Family heirloom rings bitten off rescue worker’s finger

Patsy Wagner

FOR more than three decades Patsy Wagner has been saving abandoned and abused animals in Port Elizabeth, and her Animal Anti Cruelty League (AACL) van has become well known in the Northern Areas streets.

But following a recent robbery, while on her way to save an injured cat, “Aunt Patsy” is considering retiring from field work, saying crime is making community work too dangerous for anyone.

“Criminals have no respect for anyone, and you take your life into your own hands every time you go out onto the streets these days,” 67-year-old Wagner said.

“I live in the same area I work in and people know me well. These days the kids that grew up in front of me are becoming criminals and hurting their own community.”

Other animal rescue organisations in Port Elizabeth have also been victims of crime, and believe they take a risk every time they go out into the field.

Two weeks ago Wagner received a phone call about a cat that was run over by a car in Korsten. At about 5.30pm she stopped to ask for directions when a group of five men attacked and robbed her at knifepoint.

“My window was rolled down and I was asking a woman for directions. Suddenly a hand came through my window and grabbed the keys in the ignition and turned my van off.”

At first Wagner thought someone was playing a prank on her. Many people in the area know her well, and she never thought she was in any danger until more men surrounded her vehicle.

“The next thing I knew my door was open and someone put a knife against my stomach. They yelled at me to give them my phone and handbag, they knew my name, and they used some of the foulest language I have ever heard.”

As she pleaded for her life one of the men noticed the gold rings on her fingers, among them her wedding ring, heirlooms and gifts more than 40 years old.

“I struggled to take my rings off. I have not taken them off in ages. One of the men grabbed my hand and bit my fingers, pulling my rings off with his teeth. I’m not sure what the rings were worth, but they had great sentimental value to me,” Wagner said.

“After they took my rings, one of the men tossed the van’s keys in my face and told me to f**k off.”

She said the AACL had a good relationship with the police in the areas they served, and sometimes requested escorts when they took on bigger projects.

“But you don’t want to bother the police when you go to pick up an injured cat, and you never expect someone to jump at you with a knife.”

Since starting with the AACL in 1983 Wagner has been robbed of her phone five times, and while some of her colleagues have also been victims of thefts, there has never been an incident quite as bad.

Wagner is considering “taking a step back” from fieldwork and focusing more on educating the youth on animal and pet care.

“But if it becomes more unsafe and more people stop doing fieldwork, who else will? Someone needs to help animals.”

Administrative manager at Save-a-Pet Jackie Nel said last year a field worker was threatened by a group of men, but was luckily able to fight them off long enough for a community member to come to her aid.

Animal Welfare Society manager Hannes Stander said one of their field workers responded to a call a month ago when a dog had been stolen, and when he returned to his bakkie, the keys had been stolen.

“Our worker go out in the middle of the night and it’s dangerous for them.”

Wagner, Nel and Stander all asked the community to be on the lookout for field workers from their animal rescue organisations in their areas and to assist if they can.

“Even if you just keep us company while we work, or give us proper directions, it helps us to feel safer and to do out work in the community,” said Wagner.