September Sterilisation Campaign!
A report of a two-week field trip to sterilise dogs and cats in impoverished communities in South Africa
Following in the well-trodden footsteps of many visitors to the tourist spots of Cape Town can tell only part of the story of this vibrant and exquisitely beautiful city, which also possesses a dark and less appealing underside. It is tempting to view the wellgroomed and cared-for dogs which can be seen getting their daily exercise on beaches and trails as representative of the pet population of the area. Unfortunately, most of the dogs and cats in Cape Town do not live this privileged life: most belong to members of the painfully poor indigenous community, and their daily routine involves coping with malnutrition, being permanently chained or wandering the streets, constant parasitism, perpetual breeding for the females, and the common expectation of being included in semi-organised dog fights for male dogs. Many of the animal owners are inherently frightened of their “pets” and minor acts of cruelty are common.

It is this world in which SASHA, a Cape Town-based small animal charity, co-exists with its patients, having the single aim of improving the lot of the dogs and cats of the indigent human population. Mass sterilisation campaigns are a major part of the charity’s objective, and are pro-actively organised for various townships in and around the city: breeding animals - both male and female – are actively sought out, and transport is provided to a central facility, where they are spayed or castrated, and returned to their owners. Treatment for parasitism (ticks, fleas and worms are almost universally present) is given, as far as funding or donations of medication allow. Advice is supplied where necessary. Trapping of feral cats is also attempted, with sterilisation and subsequent return to the same area afterwards; or euthanasia is carried out if the population is too large or has many cases of enzootic disease such as cat ‘flu.

Of course, this approach requires a constant flow of resources – the cost of running a vehicle, medicines and anaesthetics, suture materials, and funding for a small staff are daily hurdles. One permanent veterinary surgeon, a field worker, one office worker and one general assistant form the entire staff of the charity. Through collaboration with a UK-based animal-welfare charity, the Worldwide Veterinary Service, volunteers are sent on short trips to assist with SASHA’s work. In September 2008 a trip was sponsored which allowed me to take part in two week-long visits to small rural communities on the coast north of Cape Town. Local unpaid volunteers, who work under a great deal of pressure, with little or no back-up, and day-to-day veterinary assistance often a distant dream, arrange a constant flow of animals to a central hall or school, where a makeshift surgery is set up – preparation and operating tables are organised, and newspapers and blankets arranged to form a recovery area. Surgery is necessarily swift, and minimising expenses without compromising patients is a constant battle.

Recycling of syringes, needles and even scalpel blades is routine, with a previous donation of a portable autoclave proving invaluable. The inherent surgical risk has been markedly reduced by the acquisition of a gas anaesthetic machine, again from a donation. Euthanasia is, however, a frequent reality, as the only viable option in circumstances where owners have no money for medicines or even the most basic nursing materials. The final total for our two week-long trips was the sterilisation of 274 dogs and cats, all carried out by two vets and one lay assistant, with no loss of life due to anaesthesia or surgery. Despite the obvious poverty, people are almost universally grateful for SASHA’s help, with the occasional “Dankie” (“Thank you” in Afrikaans) from a shy child who can speak no English being the best reward they can offer. Hospitality is second-to-none, with food and drinks being freely donated, although even a lukewarm cup of coffee is sometimes a luxury when there is no time to stop!

From a personal point of view, I took part in this neutering campaign with a faint sense of scepticism about the benefits: every evening, driving to our temporary lodgings, we would see more un-neutered animals than could ever be controlled by two vets on occasional week-long visits! Finally, however, I came to realise that I should only view our work in relation to each individual animal, a lesson brought home to me from an email which I received from one of our local volunteers on my return home. In it she said “…my heart melted today when I was chatting to one of the youngsters, whose bitch was spayed - she was picking up stones and shells, and sprinting up and down the beach, in a game of fetch & throw! THANK YOU again!” Beach games would have been an unattainable luxury for that animal previously - beleaguered by successive pregnancies, constant mange and parasitism - and for me, somehow, that makes it all worthwhile.
Dr Morag Spence, Scotland

