Animal-Kind International
Mar 4, 2016
Updated: May 23, 2019
[AKI has been supporting Have A Heart-Luderitz (which has expanded to Aus and to Karibib) for the last few years. HAH-Luderitz is part of a Namibia-wide effort (Have A Heart) to sterilize as many dogs and cats as possible throughout the country. In many parts of Namibia, no veterinary care is available--some areas are very remote, some are very poor, some are both. HAH is an effort to bring vet care, in particular, spay/neuter, to parts of Namibia where it has never before been available.]
In late 2015, when Namibia's Have A Heart received a request from a group of people in Karibib to hold a spay/neuter clinic for feral cats (see below photos of feral cat community in Karibib), HAH agreed. Then Geesche (with HAH) contacted AKI and we agreed to provide the funds for the first ever feral cat spayathon in Karibib. Sixteen feral cats were s/n'd that day, and they are being cared for, including feeding and shelter, on the property they call home.
AKI has supported over 80 Have A Heart spay/neuter surgeries. Monika is one of the recipients (pictures below). Monika and her very caring owner live in Area 7, a very poor part of Luderitz. Geesche first met Monika and her owner during a dipping day in May 2015. Monika's owner made a big effort to make sure Monika would get dipped--he waited over 1/2 hour. He was so thankful that HAH was helping his dog! People had told him to kill her because she was sick, but he refused, kept feeding her, and hoped HAH would show up in time and help them out. There's no permanent vet in Luderitz, but even if there was, this man has such a small income, a trip to the vet, including transport, consultation fee, and medicine would probably have taken half his monthly income.
(Picture above, Monika 1 week after 1st dipping for mange)
HAH dipped Monika for mange, and 1 week later, Dr. Maya gave her an injection. HAH left the dip with the owner so he could use it over the next 4 weeks. When HAH went back, they found a totally different dog (see picture below)! "She is such a beautiful dog (inside and outside) with such soft hair! And her owner is super happy and very proud of her and so so so thankful," Geesche told us.
(Picture above, Monika on her say to be spayed, fully recovered from mange)
In July 2015, AKI donors funded the Aus Spayathon. The pictures below are from that very successful day; you can see the love that the owners have for their pets. Everyone is always so grateful to HAH and AKI for providing this service. There is no vet in Aus and the people who bring their dogs and cats to the HAH spayathons are very poor and wouldn't be able to afford the services of a private vet.
(Picture below, Sia & owner)
(Picture above, Girly)
(Picture above, Saski (fluffy) & Flecki)
(Picture above, Witfoet-White Foot)
(Picture above, Robert -owner, sitting with Bolli)
(Picture above, Sia, Lucy, & Tiger)
(Picture above, Oma)
(Photo above, Lexi & Dog)
(Photo above, Ogies, Lexi, & Dog)
(Photo above, Jessica)
(Photo above, Flo)
Photo above, Blom)
(Photo above, Bullet)
Although the dogs outnumber the cats by about 10 to 1 at the spayathons, in September 2015, AKI donors covered the s/n surgeries for 3 pets, and 2 of them were cats!
(Photo above, Flecki)
(Photo above, Boontjies)