AKI in Namibia supports several initiatives, all identified thanks to Erika, long-time animal welfare volunteer, our AKI liaison in Namibia, and project manager of the Katutura Pet Care & Feeding Project. Here's an update about our support to Aranos Spay/Neuter Program, Namibia's rural SPCAs (Oshana SPCA), and the Katutura Pet Care & Feeding Project, (We also support Have-a-Heart-Namibia, a country-wide mobile spay/neuter program, https://www.animal-kind.org/single-post/2018/07/21/How-youre-helping-Have-A-Heart-Namibia.)
For the 3rd year, AKI has supported spay/neuter in Aranos, Namibia, an agricultural town of about 3,700 people, with a lot of dogs, high poverty rate, no vet care available. Erika oversees the s/n program and her colleague, who works in the area, arranges for dogs to be picked up, brought to the vet for s/n, and returned to their homes. Over the last few months, AKI donations have covered the cost of spay surgeries for the 4 dogs pictured below. As funds allow, we'll continue to support this important initiative-without our AKI funds, these dogs would get no vet care and would continue having puppies that end up without homes--or the older dogs get thrown out and replaced with the puppies.
Since our last update, the Katutura Pet Care & Feeding Project has visited Katutura in April, May, & June.
April visit, from Erika: We went dipping and feeding on Saturday again and as always, the adults and children really appreciate what we are doing for their animals. I was very busy with dipping the dogs so I couldn't take a lot of photos. I am always amazed to see that even though the people have so little themselves, their animals are mostly quite well fed and they look after them and the kids are always very proud when we tell them what pretty animals they have.
May visit, from Erika: We went dipping and feeding again on Saturday morning and it got quite busy there. Old and young are glad to see us and bring their dogs to be dipped and the puppies and cats to be powdered. Some of them are “old customers” already and we are always very happy when we see that they try (with the little they have) to look after their pets as good as possible. Most dogs are not really happy to be put in the big plastic bowl to be dipped and often we get more dipped than the dogs!!
June visit, from Erika: Again everyone is very grateful that we came and the kids were happy to see us. At the second spot there are some kids who enjoy helping me dipping. The one guy asked if I could get him a leash, as he uses a rope to walk with his dog. So I will get a harness and leash and give him next time we go there. It really is rewarding to see how grateful the people are. I brought food for the birds, as well.
AKI funds also cover spay/neuter in Katutura. Although we don't raise enough money to make an impact on the unwanted cat and dog population in this sprawling township, each animal s/n'd means a better life for that cat and dog and prevents so many unwanted animals from being born. These 3 Katutura dogs were spayed in April with AKI funds.
From Erika: We are thinking of getting the mobile clinic to come with us to Katutura one Saturday and do spays there, but I first have to see whether the mobile clinic is available and when. HAH Windhoek does twice per year a spay campaign for Katutura. The spays are done at the SPCA and they get volunteers with delivery vans to collect the dogs in Katutura and bring them back as well. But Katutura is VERY BIG – they have about 10 informal settlements in Katutura and thus with these spay campaigns they do not even reach half of the dog and cat population in Katutura. That is why we consider asking the mobile clinic to go to Okahandja Park (this is the one settlement where we always dip and feed).
As I have mentioned before already, we would like to go to other settlements as well, but first have to get contacts there. In Okahandja Park there are two kindergartens where we always go and where the people know us. We are looking at other contacts in some of the other settlements as well.
AKI also supports some of the "rural" SPCAs in Namibia. For all the "rural" SPCAs (Tsumeb, Otjiwarongo, Walvis Bay, Rundu, Luderitz, and Oshana), recent AKI donations have covered vet care, cat and dog food, dip supplies, food bowls, and blankets. Our most recently added SPCA, Oshana SPCA, is new to the SPCA family, as well. Although Oshana SPCA is very young, they have a lot to show for their short time in existence:
Azizi is a puppy that Oshana SPCA recently rescued. Azizi and her mother were found living on the streets of Ondangwa. Both had terrible mange. The mama dog was already very old and sickly (1st picture below). She was so unwell, the vet recommended to euthanize. Azizi (2nd picture below) was treated for mange and is currently in foster care so she'll learn to trust humans – she has never had human interaction before the rescue. Wilmarie Horn (Oshana SPCA) is "very optimistic about Azizi" and believes she will make a full physical and emotional recovery.
Oshana SPCA rescued Bella from Ongwediva. She had a rope around her neck and the other end of the rope was placed under a heavy 200 litre drum. The rope cut into her neck as she tried to hide from the thunder and lightning. She had a gaping hole in her neck and was full of ticks and fleas. Wilmarie wrote that, "we treated Bella, she was sterilized and adopted. She is now a spoilt little girl living with 2 jack russels."
Oshana SPCA also has a Trap-Neuter-Release program for cats. The gray long hair kitty was their very 1st customer. The tiny kitty (below) was trapped during their 1st campaign and it was discovered she had ringworm. She's in foster care now and on oral antibiotics. Wilmarie described the TNR program: "We take 3 locations at a time with 2 cages at each location. Each location has about 20-30 feral cats. We are still busy with our first 3 locations, 2 in Ondangwa and one in Oshakati."
Wilmarie wrote to us about Milan: "We rescued Milan from Oshakati after receiving a call about an injured kitten. A little boy of 5 years old helped with the rescue as he was the only one small enough to climb into the storm water channels to search for her. The Ondangwa state vets examined her and informed us she has a fractured back, but without an x-ray machine, nothing was certain. She would have been put to sleep. A kind angel in Swakopmund saw our Facebook posts and decided she will adopt Milan and give her a second chance. With the help of donations, including an AKI donation, we were able to fly Milan from Ondangwa to Walvis Bay where she saw a private vet.
Milan’s back was not fractured or broken but her legs suffered severe trauma. After medical care, a very bad stint of sniffles and physiotherapy, she is doing very well and playing like a normal cat. Her right leg will be amputated and further physio will be given to strengthen the left leg (which will function normally with medical treatment) that she can be a happy 3 legged cat, with a second chance in life. Oshana SPCA will continue to pay her veterinary costs until she is fully rehabilitated."
We'll end on that happy note for Milan, but certainly it's not the end of Oshana SPCA's work. Thanks to Erika, who connected us to this wonderful SPCA, in the far north of Namibia, we are looking forward to a long partnership that helps many more animals. Thank you to Wilmarie for your hard work helping so many animals in the short time that Oshana SPCA has been in existence. Read more about AKI support to Namibia's rural SPCAs.