Sterilisation figures this year so far: 1,374
913 dogs, 456 cats, 5 rabbits

A message from Dr Yvonne Robson and her Board
We mentioned in our last newsletter that fundraising is an uphill battle. Over the last several years Yvonne has spent a great deal her time fundraising, with some success. However, as a veterinarian, it has detracted from the ultimate goal of sterilising as many animals as possible, in as many places as possible. With this in mind it has become obvious that this is a situation which needed to change. Additionally, the current economic climate has made it increasingly difficult to raise the required funds.

Therefore, a decision was taken by the Board on 27 October, 2008, that SASHA changes to a very different strategy in order to carry on the invaluable work being done. We are making such inroads into the overpopulation now that we cannot interrupt the momentum. Within the new strategy, Yvonne will be working in co-operation with like -minded animal welfare organisations and private veterinarians, to carry out as many sterilisations as possible. This will mean a more cohesive co-ordination of sterilisations, and we will reach far more communities within the Cape. The implementation of this strategy has meant, however, that some tough decisions had to be made about the staff. Nothing comes without a price.

Sadly, it means we will no longer be able to continue employing our current staff, and Yvonne will be out in the field a lot more. This new strategy will NOT obviate the need for raising funds, but it will relieve financial pressures to an extent and keep the focus on sterilisation. A word from the Vice Chair It is after mu ch deliberation that the board of SASHA has decided on this new working strategy, the numbers of animals sterilised with Yvonne working alongside various other welfare organisations has increased hugely, as our primary objective is sterilisation and education it makes complete sense to continue with this programme to enable us to reach as many owners and animals as possible with the resources available.

If you are able to help with fund raising, or know anyone who can, please contact us 021 785 4748 or 073 680 1175. SASHA remains steadfast in our commitment to sterilise animals in the impoverished areas, and we hope your continued support will enable us to move forward with this exciting new programme. We wish all of you an enjoyable festive season and look forward to a successful 2009.
Dr Yvonne Robson (Chairperson) and Neil Taylor (Vice-Chairperson) and the SASHA Board.

UPDATE:
We are very pleased to report that both Barrington and Tabisa have found new jobs. We wish them all the very best for the future.

By-laws:
an update I am sure that many of you will be aware that there is a document of proposed new animal by-laws for Cape Town. There have been some headlines in the newspapers such as “Suicide threats over pet bylaw” and later “Restrictive pet by-law may be scrapped”. What many of you probably don’t realise is that some of the by-laws are already in place – many local by-laws of specific municipalities already place a restriction of the number of dogs which are allowed to be kept, for example. But, at the moment, these laws are generally not enforced. There is definitely a need for revision of existing by-laws and standardisation throughout Cape Town. It is my belief that we must have some control over the number of pets being kept in certain situations, and we must enforce sterilisation of these pets, if we are going to improve their lot in life. This will, of course, take not only manpower but also funding. There is still a way to go in the process: I have already submitted comments to the Council and will continue to participate in developments.

Regular donors
Many thanks to those of you who have set up a stop order for regular donations. We sincerely hope that you will continue to support us. Because, despite our new strategy, if we are to keep sterilising we still need a regular income ! If 1000 people each gave us R20 per month, we would probably be able to cover all our costs. So, grateful thanks to those of you who give any amount regularly, however small! Please help to swell our donor numbers. We have been investigating the possibility of setting up a direct debit system, so that people wishing to donate regularly just have to fill in and sign a form. However, so far we have found it to be too costly to initiate. The banks do not seem keen to give us a reduced cost service, despite our being a non-profit organisation. If anyone can assist or advise us in this regard, please contact us.

