Cape Town - Lavender Hill resident Nazrudeen Adams dreamt of being a gang leader.
But his aspirations were cut short when his friend was stabbed to death- a tragedy that ignited a deep connection and love for animals.
The 26-year-old is now the founder of Youth Pet Care, a non-profit that tends to animals in need and treats cats and dogs on the Cape Flats for ticks and fleas.
“I have always wanted to be a gang leader. Growing up, I always watched how the gang leaders lived and I used to be inspired by that.
So around 2013, I started my own small gang called the Rude Oka Boys and we used to cause trouble and fight with other gangs with knives, stones and stuff.
Being part of a gang felt cool because other boys feared us and respected us in the community.
But for me, it was when one of my friends and I got stabbed in 2015 and he didn’t make it that I realised that this is not the life I wanted and told myself that it was time to make some changes,” he said.
Adams got his first dog to cope with the grief of losing his friend.
“But that dog was taken away by the SPCA after it bit someone. That was hard for me. Then by some miracle I got a female pup from a litter at the SPCA. She later gave birth, but then the puppies got sick and I was not working at the time and could not get them help.
I reached out for help for donations on community groups but people called me a scammer and a liar.
“That’s when I thought if I am in this situation, who else is in the same situation? So that is how the founding of the pet centre was born. I wanted to help people like myself, who can’t afford to take care of their pets,” he said.
“Our NPO is available in the community and we go out of our way to help animals in distress.
I’ll go out and collect the animal with a bike, but we used to walk to take animals to and collect them from the SPCA.
Now we are using a bicycle and a trailer. I love what I do and I do not dream of doing anything else. I am so proud of myself for choosing this path,” said Adams.
Lavender Hill activist Mark Nicholson said Adams was well-known for his love of animals.
“Nazrudeen has lost a lot of friends due to gun violence and could have chosen to join any gang, but his love for animals made him choose to help, heal and support animals.
This is where he also finds his own healing and purpose.
“I’m proud of him that through all the challenges, he still finds the energy to go find sick animals and help them.
He is one of the untold stories of amazing young people in Lavender Hill,” he said.
Cape Times