When
Craig View Veterinary Clinic in Boksburg first opened its doors on the East Rand in 2017, one thing quickly became clear: the community was enthusiastic, supportive, and deeply connected.
"As a Christian who celebrates Easter, I wanted to give back to the humans in our community over this special period of new beginnings," says the founder of Craig View Veterinary Clinic and alumnus of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, Dr Clifford Bull.
The clinic has always gone above and beyond for animals—assisting welfare organizations, participating in sterilization campaigns, and responding to wildlife emergencies in urban areas. But the vision was always broader. It wasn’t just about the pets—it was also about the people.
“I specifically wanted to assist the humans in our society—disadvantaged children and the often-forgotten senior citizens,” Dr Bull explains. “As veterinarians, we are often seen as essential service providers... but do they know us as humans?”
That sentiment sparked what has become a deeply personal and growing initiative: an annual Easter charity drive. What started as a small effort collecting just over 700 Easter eggs in its first year has now blossomed into a community-wide campaign.
To date, the clinic has helped collect and distribute over R1.5 million worth of Easter eggs since 2018 — and for the first time this year, they’ve expanded the drive to include non-perishable food donations.
This year the clinic collected just over 4,000 boxes of Easter eggs, and 1642 cans of non-perishable food. This is no small feat and Dr Bull and all his staff members are proud of what they have achieved.
“What was an unexpected and pleasant result was the genuine engagement between ourselves, donors, and those receiving these Easter eggs,” says Dr Bull. “It’s a mix of two vastly different worlds—during the Easter period, we could perform a cruciate repair in the morning and then be in a minority informal settlement in the afternoon — where many of the people haven’t had a meal for a week.”
The contrast is often jarring, but that’s what makes the outreach so meaningful. “To explain to those residents what some clients spend on their animals is more than their collective income for the year would be a humbling thought,” Dr Bull reflects. “That’s why I think it’s so important for my team and me to take a break from our duties once a year to understand what’s going on in our greater community.”
Sometimes, the connection goes full circle. A visit to deliver Easter treats might lead to organizing a sterilization campaign for a feral cat colony in that same settlement. “Then I think we are truly doing what we promised to do when we took our oath.”
The question has come up more than once: “What is a vet doing running an Easter egg drive?”
“I have thought about that a lot whilst driving to various wildlife appointments,” he admits.
“But I think there has never been a greater time in our country to give back, and I believe in our profession, there has never been a better time to bridge the gap between our community and ourselves.”
This isn’t just a charity drive. It’s a quiet but powerful reminder that compassion doesn’t end at the clinic door.
Dr Bull with some of the many boxes of Easter eggs that were collected this year and one of the clinic's patients.
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