Outreach campaigns
You can visit practically any small town in South Africa, or many areas in and around cities, and see the masses of animals which are kept in impoverished conditions, with disease and neglect being woefully apparent. If you walk around any of these areas it is very clear that these animals will never get ‘normal’ veterinary attention, i.e. their owners (if they have one) will not take them to a private veterinarian even for primary health care. And so it is that SASHA has become involved in a number of campaigns ‘in the country’, travelling to different places to sterilise numerous ‘disadvantaged’ pets.

The last trip was to Citrusdal, on a farm well outside of town. I was contacted by another Cape Town vet who had been asked by a client to assist with sterilising some of the pets belonging to farm workers. These workers are on an extremely low wage and cannot afford a private veterinarian’s fees. It is necessary to apply for registration with the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) before we can run such a trip, but with all the organisation done I headed up to Citrusdal, bakkie loaded, on the Friday afternoon. After a peaceful evening in beautiful surroundings on the farm, the next morning I was up early to set up all the equipment. There were two cats resident on the farm who were to be the first patients – the male made his presence known by spraying some of our carrying crates! And Joy’s suitcase – ugh!

The first dogs arrived at 8am, and the sterilising started. The day went smoothly with no problems, even though it was busy. Many thanks to Penzance Veterinary Clinic – to Dr Bruce Stevens for allowing us to use his gas anaesthetic machine and to Drs Brendan Brady and Shirley Haupt for travelling to the farm to assist with the sterilisations and anaesthesia. Thanks also to all the rest of the team – volunteers from Cape Town and locally. 21 dogs and 18 cats were sterilised, de-wormed and treated for ticks and fleas (anti - parasitics donated by Novartis Animal Health, Merial SA and Worldwide Veterinary Service). Four dogs were also treated for mange.

We are always happy to hear of any areas which really need help. Please note that we have to work to good standards, set by the SAVC – and of course, set by ourselves. We also wish to remain on good terms with our colleagues in private practices, and we will only sterilise animals for the truly impoverished people. Anyone who knows of areas in need of assistance in or around Cape Town or further afield is welcome to contact us to see if we can assist. We do need to have a willing volunteer in the local community who can assist us with the logistics, and finance is also a problem. Anyone who wishes to assist with this aspect is welcome to make a donation into our bank account, or please contact us for further details.

DOC’S REPORT
What is mange?
It seems that many people think that any dog coming from an impoverished area that has lost some hair has mange. This is not the case – there are many other conditions that can cause hair loss! Mange is caused by a very small animal, a mite, so small that most can only be seen through a microscope. They live on or under the skin. Cats can also get mange, but it is much less common than in dogs.
How dangerous is mange - and can people catch it?
There are several different types of mange, but only two that we commonly see.

Sarcoptic mange can infect a dog at any time; it is usually caught from another dog although can also be carried by some wild animals. The dog loses hair and its skin usually has lots of scabs; the most common sites for the scabs are elbows and ears, but in severe cases it spreads across the whole body. It can be transmitted to humans and is very itchy and painful for the dog. It is usually fairly easy to treat.

Demodectic mange can be difficult to treat. It is usually passed from a mother dog to its puppies and shows before the pups are a year old. The young dog loses hair, its skin can get red and scabby and secondary infections can set in, in which case it will be itchy. Sometimes there will be just a few small areas of hair loss and it is no real problem for the dog, and may resolve with no treatment. However, if it becomes generalised (i.e. spreads more widely over the dog) it can be very painful for the dog. It sometimes also occurs in older dogs or dogs whose immune system is poor. Demodectic mange cannot be transmitted to humans.

