In February, the Katutura [Namibia] Pet Care Project visited Katutura for a day of checking on and feeding cats and dogs, dipping dogs and powdering cats against fleas and ticks. Little did they know, due to a pandemic, that February 22 visit would be their last for a few months. Finally, in June, the Katutura Pet Care Project was allowed to re-enter Katutura and returned with great news for the residents.
But first, back to Saturday, February 22.
Friday was a very rainy day and the team was worried they wouldn't be able to get to Katutura for their regularly scheduled feeding and anti-parasite work. Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day, the sun was out the whole time, the mud dried up, and they had a fun, successful visit (Pictures from February below)
Most of the cats and dogs looked in good condition, just here and there some noticeably skinny ones. But sadly, the Katutura team found that many kittens had been born since they had last visited. To counter that, Erika was working with Dr. Baines to have the mobile van conduct a spay/neuter clinic in Katutura-the 1st one in many years. At that point, no one knew that covid-19 was looming and that the team's next visit, as well as the mobile spay/neuter clinic, would be postponed until 4 months later!
Although Namibia was not hit particularly hard, the country went into lock down. Katutura was closed, police barricades were up, and unless you lived there, you couldn't enter. So the Katutura Pet Care Project was banned from the area until the lock down lifted.
On a cold Saturday in June, the Katutura Pet Care Project returned to dip, feed, and powder cats and dogs. Erika said she didn't feel the cold because they were so busy. There were so many kittens and puppies!--if only the spay/neuter van hadn't had to postpone because of covid-19. (Pictures from the team's June visit below)
During the June visit, the Katutura team announced the news that the mobile s/n van would be visiting the following Friday and Saturday for a 2-day free spay/neuter clinic.
On Monday, June 22, Erika wrote to us, overjoyed (no wonder: she had worked for about 2 years to get the mobile van to visit Katutura!) "We’ve done it!! Two spay days in Katutura (Okahandja Park) and 69 animals were spayed and castrated. On Friday Dr Baines did 39 animals (23 cats and 16 dogs) and on Saturday 30 animals (7 cats and 23 dogs). The people there were very grateful and we even had to turn away quite a few people on Saturday. Dr Baines did all the spays and castrations himself. He had another vet who prepared the animals and did the anaesthesia and then a final year student from UNAM who looked after the animals after they had been done. Then my friend and I did the paperwork." (Pictures from the 2-day s/n clinic below)
AKI is raising money so that the Katutura Pet Care Team and Dr. Baines can hold another spay/neuter day-or even 2-before this year is over. We greatly appreciate your help! https://www.animal-kind.org/namibia