Sunday he was sleeping in my bed. He was surrendered at three months old with his brother.

Jameson was adopted from a local rescue, Aid 4 Animals in Distress. He and his five siblings were surrendered at six weeks old. Three were fostered by Aid 4 Animals, and three were fostered by Rescue is Life. Jameson was fostered by a friend of mine. He posted a photo on Facebook, and I fell in love with the cute little heart on his nose. They said his mom was a knee-high mixed wire-haired terrier, and were told that his father was the Maltese on the property (ha ha ha). I think Mom had a night out, and made the most beautiful boy. Mommy isn’t biased at all!”

Sambuca will be celebrating his sixth birthday at the end of the year, while Jameson has just turned two, meaning that he’s just made to through the puppy stage! While being a teenager, he’s still a very keen gardener, but the biggest hurdle of the terrible twos seems to be a thing of the past now. Instead, he enjoys the outdoors and playing with his brother Sambuca whenever he gets a chance.

“Jameson definitely helped both Sambuca and myself with the loss of my previous rescue, Guinness. Who unfortunately passed in a freak accident.”

Jameson is also an avid runner, who prefers cooler weather. Rain is not a problem for this pooch, leading his mom to believe that there might be some Husky in his lineage. Water sports and the beach are his favourite pastime.

“When we head to the beach, Jameson loves to run zoomies, and swim until he’s tired.”
Since Lucy works for Animal Travel Services, we asked her if she had any advice for those wanting to take their pets along on holiday, since so many institutions are opening their doors to visitors traveling with their pets.

When heading out on a long or short distance road trip/weekend away with my boys, they are always clipped-in with their car seat harnesses, for safe travelling.
Extra water is always essential for the trip. I always keep a collapsible water bowl in the car, in case of an emergency. If heading into mountainous areas, it’s always good to have some tick protection.

We also pack in their beds for comfort on the other side, and it is also has their familiar smell for them. Some pets can suffer a little bit from anxiety, so it’s good to give them some natural calming medicines a few days before travelling.

I will always pack an emergency pet first-aid kit, containing some antihistamines, bandages, creams, and wipes for just in case. Jameson is a bit of a goofball, and accident prone. If there are no vets close by, at least we have something in case of an emergency.

If you are going to be flying locally with your pet, it is important to keep your pets’ vaccinations up to date. This is a requirement from the airlines. It’s always good to fly with a blanket with a familiar smell of home on it, this also helps to reassure them. If they are regular flyers, you could always crate-train them. This will make the process easier on both you and your pet.”

I’m sure our pets would love to go with us on holiday if they could, and how wonderful wouldn’t it be if they always could! I’m definitely making this one of my resolutions going forward. We’ll keep an eye on Jameson and Sambuca for some more pointers.

Jameson or Sambuca