An art auction might not be the first place you would look for a solution to Cape Town’s growing number of neglected and abandoned animals.
Yet for African Tails, paintings, sculptures and other works donated by some of South Africa’s best-known artists help fund one of the most practical interventions in animal welfare: sterilisation.
The Cape Town-based non-profit organisation’s annual art auction returns this month, with 100% of the proceeds going towards its work rescuing, rehabilitating, feeding and sterilising dogs and cats in under-resourced communities.
Now in its 20th year, African Tails has sterilised more than 18,000 dogs and cats, rehomed more than 2,900, treated over 4,400 and fed more than 18,800 animals on the city’s streets and surrounding areas since it was established in 2006.
The auction will feature works donated by artists including Wilma Cruise, Galia Gluckman, Georgina Gratrix, Warren Maroon, Vusumzi Nkomo, Kilmany-Jo Liversage and Josie Borain, as well as a contribution from Goodman Gallery.
Curated by art consultant Phillippa Duncan, the auction is African Tails’ biggest annual fundraiser.
For co-founder and trustee Yael Sacks, one of the clearest signs that the organisation’s work is reaching communities is when residents themselves start asking for help.
“We are seeing more awareness in communities regarding responsible pet ownership, pets having sentient being status and the importance of sterilisation,” said Sacks.
“When community members and residents reach out and bring our attention to animals in need, that is the point where we know our work is having the biggest impact.”
The demand, however, remains high. Sacks points to a lack of resources in impoverished communities, funding constraints and socio-economic conditions that can make it difficult to reach animals in need.
Safety can also be a barrier in certain areas, while there is limited state manpower to enforce pet-related by-laws.
The relationship between African Tails and the art community has consequently become an important part of its work. Artists have continued to donate pieces, with Sacks noting that animals themselves often form part of the creative lives of those artists.
“The fact that artists remain significant donors and supporters highlights the importance of this relationship,” she said. “Often four-legged family members are the souls who spend time in artist studios as muse and companions.”
This year’s auction has an estimated value of R600,000, although Sacks hopes public support will push the final figure higher. The organisation relies on artists who donate works as well as sponsors who support its programmes throughout the year.
The money raised will go towards what Sacks describes as “critical mass sterilisations” on a continuous basis, alongside rescue and rehabilitation work. Education remains part of these programmes, with African Tails using pet care to encourage responsibility, empathy and accountability in communities.
The scale of the problem is reflected in recent figures from animal welfare organisation, FOUR PAWS. A 2026 census in Langa, Cape Town, found that nearly 90% of dogs and cats were unsterilised, highlighting the scale of the sterilisation challenge in the community.
FOUR PAWS estimates that 4.05 million dogs and cats across South Africa are homeless, including about 3.4 million living as strays and 650,000 in shelters.
The organisation identifies unmanaged reproduction and abandonment as major contributors to the country’s stray animal crisis, making access to sterilisation an important part of efforts to reduce the number of animals ending up on the streets.
The auction takes place from 6pm to 8pm on September 17 at the Erik & Claude Foundation in Bo-Kaap. Tickets cost R100 and are available through African Tails’ website and Instagram page.