Bark of approval for AWS SA’s pet project

Cape Town – It’s a school day and Animal Welfare Society of South Africa (AWS SA) inspectors Angie Stanbridge and Rob Richmond are met by Elsies River residents at New Mews Complex in Leonsdale. Many in the group and on the streets are young adults and some are children of school-going age, a phenomenon which is telling of the unemployment problem in the area. They are here to sign up their dogs and cats for sterilisation.

Monday saw the start of AWS SA’s, The project, sponsored by the Rolf Stephan Nussbaum Foundation and Euromonitor International, was started in commemoration of International Homeless Animals Day on August 18.

Above the noise of dogs barking frantically and residents’ laughter and conversation, Stanbridge fills out forms while Richmond rounds up dogs and cats, labels them and puts them into cages.

The unit then moves on, signing up and loading patients into the trailer at every stop. This is a three-step process with patients being operated on the following day (after collection) and returned to their owners two days later.

In Boater Close, there is a special request from a neighbour who took in a stray, Misha, with a bad case of mange, a skin condition caused by parasitic mites.

The inspectors’ mandate is to collect pets from owners for sterilisation, but they make an exception for this suffering dog. Richmond pulls up his sleeves, puts on rubber gloves and gently coaxes the little dog out of her kennel.

Misha’s hairless skin is cracked and leathery all over. This is a highly contagious disease and the team place her in a cage by herself, ensuring she is isolated from the rest of the patients.

Twenty-one patients are collected and a couple of hours later, the team are on their way back to the AWS SA premises where the pets are placed into cages in preparation for their sterilisation procedures the following day.

I am told to be in theatre the following day at 9am. To my surprise the staff complement consists of only five people, including one doctor who will complete all the surgeries.

The staff are courteous, but there’s no time for chatter. Each member knows what his or her responsibility is. This is a well-oiled machine.

Theatre assistant Jack Ngcakaza and nurse’s assistant Maliviwe Mgoduka shave, disinfect and assist Animal Welfare Assistant Nicci Foord as she intubates, inserts an intravenous injection and anaesthetises patients before they go into theatre. Within a couple of hours, they have completed the bulk of the operations.

The fifth person in the theatre is volunteer student veterinary nurse Lauren Henshilwood. Supervised by Foord, she helps with the patients’ intubation and intravenous injection in preparation for surgery.

Foord moves back and forth from the patient to a stainless steel table where medical supplies are kept. Every time she administers a procedure, she strokes the hair of the cat or dog.

She does this even after the animal has been anaesthetised. The care and dignity with which the staff handle the animals is humbling.

Henshilwood makes a detour to the cages, where dogs are barking and whining. She opens a cage to stroke and provide comfort to a dog, then swiftly returns to her work station.

Inside the operating theatre, Dr Zhaneta Stoynova performs surgeries while support staff cart patients in and out of the room.

While Foord awaits her turn to wheel in the next patient, she trims the toenails of an anaesthetised dog lying on a stretcher.

At about midday, with only a few more sterilisations to be done, Stoynova removes her gown and the team take a short break.

I decide to “call it a day” since I have become quite flustered in my attempt to do my job and taking pictures, notes and video without disturbing the routine in the theatre.

On Wednesday morning, I tag along to see AWS SA inspectors Stanbridge and Richmond return the sterilised pets to their owners in Elsies River.

It is clear by the broad smiles that greet the AWS SA team that the pet owners missed their dogs and cats. Barking dogs and jovial banter about how the time spent away from their pet was too long, fill the air.

Eva Hendricks said she signed up her dog, Lady, for sterilisation because her house was too small to accommodate puppies at a later stage and that she needed to focus all her time and energy on her.

She jokingly admitted she missed her dog and almost dished food for Lady the previous night.

Head of Communications and Resource Development for AWS SA, Allan Perrins, said the goal of the Mass Animal Sterilisation Project was to sterilise a minimum of 390 pets in Elsies River and Mitchells Plain, owned by predominantly indigent people.

Perrins cited pet overpopulation in the majority of the Cape Metro area and backyard breeding as the main reasons for the project which involves humane sterilisation of the animals. Sterilisation of pets which have owners goes a long way to addressing the problem of stray animals.

Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said the Animal Control Unit receives many complaints about cruelty to animals and neglect.

“Many young people acquire large and aggressive breeds as trophy dogs and these strong dogs from time to time escape their owners’ properties and inflict life-changing injuries on innocent people in the community. This can result in the pet being put down.

“People who intend getting a pet should register their pets as it is a requirement in terms of the City’s Animal By Law of 2010. Sterilisation is also an aspect of animal care that is being considered for inclusion in proposed amendments to the City’s Animal By Law.

“Treat your pet well by feeding it daily and taking it for walks and you will have a friend for life.”

Statistics published by AWS SA in their Humane Education Booklet: “Teaching Today’s Kids About Animal Welfare”affirm “by spaying and neutering just one male and female cat, more than 2000 unwanted births can be prevented in just four years – and more than 2 million in eight years”, according to Dr John McMullen, AWS SA’s vice-chairman and chief vet.

Source: IOL

——————————————————————————————

Disclaimer: The information produced by Infurmation is provided for general and educational purposes only and does not constitute any legal, medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always seek the advice of your vet or other qualified health care provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you suspect that your pet has a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.