U-Gary Weitzman usebone yonke into kusukela ezinkukhwini kuya koxamu kuya kwezinkunzi ze-pit. Eminyakeni engaphezu kwamashumi amabili engudokotela wezilwane, usesungule amasu okwelapha izifo ezivamile nezinkinga zokuziphatha ezilwaneni eziwumngane wakhe, futhi ubhale incwadi lapho eveza khona ulwazi lwakhe futhi ephendula imibuzo ethandwa kakhulu ngezilwane ezifuywayo. Manje isikhulu seSan Diego Humane Society, uGary Weitzman, unethemba lokuqeda izinganekwane ezivamile mayelana nezilwane ezifuywayo, njengokuthi amakati kulula ukuwagcina njengezilwane ezifuywayo kunezinja nokuthi izindawo zokukhosela izilwane azizona ngempela “izindawo ezidabukisayo.”
Yayiyini inhloso yokubhala incwadi yakho?
Sekuyiminyaka eminingi ngihlushwa izinselele abantu ababhekana nazo ekugcineni izilwane ezifuywayo ziphilile. Angizami ukufaka le ncwadi esikhundleni sikadokotela wezilwane, ngifuna ukufundisa abantu ukuthi bangakhuluma kanjani ngezilwane ezifuywayo ukuze basize izilwane zabo ziphile impilo engcono.
Yiziphi izinselele ekugcineni izilwane ezifuywayo ziphilile?
Okokuqala nje, ukutholakala kokunakekelwa kwezilwane ngokwendawo kanye nezindleko. Lapho abantu abaningi bethola isilwane esifuywayo, izindleko ezingaba khona zokunakekela isilwane sabo ngokuvamile zingaphezu kwalokho abantu ababekucabanga. Izindleko zingavimbela cishe wonke umuntu. Encwadini yami, ngifuna ukusiza abantu bahumushe lokho odokotela babo bezilwane abakushoyo ukuze benze isinqumo esingcono kakhulu.
Impilo yezilwane ayiyona imfihlo. Yiqiniso, izilwane azikwazi ukukhuluma, kodwa ngezindlela eziningi zifana nathi lapho zizizwa kabi. Banokungagayeki kahle kokudla, ubuhlungu bemilenze, ukuqubuka kwesikhumba, nokunye okuningi esinakho.
Izilwane azikwazi ukusitshela ukuthi zaqala nini. Kodwa ngokuvamile bayabonisa lapho beqhubeka nokuzizwa kabi.
Akekho owazi isilwane sakho kangcono kunawe. Uma umbhekisisa, uyohlale wazi lapho isilwane sakho singazizwa kahle.
Ingabe ikhona imibono eyiphutha evamile mayelana nezilwane ezifuywayo?
Nakanjani. Abantu abaningi abamatasa kakhulu emsebenzini bakhetha ukuthatha ikati esikhundleni senja, njengoba bengadingi ukuhanjwa noma ukudedelwa. Kodwa amakati adinga ukunaka kwakho namandla njengezinja. Ikhaya lakho ngumhlaba wabo wonke! Kumele uqinisekise ukuthi indawo abakuyo ayibacindezeli.
Yiziphi ezinye zezinto okufanele ucabange ngazo ngaphambi kokuthola isilwane esifuywayo?
Kubaluleke kakhulu ukungajahi. Bheka izindawo zokukhosela. Okungenani, vakashela izindawo zokukhosela ukuze uxhumane nezilwane zohlobo lwakho olukhethile. Abantu abaningi bakhetha uhlobo ngokwencazelo futhi abacabangi isimo sangempela sezindaba. Iningi lezindawo zokukhosela zingakusiza ukuthi unqume ukuthi yisiphi isilwane esifuywayo esingcono kakhulu nokuthi yini okudingeka ukwenze ukuze usigcine sijabule futhi sinempilo. Noma mhlawumbe uzothola isilwane sakho lapho futhi ngeke ubuyele ekhaya ngaphandle kwakhe.
Wena ngokwakho wamukela isilwane esinezidingo ezikhethekile. Kungani?
U-Jake, u-German Shepherd wami oneminyaka engu-14 ubudala, uyinja yami yesithathu enemilenze emithathu. Ngawathatha esenemilenze emine. UJake uyena yedwa engimamukele ngamathathu. Ngamamukela ngemva kokumnakekela esengumdlwane.
Ukusebenza ezibhedlela nasezindlini zokukhosela, ngokuvamile akunakwenzeka ukubuyela ekhaya ngaphandle kwalezi zilwane ezikhethekile. Izinja zami ezimbili zokugcina, enye yazo engaba nayo ngesikhathi ngithatha u-Jake (ngakho ungacabanga ukubukeka engakuthola ngenkathi ngihamba nezinja ezimbili ezinemilenze eyisithupha!) kwakuyizingwevu ezaba nomdlavuza wamathambo womabili. Lokhu kwaziwa kakhulu kuma-greyhounds.
Ngemva kokuchitha isikhathi esiningi ezindaweni zokukhosela izilwane, ingabe kukhona ofuna ukuba abafundi bakwazi mayelana nezindawo zokukhosela izilwane?
Izilwane ezihlala ezindaweni zokukhosela zivame ukuzalaniswa futhi zenza izilwane ezifuywayo ezinhle kakhulu. Ngifuna ukuqeda inkoleloze yokuthi amakhaya ezintandane ayizindawo ezidabukisayo lapho yonke into inuka usizi. Ngaphandle kwezilwane, yiqiniso, ingxenye engcono kakhulu yendawo yokuhlala abantu. Bonke bazinikele futhi bafuna ukusiza umhlaba. Uma ngiza emsebenzini nsuku zonke, ngihlale ngibona izingane namavolontiya edlala nezilwane. Lena indawo enhle!