ZNSPCA-Marondera

30/09/2026

THE END OF 22 YEARS OF LOVE 🐾💔 A STORY OF ORPHAN PANGOLIN AND A MAN WHO LOVED HER LIKE A CHILD

Some people leave behind memories.
Some leave behind a legacy of love. ❤️

🔴 Marimba was only about six months to one year old when she was rescued after her mother was killed/poached for her scales. She was too young to survive independently, so she was taken to Wild Is Life Sanctuary in Harare, Zimbabwe, where she met Mateo, who became her full-time carer.

💁 Interestingly, Wild Is Life normally rehabilitates rescued pangolins for release, but repeated attempts to rewild Marimba were unsuccessful because of her deep attachment to Mateo and her lack of essential survival skills.

🥲 Mateo Mambe, a beloved member of the Wild Is Life team, passed away this past weekend after a long illness.

For 22 years, Mateo cared for Marimba, the pangolin, treating her not as a possession, but as his own child. 🥹❤️

❤️He carried her on his shoulders.
❤️He gently stroked her scales.
❤️He walked beside her through the bushveld as she searched for ants.

Their bond was built over thousands of quiet moments — patience, trust, kindness and unconditional love.

Mateo’s gentle hands became so familiar to Marimba that the scales he lovingly handled over the years became almost completely smooth.

But perhaps his greatest legacy is not what he did for one pangolin.

It is the reminder that one human being can change an animal’s entire world simply by choosing kindness.

🌿 Be the person an animal can trust.
❤️ Be gentle when you have power.
🐾 Protect the lives that cannot speak for themselves.

Mateo may no longer walk beside Marimba, but the love he gave her will remain part of her story.

Rest peacefully, Mateo.
Your hands may be gone, but your kindness lives on — in Marimba, in the people you inspired, and in every life touched by your compassion.

A giant amongst men.
Never forgotten. 🕊️💔

30/09/2026

30/09/2026

We are in desperate need of blankets please let us know if you have any to donate.

25/09/2026

Good morning please note our SPCA Inspector will be on leave from today until the 4th October. As a result we are going to be compromised with timely attendance of all reported cases. Please bear with us as we navigate this. Our first priority will be attendance of cruelty cases and all other cases thereafter. Thank you for your continued support and understanding. Please contact 0772351510 if you have any cases of cruelty to report. Thank you.

24/09/2026

24/09/2026

30/08/2026

PYOMETRA IN DOGS

The silent, life-threatening infection every dog owner should know about

Pyometra is a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus (womb) that can affect unsterilised female dogs.

Although pyometra can occur in a younger dog, the risk increases as an unsterilised female gets older and goes through repeated heat cycles. It is particularly important to be aware of the risk in females from around 4–5 years of age onwards. (Cornell Vet College⁠)

WHAT HAPPENS?

After a female dog has been in heat, hormonal changes cause the lining of the uterus to thicken. This can create an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply.

The uterus can then become filled with infected fluid and pus.

And this is where pyometra becomes extremely dangerous.

The bacteria and their toxins can enter the bloodstream, potentially causing sepsis, organ failure, shock and death if treatment is delayed. (Cornell Vet College⁠)

WATCH FOR THESE WARNING SIGNS:

• Drinking much more water than normal
• Urinating more frequently
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy or depression
• Vomiting
• Fever
• A swollen or painful abdomen
• Weakness or collapse
• Cream, yellow, bloody or foul-smelling discharge from the v***a

But there is an important warning:

NO DISCHARGE DOES NOT MEAN NO PYOMETRA!

With an open pyometra, infected material can drain through the va**na and may be noticed by the owner.

With a closed pyometra, the cervix is closed and the infected material remains trapped inside the uterus. There may be no visible discharge at all — and this form can become extremely dangerous very quickly. (Cornell Vet College⁠)

WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN?

Pyometra commonly develops a few weeks after a heat cycle, so if your unsterilised female dog becomes unwell after being in season, pyometra should always be considered. (Merck Veterinary Manual⁠)

HOW IS IT TREATED?

Pyometra is a veterinary emergency.

The usual and most effective treatment is surgery to remove the infected uterus and ovaries — essentially an emergency spay. Dogs may also require intravenous fluids, antibiotics and intensive monitoring.

Emergency pyometra surgery is considerably more complicated and risky than a routine spay on a healthy dog. (Cornell Vet College⁠)

CAN IT BE PREVENTED?

Yes.

Spaying a female dog prevents the vast majority of pyometra cases because the uterus and ovaries are removed before the infection can develop. (Cornell Vet College⁠)

If your female dog is not intended for breeding, speak to your veterinarian about the most appropriate time to have her spayed.

PLEASE DON’T WAIT.

A dog with pyometra may initially appear simply “a little off”.

But pyometra can progress rapidly.

If your unsterilised female dog is lethargic, not eating, vomiting, drinking excessively, has va**nal discharge, or simply doesn’t seem right — especially after a recent heat — contact your veterinarian immediately.

Pyometra is painful.
Pyometra is dangerous.
Pyometra can be fatal.
But pyometra is preventable.

27/08/2026

These babies still looking for their forever homes.