Leave a Legacy: Make a Difference This National Wills Week
National Wills Week (September 15-19, 2025) is currently underway, and it’s the perfect time to think about the legacy you want to leave behind. While many of us focus on planning for the future, it’s also a great chance to consider how we can continue making a difference—long after we’re gone.
This year, TEARS Animal Rescue is inviting you to think about including a small gift in your will to help support the animals who need it most. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a big amount—even the smallest contribution can go a long way in giving these animals a better future.
National Wills Week is all about making it easier for people to get their wills in order. The Law Society of South Africa and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development team up to offer free will drafting services, encouraging everyone to plan for the future. It’s a great reminder that estate planning isn’t just about who gets your belongings—it’s also a chance to decide how your legacy can help others, like the animals TEARS works so hard to protect.
“Leaving a legacy is a meaningful way to ensure that the work we do at TEARS will continue to touch lives for years to come. Whether it’s helping fund our rescue efforts or supporting our education programs, every gift, no matter the size, plays a critical role in transforming the future of animal welfare.”— Heidi May, GM of TEARS Animal Rescue
At TEARS, a legacy gift can make a huge difference. It helps fund everything from rescues to medical treatments and even community education. Whether it’s a big donation or something more modest, every bit helps ensure that TEARS can continue making a difference in the lives of animals in Cape Town’s underserved communities.
Your Legacy in Action: How TEARS Uses Donations
Thanks to generous legacy donations, TEARS has been able to launch two incredible Mobile Education and Treatment Clinics. These custom-built trucks are packed with everything TEARS needs to bring education and veterinary care to those who need it most. With these trucks on the road, TEARS is able to reach far more people and pets, offering medical care and teaching responsible pet ownership in ways that simply weren’t possible before.
These clinics are making a real difference in communities that have limited access to basic animal care. And that’s just one example of how your legacy could create a lasting impact.
During National Wills Week, several law firms across South Africa are offering free will drafting services to help you get your affairs in order. If you’re thinking about leaving a gift to TEARS, no matter how big or small, it could help support projects like the Mobile Clinics or fund other important programs.
Even if you’re not sure where to start with your will, TEARS is here to help guide you through the process. Your support—whether in the form of a legacy gift or a simple donation—can help ensure that TEARS can continue its life-saving work for years to come.
Want to learn more about how you can leave a legacy? Visit TEARS’ website. https://tears.org.za/leave-a-legacy-tears/
Together, we can make sure the future of animal welfare is in good hands—and create a lasting impact for years to come.
TEARS website: www.tears.org.za
TEARS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TEARSAnimalRescue/
TEARS Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/tearsanimalrescue/?hl=en.
ABOUT TEARS ANIMAL RESCUE:
TEARS is a pro-life, non-profit organisation established in 1999 (registered in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act) whose core aim is to rescue, treat, rehabilitate, reunite, and rehome lost, abandoned, abused, and neglected companion animals and to educate pet owners and the youth living in the four under-resourced communities within which we operate.
We strive to meet the needs of the under-resourced communities in the Southern Peninsula by providing:
● free sterilisations and subsidised medical support that includes vaccinations, deworming, and parasite control
● access to two TEARS mobile clinics that offer primary healthcare and pet care support.
● Access to the TEARS Veterinary Clinic, offering veterinary care for vulnerable pets for almost any condition, illness, or injury at a welfare rate.
TEARS remains the only facility in the Cape Peninsula’s far South available seven days per week, including an after-hours mobile clinic service from 4.30pm to 7pm with limited veterinary care. TEARS treat the hundreds of animals who need treatment each month for various conditions, illnesses, and injuries.
Our experience enables us to manage the population control of companion animals in these areas, based on available funding, and to reduce the spread of zoonoses as a means of supporting community health and complying to the WHO’s One Health approach to the animal-human interface.
We are partnered with community-based NGOs and community leaders to support vulnerable pets and pet owners living in the four core communities we are mandated to serve. Our Programmes aim to bring about systemic change through strategic interventions based on community involvement and support. Implementing effective animal welfare solutions in high-density and low-income communities has been proven to positively impact human welfare by delivering health, environmental, economic, educational, and social benefits.
