Why she’s fighting until the last breath to save thousands of animals

It was a little after midnight. Genevieve Chisholm rubbed her eyes and headed out to check on the rescued horse. He was severely malnourished. Feeding him meant waking up every two hours just so that he could keep up his strength. But saving animals is what Chisholm does. She has 1 260 animals in her care – and the number doesn’t stop growing.

At Flag Animal Farm, a rescue centre in Durban, creatures from tiny hamsters to abandoned rabbits are left on Chisholm’s doorstep every day. Often, they’re from people who no longer want their pets or who’ve neglected them. “We have saved just over 14 and a half thousand lives,” Chisholm says. Her on-site vet attends to every animal when they arrive. For any wild creature that comes to the farm, Chisholm works closely with the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife to release them. As much as she can, she chooses not to send a rescue away. “I don’t believe in rehoming,” Chisholm says. “An animal at Flag Farm is safe for the rest of their lives.”

Despite the large number of creatures under Chisholm’s care, she gives each one a name and an equal amount of love. “The animals that come here all become part of my family,” she says. With blind ponies, a three-legged cat, and more than a hundred bunnies among the cows and goats, she’s created a haven for every type of animal. “Where there’s breath, there’s hope,” Chisholm says. “And we will fight until the last breath.”