Fallen Angels Pet Rescue Centre is appealing for foster and permanent homes for their animals following the City of Cape Town’s (COCT) ruling that they must close within 90 days.
The shelter, based in Melkbosstrand, provides care for 250 homeless dogs, 100 cats, and 50 farm animals.
On November 8 they were informed they would have 90 days to close the shelter and remove all the animals.
Gayle Basson, along with her co-founders Shireen and the late Lilian Williams, established the organisation in 2010. Basson purchased the land in 2014 and has been running the shelter since.
The land was zoned for agricultural use. However, as it exceeded 20 hectares, they were initially informed they could set up an animal rescue facility.
Although the City of Cape Town could prevent the forced closure by granting a Special Consent Use Permit, they have refused to do so.
Basson says they desperately need foster and permanent homes for the animals, as three months is far too short a period to move the shelter and relocate the animals to new premises.
When the COCT was asked why the application was refused, Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, stated:
“All applications are evaluated on their own merits, having regard to the decision-making criteria in Section 99 of the Municipal Planning By-Law.”
Asked whether Fallen Angels Pet Rescue could have done anything to change the outcome, Alderman Andrews went on to say:
“There was nothing the applicant could have done to change the outcome of the application. The applicant’s responsibility is limited to submitting applications to the City, which may be approved, refused, or approved in part.”
Although Melkbos and the surrounding areas are seeing an increase in high-density residential developments, the City has cited the property’s location as a key issue.
The site is within a 5km radius of the Koeberg Nuclear Plant’s emergency zone, which impacts spatial policies when assessing land use applications.
Regarding the appeal process, Alderman Andrews said: “The application was duly assessed and refused. The land use application process has not yet concluded, and the applicant was informed of their right to appeal.
“Should the applicant decide to appeal, the Appeal Authority will consider the application and grounds for appeal in making its decision.”
Basson stated that the rescue centre had already spent R250,000 on the application, and appealing the decision would cost a further R15,000—money that could otherwise be used to feed the animals and cover veterinary expenses.
In the meantime, the rescue organisation is urgently calling for volunteers to assist in case they are forced to move. They face enormous costs and logistical challenges, including dismantling and relocating the farm’s infrastructure and safely transporting over 300 animals to a new sanctuary.
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