Rescued November 2025 · Maun, Botswana
As told by Lady
My name is Lady (also Meisie, meaning Girl). And this is my story.
A Long Life on the Streets
I had a very long life on the streets. The streets nearly took me — forever. I was ready to give up and call it a day. I am old, scarred, bruised, and battered from a long life on the streets of Maun. Every scar and bruise on my body tells my story. The majority of us Africanis live on the streets, always on the go, always searching for food and water. We are nomads — but only until a compassionate human sees us and takes us in to care for us.
For me, this happened as I am living my last chapter, so I am grateful that I will not die on the streets. However, as Africanis, we do not desire — we live from day to day. Our fate, every day, is our fate. We live in acceptance.
Surviving on the Margins
My rescue could not have come at a better time. I was experiencing tremendous discomfort during the last few years on the streets. My body was full of sores when I was rescued. I was living on roadkill — rats that had been run over. I was no longer able to hunt and was too slow to run away from abusive humans. The newfound comforts I now have — I accept them. This is my fate.
We are not human; we handle survival on the streets differently. This is the Africanis. This is what shaped us. We are the dog of Africa, shaped by Africa. This is why we are resilient, strong, fearless, and part of the continent's heritage. We are literally woven into the story of Africa.
What I Learned Watching Humans
Due to my old age, I have seen a lot. Even though I lived on the streets my entire life, I spent it among humans. My home range has always been around the street vendors in Boseja, Maun. This is where I learned, from a young age, that I was most likely to find scraps, a much easier task than hunting birds or rodents. I have learned a great deal about humans by watching their behavior.
From a dog's perspective, my message to humans is this: the state of an area — a town, village, city, region, country — can be defined by the way they treat their animals. Domestic and working animals suffer the most when humans have their own inner battles to deal with. They take it out on the most vulnerable, the most innocent — those that don't judge, those that always show affection, those that do no harm. Here in Maun, that is the Africanis and the working animals. Here in Maun, that darkness is brewed by the evil sangomas. They are the definition of evil, and they have infected the souls and hearts of good men and women.
The Cruelty I Endured
I have been beaten, kicked, had boiling water thrown onto me, been injured by moving vehicles, and experienced all manner of cruelty from humans — while everyone looked on as though it were normal. It is not normal.
My eyelids are gone. I cannot close my eyes; they are constantly full of tears. I am slowly going blind because of this. This came from cruelty. Yet, as much cruelty as I have experienced, I have also experienced kindness — otherwise I would have been dead a long time ago. As I grew older, and it became increasingly hard to find food because my body no longer cooperated as it once did, many of the mamas at the vendors fed me scraps, as did passing tourists, and even a policeman every once in a while. My teeth are blunt — I cannot kill for food, even if I were able to catch a mouse or a bird. My glory days are over. I am in my final stages. I am content. I accept my fate.
Stefanie and the Oister Foundation
I was rescued by the Oister Foundation in November 2025. Stefanie, one of the founders of the foundation, had seen me long before my rescue and started bringing me food and water. She would wipe the dirt off me and clean my eyes. She brought me a blanket to sleep on, as my hips and elbows had terrible pressure sores. I immediately took a liking to Stefanie — never had a human being been so kind to me.
Passers-by would stare in disgust as I, the dirty old dog from the streets, received special treatment. People took videos because it is not normal to show affection to the neglected dogs on the streets here in Maun. It is a common belief that dogs and cats are associated with witchcraft. This evil belief was planted by the most sinister among us — the sangomas.
Stefanie told me every day that Oister would take me to their sanctuary in the blink of an eye — but they had limited space, and funding had not been sufficient to move to a bigger property to take in more special cases like myself.
The Day I Came Home
Then, one day, Stefanie arrived, opened the back door of the car, and I knew — this was it. I was going to the sanctuary. Even though they did not have the space or resources at that time to take me in, they made a plan.
I arrived at the sanctuary dirty, smelly, infested with parasites, starving, and severely malnourished. I was immediately given a bath, treatment for my parasites, a soft bed, and a hearty meal of rice, butternut, and chicken livers. I was also taken to the Maun Animal Welfare Society, where Carmen and the team at MAWS gave me a proper medical check-up and some very special treatment. I felt like a queen.
My New Life
I am now part of a pack — the pack of rescued Africanis dogs at the Oister Foundation. I love my new home, my bed, the hearty food I receive, the love, the affection, and the acceptance as a living, breathing being. I accept this fate.
Lady is now an ambassador for the Africanis™ brand and the Oister™ Foundation's mission to protect and preserve the Canis Africanis — Africa's original dog. Every purchase from Africanis™ helps fund rescues like Lady's.