Ella Begins her Road to Retirement

Ella has been in service as a cold-scent tracker dog for the past 6 years through Wilderness Foundation Africa’s Saving the Rhino project with Medivet and Dr William Fowlds.

Ella was the first tracker dog sponsored by Medivet and her career has seen her protect areas with critical populations of rhino in the Eastern Cape. As her career draws to a close, however, Ella has had to go through routine health checks. Recently, a mass was discovered on her spleen and the decision was taken by Dr William Fowlds to remove it surgically. Due to Ella’s pre-existing heart condition, only the best anaesthetic care would suffice, so veterinary nurse Candice and Ella’s soon-to-be mother Lisa took Ella to Johannesburg Specialist Veterinary Centre to be under the fantastic veterinary care of Dr Kenneth Joubert (anaesthetist) and Dr Fanie Naude (surgeon).

Thankfully Ella responded well to the surgery and will now go through the recovery phase before embarking on her well-earned retirement, where she will still be cared for through the partnership between Wilderness Foundation Africa and Medivet. More updates on Ella’s transition to retirement will come in due course.