Staff announcement – TEARS Animal Rescue welcomes new GM: Heidi May“I believe that how we treat others - human or animal - reflects who we truly are.” - Heidi May

By Tears Animal Rescue

TEARS Animal Rescue is delighted to welcome their new General Manager, Heidi May. Heidi comes with much experience, compassion, and a passion for the humane and dignified treatment of animals and people.

Growing up on the Cape Flats, Heidi studied in Pretoria as a veterinary nurse and worked in Pretoria and Soweto before returning to Cape Town. She did a decade-long stint in the United Arab Emirates at a zoo, called Albustan Zoo, and then in a specialist private practice. Missing home, she eventually returned and settled into work at an animal welfare organisation in Khayelitsha, “doing what I love!”, she says. Heidi decided to open her own primary health care clinic last year but missed her connection to the animal welfare environment and jumped at this opportunity to lead the TEARS team.

“One of my dreams in animal welfare is to create an environment where all organisations work together towards a common goal of treating animals with respect. Finding creative ways to work together to reduce the number of shelter animals by ensuring that communities are educated and equipped to care for their animals is one of my focusses,” she says.

Heidi is a self-proclaimed nerd and fun-loving individual. “I strive to create environments where people feel empowered to be their best selves. I believe in working hard, lifting each other up, and knowing that it’s okay not to have it all together – because there’s always the next moment to grow.”