Kindness to Animals has no Boundaries
June 2024
Dear Animal-Kind Friends,
Since I last wrote, we’ve achieved several milestones: launching our 2024 animal welfare grants, providing critical support to Congo and Uganda, and more.
Our 2024 (7th annual) Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program, which accepted proposals for one month, closed on June 21 with 77 proposals received-10 more than we’ve ever received before. The top proposals are now in the hands of our 9-member review panel.
Thanks to very generous donors who responded when we wrote in the May newsletter that no DESIGNATED donations had been received for the grant program, we’ll be able to support at least 8 of the 77 proposals. We’d love to support even more!
Of the 77 proposals, 27 were from South Africa. The remainder spanned north, east, west, southern, and central Africa.
We’ll announce the winning proposals on August 2 on our website and social media pages, and in the August newsletter.
The Sauvons nos Animaux Animal Friendly Kids Camp, the only one of its kind in Congo, and perhaps in Africa (and maybe even beyond) will start on July 9 and run for 7 weeks. This is the 9th year that Paterne/Sauvons nos Animaux is holding the camp.
In 2016, the 1st year, only 6 kids attended the camp. In 2022 and 2023, about 240 kids participated!
(photo above from the 2023 camp)
This year, we weren’t sure if SnA could host the camp: donations had precipitously declined and the foundation that supported the camp’s vegan lunches, could no longer provide the support. But we couldn’t let a summer go by without camp: before Paterne started the camp, kids were bored during the school holiday and sadly, they took out their boredom on animals.
We decided to fund the full cost of the 2024 Animal Friendly Kids Camp with the hope that once people see the benefits (many fewer cruelty reports received, kids becoming active animal advocates, shelter animals getting lots of extra attention and love), they’ll understand why their financial contributions are so needed.
Kingston Community Animal Welfare’s milestone might be considered a smaller one, but it’s not a small one for Pokey! Pokey went from this:
To this:
Thanks to Kingston Community Animal Welfare - Pokey found a wonderful home and Pokey’s adopter found a wonderful dog!
We at Animal-Kind International also achieved some milestones this month.
After 8 years, the Radio Pet Lady, Tracie Hotchner, interviewed us again for her radio show and podcast, “Dog Talk (and Kitties Too!)” We caught Tracie up with the changes we’ve seen since last we talked. Listen to Helping Animal Helpers Around the World. Here’s the link on Spotify, but there are several other ways to listen:
(Sorry about the reference to Africa as a country….yes, Tracie knows its a large continent with islands too.)
We made the Great NonProfit 2024 list! See Animal-Kind International’s Great NonProfit page, where you can read all 184 reviews/5-star ratings and write yours.
Uganda Society for the Protection & Care of Animals has reached a HUGE and IMPORTANT milestone. The Environmental & Social Impact Assessment has been completed and now all the required documents are being compiled for submission to Uganda’s National Environmental Management Authority. As soon as NEMA issues their approval, the USPCA will begin construction again at the new shelter location, and the cats and dogs will all be moved to the new site! Those will be three more HUGE and IMPORTANT milestones—we’ll keep you updated.
One last milestone for the month: As of today(!), Have a Heart-Namibia has exhausted the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund. Based on HaH’s priority needs, together with HaH, we established this fund along with protocols for its use (the top two, (1) the cat or dog must be spayed or neutered, and if not, after the emergency care, they will be s/n’d and (2) the pet’s owner must be low/no income). With Stardust’s emergency care, the Fund has been expended:
Stardust had previously been neutered by HaH at Aanwo Clinic and was a prime candidate for the Emergency Fund. He was admitted to the hospital for surgery (photo above), and was then put on IV fluids, antibiotics, and a soft diet. Gradually, his urine became more clear with fewer crystals. The ultrasound showed that the bladder walls had thickened but the operation was a great success. Stardust will be on anti-inflammatory meds and antibiotics for a while but he is using his litter box and he is drinking!
The AKI-HaH Emergency Fund (and Dr Rakel) saved another life!
Since January 2024, the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund has helped at least 35 cats and dogs (we’ll know exact numbers soon and will let you know). We hope to receive enough donations to replenish the fund so we can help at least another 35 animals in the next 6 months.
We are SO grateful for your kindness and your much-needed and appreciated support. Together, we’re changing the world for the better for animals.
Karen Menczer, Founder/Director
& the Animal-Kind International Board
AKI has Partner Organizations in Uganda, Namibia, DR Congo, Ghana, South Sudan, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Honduras, and Jamaica. You can donate to AKI’s general fund or designate your donation to one or more of our Partner Organizations.
Our 2023 (6th annual) Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program grantees work in: Zimbabwe (2 grantees), Tanzania (2 grantees), South Africa (2 grantees), Morocco, and Namibia. Watch for our 2024 grantee announcement in August!
AKI: Since 2007, helping animals and the people who care for them in some of the poorest countries.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations to AKI are tax deductible in the US to the extent the law allows. 100% of your donations are used to support our Partner Organizations & our Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program.