Rustplaas is not a typical shelter. It is a sanctuary and a forever home for the dogs who have nowhere else to go - the abandoned, the abused, and the forgotten.
Rustplaas Dog shelter was started in the early 2000s by Louis Fourie and his family on their small farm in Piet Retief. They provide a safe, peaceful environment for vulnerable dogs who are often overlooked due to age, injury, or trauma. Rustplaas is home to almost 90 dogs.
In 2023, the Rustplaas Dog Shelter was officially registered as a non-profit company (NPC no: 2023/103263/08).
In 2025, the team grew as Joni McDonald and Beaurayne Phillips joined Louis as co-directors. While Louis manages the daily care on the farm, Joni and Beaurayne support with other operations, community outreach efforts, and marketing, helping Rustplaas make a greater impact.
Our Promise
Lifelong Care
Every dog is welcomed as a permanent resident. They will live out their natural lives here with dignity, never facing euthanasia unless advised by a vet for untreatable medical reasons.
Quality of Life
Our dogs are not caged. They roam freely in a safe, spacious farm environment, socialising as they choose. They receive balanced meals, professional veterinary care, and warm, dry shelter.
Expert Partnerships
We work directly with local veterinarians to ensure every dog's health and well-being is professionally managed. Every female dog is spayed upon arrival to ensure responsible care.
Every dog at Rustplaas has a story. Here, they have found a place where they are cherished.
They are healthy, loved, and living their best lives.
As a sanctuary, we provide lifelong care for the dogs at the farm. It's important for you to know what we can and cannot do, to avoid confusion. This helps us work together best.
Our main way of helping the community is through Rustplaas Reach (see below). This is our outreach project to help people and dogs beyond our sanctuary gates.
Things we CANNOT do:
Take in more dogs: We are at capacity and cannot accept any new dogs at this time.
Allow walk-in visitors: Our home is private to keep our dogs safe and calm. Please respect our privacy and call to make an appointment before visiting.
Remove animals: We cannot take animals from their owners. Only the NSPCA or police can do that.
Act as a pound: We are not a holding facility, please do not dump animals.
Things we CAN do:
Rustplaas Reach
🐾 Rescue: Helping stray, abandoned or hurt dogs when we can, and investigate complaints of abuse or neglect.
📚 Educate: Teaching owners responsible pet care and sharing free educational resources.
📢 Advocacy: Speaking up for animal kindness and the importance of sterilisation.
💙 Care: Giving guidance to pet owners seeking advice.
🤝 Help: Reuniting lost dogs with their owners, and connecting people to help rehome pets needing new families.
Through outreach, we work to build a better, more informed community for animals.
Info & Resources
Steri Shuttle
Sterilisation is important but can be expensive. Unfortunately, our local State Vet office is only registered to sterilise males. But we have a plan to help… We can take your pets to the Ermelo State Veterinary Services for a low-cost sterilisation.
Females: Dogs - R580 • Cats - R580
Males: Dogs - R380 • Cats - 280
Transport fee: R150 per pet
How it works:
Contact Louis to put your pet on the list - 083 308 0729.
When we have enough pets (5-6) for a trip, we will discuss potential trip dates that can work for everyone.
Louis makes the appointment with the vet for the selected day.
Please ensure full payment is made before or on pick up.
Louis then picks up your pet in Piet Retief on the day, heads to Ermelo for surgery, and then comes back on the same day.
We are 100% volunteer-run. That means every single rand you donate goes straight to the dogs for food, vet care, and a safe place to sleep. Our biggest need is dog food, costing around R11,000 every month. Your support, whether big or small, helps us keep their bowls full and their tails wagging.
Online
Choose either SnapScan or Yoco to make an easy, secure online donation with just a few clicks. Both support various payment methods as listed below.
EFT
Bank Name: Absa
Account Name: Rustplaas Dog Shelter NPC
Account Type: Business Cheque Account
Account Number: 412 1234 817
Branch Code: 632005
Reference: Your Name + Donation
Other Ways To Help
Vet Bill
If you are able to make a donation, please consider contributing to our account at Pets Vet (Account 210). You can contact them on 071 670 2256 or 017 826 3613
Dog Food
The dogs eat eight 20kg bags of dog food a week. We try to feed them IDEAL, as their tummies are used to it and it is more cost-effective than other brands. Available at TWK.
Services
Any help with a specialised skill you can volunteer to help Rustplaas will be greatly appreciated. Get in touch with us and we can discuss ways you can contribute.
Please understand that the Rustplaas team do not have the legal power to enter property or remove animals without the owner's permission. We also have limited resources and cannot always respond to every call immediately.
But we can visit to check on an animal and talk to the owner to try and help, or negotiate with them to surrender the animal to us if needed so we can find a better home for the animal.
To report an animal-related concern to Rustplaas you can send a WhatsApp to one of the directors, or use the Anonymous Tip form.
If the problem continues or is severe, the issue must be escalated. Since Piet Retief has no local SPCA, there are two options:
Open a formal animal cruelty case at the SAPS (Police station).
Report directly to the NSPCA (more info listed below).
Be prepared to provide details of the accused, the location of the animal, and a timeline of events.
The NSPCA's goal is to prevent animal cruelty and focus on cases where the Animals Protection Act is being violated.
How to Report:
Send an email to NSPCA at nspca@nspca.co.za
Provide as much evidence as possible (e.g. photos and videos)
Give enough details, like the exact physical address and a description of the problem
Remember to include your own contact details as well
The NSPCA will assess it and send it to the relevant units or organisations to assist.
Not all animal issues are for the NSPCA. Use this list to find the right place to call for help.
Farm Rustplaas, Portion 27, R33,
Piet Retief, 2380
