The Rescue That Carries Emma’s Name
A story about the charity
Emma Geary-Cooke’s name is still spoken every time someone says TEARS.
She visited Masiphumelele with her friends Joan Bown and Marilyn Hoole and saw dogs and cats who needed immediate care. The three women began with whatever they could carry: a bucket of tick dip, a packet of deworming tablets, and the belief that helping a few animals was better than leaving them with nothing.
After Emma passed away, Joan and Marilyn continued what the three friends had started. The organisation they established in 1999 became The Emma Animal Rescue Society.
TEARS has grown far beyond those first supplies, but the kindness behind the work remains deeply personal.
Every animal brought to its veterinary clinic is examined and cared for according to what it needs. Some require medical treatment, some need rehabilitation, while others need a patient foster family before they are ready to find a permanent home.
TEARS also takes veterinary care to Masiphumelele, Ocean View, Vrygrond and Red Hill. Its services include free sterilisation, vaccinations and parasite control for animals whose families may struggle to afford private treatment.
In the past year, TEARS completed 6,072 sterilisations and found homes for 487 cats and 365 dogs.
Reaching 10 years made us at JP Markets think about the kind of legacy a person can leave behind. TEARS carries Emma’s legacy forward every day, and the organisation received R10,000 from JP Markets to help that work continue.
Emma’s name lives in every letter of TEARS. Her compassion lives on each time an animal receive care and finally goes home.