How can mange be cured? There are two commonly used treatments, one is a dip and the other is an injection. However, it is essential that the correct diagnosis is made BEFORE treatment is given so, if you suspect your dog may have mange, take him to see your veterinarian. The diagnosis is made by a technique called ‘skin scrapings’. The vet will scrape a little of the surface skin from the dog (the depth of the skin that needs to be scraped depends on the type of mite). The sample is examined under a microscope and the diagnosis may then be made. The vet will prescribe the most appropriate treatment.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
3. Preventing Sexually Deviant Behaviour in Pets (Part 2 – continued from last newsletter, September 2008)
Wandering
This is another testosterone-influenced behaviour. Entire male dogs are more likely to wander around the neighbourhood looking for bitches on heat, than those that are sterilised. However, once a dog has learned that roaming is fun, it’s very difficult to stop without a really secure boundary around your property. Sterilised cats also roam less and are therefore less likely to get run over.

Dominant behaviour
It is much easier to train a sterilised dog, male or female. In the case of a sterilised male, he is less likely to be dominant, aggressive or stubborn than an entire dog. Having said all this, it is assumed that if an entire male dog is more dominant, aggressive and territorial, then he will make a good watchdog. This is NOT TRUE! I have found that sterilised dogs make more reliable watchdogs as they are calmer and don’t over-react or let their hormones take over. (If an entire dog smells a bitch in season he will leave his home without any remorse to seek out the bitch.) They are much better companions and therefore more likely to warn and protect their families. In the case of a bitch, she will be more stable without having to go through a season every 6 months. She also won’t attract strange dogs to your door. Spayed bitches often make fantastic watchdogs too.

Gay dogs?
This is the controversial part: Many an owner has remarked that his or her dog is “gay” as it seems to be sexually attracted to the same gender. Having owned and observed many captive and wild animals, I believe that it is natural for a certain percentage of animals to be attracted to the same gender, especially when put under stress. When a large number of animals are forced to live in a small area, this causes stress and same sex attraction seems to occur more frequently. Physical contact is a stress reliever, so it should not be discouraged, no matter how morally wrong you think it is.

Gay dogs? This is the controversial part:
Many an owner has remarked that his or her dog is “gay” as it seems to be sexually attracted to the same gender. Having owned and observed many captive and wild animals, I believe that it is natural for a certain percentage of animals to be attracted to the same gender, especially when put under stress. When a large number of animals are forced to live in a small area, this causes stress and same sex attraction seems to occur more frequently. Physical contact is a stress reliever, so it should not be discouraged, no matter how morally wrong you think it is.

Letting your dog have sex, just once
There are some dog owners who feel that they should let their male dogs mate with a bitch “just once, so he doesn’t feel deprived”. This is a very misguided notion as it could backfire horribly. When dogs mate they end up back to back and stay locked for up to 20 minutes. This can be a terrifying experience for all concerned, if they haven’t done it before. If they are forced apart (which sometimes happens when the owners panic), this could be painful or even cause injury to either dog. Then there’s the obvious problem of the pregnancy, pups, finding homes and so on. Once your dog knows what it’s all about, he will want more, even if he’s castrated. This is rather cruel in my opinion as you are allowing him to have an experience that he can never repeat. Letting a bitch have one litter of pups before spaying her, is also misguided. This will not improve her behaviour, but is a huge health risk and burdens the world with unnecessary puppies, not to mention the inconvenience and expense this will cause you.

Dogs have been living with humans for about 10 000 years and we have to take responsibility for their well-being. They are no longer natural wild animals and are reliant on us for all their needs. This includes sterilisation, which will make them easier to live with as pets.

STERILISE – SAVE LIVES

Karen Gray-Kilfoil
Animal Behaviourist and Humane Educator
(www.animal-behaviour.org.za/karengray)

We recently had our second AGM – if anyone would like a copy of the Chairperson’s report or Financial report, please contact us.

We get some donations paid directly into our bank account without a specific reference. If anyone makes a payment this way and requires acknowledgement or a receipt please e-mail us or give us a call to let us know. Thank you!

