Spayathons 2008 (Khayelitsha Report)
As Welfare representative for the SA Veterinary Association Western Cape Branch
I have been tasked with organising some sterilisation campaigns in our most needy areas.
This is a huge challenge; and the following gives you some idea of how hard we worked to bring this first one together:
• identification of new areas which are very overpopulated with dogs and cats – for this I contacted other welfare organisations and asked them to instruct their mobile clinic operators to inform me of problem areas;
• identification of the individual owners of unsterilised animals and educating these owners of all the reasons why we should sterilise them - and not just because of overpopulation (for other sound reasons please contact us/check out our website);
• setting a date for the first session, organising a suitable venue and finding veterinarians and veterinary nurses willing to give up their free time on the day;
• contacting the South African Veterinary Council to seek permission to hold the event as they have to approve the facilities;
• contacting a number of pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers to request donations of the necessary drugs and sundries – anaesthetics, cotton wool, surgical scrub, syringes and needles, etc. etc.;
• writing sample flyers which were translated into Xhosa to hand out in the community and posters to go into local community centres, libraries and schools;
• contacting the local radio station, Zibonele, who immediately invited us to visit them for a programme to tell the people of Khayelitsha about the day so they could bring their pets along or ask for help with transport if necessary, and we were able to take questions on air from listeners;
• going door to door in the community and visiting schools to deliver the flyers and posters;
• sending out numerous e-mails to friends and contacts to try and find other helpers on the day: for administrative duties such as recording details of each owner and patient and for checking patients as they came round from the anaesthetic;
• finding help with transport – many owners wish to have their pets sterilised but many will not turn up at a set time and then collect the animal again later (even though we were offering the service free for this one day) – and many owners do not have their own transport.
The day itself started early – we were at the Hall in Khayelitsha by 07.45. Thanks to Gladstone and Theo from the SPCA – they came with their mobiles to collect the first batch of dogs and cats which had been admitted by Mdzananda Animal clinic in Khayelitsha the evening before. The guys from Mdzananda were great too, and the collection and return of animals continued through the day. There were also quite a few owners (many of them children) who brought their animals in themselves, so we were kept very busy.
A team of 16 vets (including myself), several vet nurses and about 20 other helpers managed to cope with the large numbers of animals and 89 dogs and 3 cats were sterilised. The dogs were registered then vaccinated and sedated before waiting in line with their owners or volunteers until their turn came for the anaesthetic.
Once asleep they were clipped and cleaned and given extra painkillers so they would not be sore when they woke up again, then taken to one of the several operating tables with waiting vets. Other vets and nurses helped to maintain the anaesthetics.
A large section of floor was covered with newspapers and when a pet had had its operation completed it was carried to this area for recovery and covered with an old towel or blanket to make sure it did not lose heat – although it was a very warm day and we all got a bit hot rushing around!
When some of the dogs woke up and the owner was not there to take them home they were transferred to another room off the main hall so they could not wander off. We would dearly like to get some holding pens for the next event which would assist with managing the sleepy patients.
A few other dogs and cats that were a little young for surgery were vaccinated and some pets were given treatment for mange. They were all also given flea and worm treatment, kindly donated by pharmaceutical companies. All the dogs and cats were vaccinated against rabies which is a horrendous and incurable disease – there are several human fatalities each year - and, although not yet prevalent in the Cape Flats, there have been cases recorded in animals in the Western Cape.
All in all, the day was a success. Not only were 92 pets sterilised which will decrease the number of animals born into neglect and abuse, it was an opportunity to start an education process and inform owners about other primary health care (vaccination, de-worming, flea and mange treatment).
A huge thank you to all the vets, nurses and other helpers and to those companies that donated so generously: MCP Wholesalers, Lakato (Pty) Ltd, Kyron Laboratories, Vetserve, Instavet, Novartis Animal Health, Merial South Africa, Bayer Animal Health, Pfizer Animal Health, Intervet-SP and Virbac RSA.
We will also be working in Eland's Bay and Lambert's Bay in the first week of March, and in Porterville Prison (sterilising feral cats) in the second week of March.