Printing of this newsletter is kindly sponsored by The Science Press - scientific and technical editing, illustration, proofreading and typesetting. Tel: (021) 789 2331, email: info@thesciencepress.com; www.thesciencepress.com

BAT RUN 2009
In 2007 Dr Yvonne ran the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon just after finishing radiotherapy treatment and raised about R34,000. This year the Pick n Pay Argus Cycle Tour was on the Doc’s 50th birthday so she cycled it with a vet from the UK and they raised almost R50,000. As these have been some of SASHA’s biggest sources of funding, the Doc has been persuaded to tackle another event in 2009. It is a much smaller event, and not famous, but a serious challenge none-the-less. The Bat Run is a trail run, up and down three of Cape Town’s well known peaks. Starting at Kloof Nek car park, the entrants run along Tafelberg Road then climb to the top of Devil’s Peak and descend again, then up Platteklip Gorge, on to Maclear’s Beacon and back down. Still with no time to rest they finally ascend Lion’s Head and then return to the car park. Although less than 30km in distance it is a strenuous run with plenty of climbing. Why is it called the Bat Run? Because, just for fun, it is run at night! The participants hope for a bright full moon, but essentially they have to use head torches to keep an eye on the rough tracks they are following. The lack of daylight certainly increases the degree of difficulty. The run takes place on the night of Saturday February 7th 2009. Anyone wanting further information or wishing to sponsor the Doc, please contact us. Also, if you can take a sponsor form to collect donors, or if you think you may be able to find us some corporate sponsorship, please give us a call or e-mail us.

Making a Difference: Educational Outreach at Marine Primary School in Ocean View
According to teachers’ feedback, the interactive sessions at Marine Primary School have been hugely successful. Over the past months, nearly the entire school has been addressed on pet care. The majority of teachers were very pleased with the way our approach to humane education endorsed the message of love and respect globally. The objectives of sterilisation were gently intertwined with care and anti-cruelty discussions. Gabi de Bie volunteered her time and goodwill to present each ‘lesson’ and speak with the scholars – in the last 12 months almost 1,200 learners from several schools have been involved in the program. Gabi also designed an educational poster which, thanks to sponsorship of printing costs by her animal-loving friends, now greets visitors in the foyer of Marine Primary School. Sincere thanks go to Tabisa who very efficiently liaised with the school and arranged each visit. Thank You Tabisa for your organisational abilities. Her chief point of contact was a teacher, Mrs Bean, who deserves a special mention for her enthusiastic mobilisation of fellow teachers and their grade classes. Mrs Abrahams, the school principal, is acknowledged for welcoming the SASHA contingent to speak with the learners. Barrington is a whizz at setting up the audiovisual equipment. His frequent visits to deliver dogs in the SASHA bakkie is a well recognised sight within the Ocean View commu nity. Vicky, the canine mascot, seems to like all the attention she gets and is clearly a great advertisement. I advised a rather shy young fellow, who admitted being fearful of dogs, to stroke and pet Vicky and take her for a short walk on the lead. He returned beaming and said: “ Yis, this is a polite dog!” Making a difference? I believe so …. As for future plans - the remaining primary school in Ocean View is in the SASHA Team’s sights for 2009 and Gabi is designing visual material for these presentations.

BOOK SALES
The sale of books continues to generate a much needed income for SASHA, but unfortunately we are saying goodbye to Lorraine Holloway who has new challenges – many thanks to her for all her hard work. We need those donations of books to keep coming as we hope to be able to continue the sales. Please continue with your generous support, and if anyone can offer assistance with sorting or selling books, please contact us.

Malmesbury – take 2
We returned to Malmesbury to try and finish the job we started in May. Despite poor cooperation from officials at the Correctional Services we managed to sterilise another 32 cats, some of which were from the prisoners’ cells and some were feral cats we trapped.

Many thanks to Tamaryn Jeffery and Ulrike Maier for organising a comedy hour with Stuart Taylor in Embargo’s Bar in August 2008, which raised R2,106

Many thanks to Dr Steve Kitley of Riverside Veterinary Clinic, Rondebosch who, to assist our ‘spayathons’, donated two steel surgical tables and scales for weighing patients.


Untill next time.....
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