Using Animal Care to Promote Empathy in Children

Our Annual Veterinary Clinic has two objectives:

• To provide access to much needed animal care in rural Eswatini.
• To promote animal care as a positive demonstration of responsibility and empathy to children.

Prior to our clinic in Sept 2024 we presented during morning assembly at 9 schools, bringing our animal care message to 2,601 students and 188 staff.

 1.   Are you happy with the behaviour of your dog? - or your neighbour’s dog?

• Do they often snarl at you?
• Do they often wander on the road and around your community?
• Do they run off and fight with other dogs?
• Do they steal food or eat chickens?
• Do they often have puppies or kitties?
• Do their puppies or kitties often die?

 2.  Do you know that sterilizing your dog or cat will help reduce this behaviour? 

• Many people in the rural area are not aware that dogs and cats can be sterilized, particularly female animals.
• Our objective is to explain in detail the services and registration requirements so that students go home and motivate their parents to sign up. 

3.  Why does Vusumnotfo conduct an Annual Veterinary Clinic?

• Animals require adequate care for three reasons -

1. For good security - a mistreated dog will not defend you or your home.
2. For companionship - a cared for dog will always be happy to see you.
3. As a positive example of responsibility and empathy to young children

• Bad animal care (neglect, harsh or cruel treatment) demonstrates tthat it is 1) acceptable to neglect your responsibilities of feeding and caring for your animals and therefore it is 2) acceptable to mistreat other living things.

• In Eswatini how many of you have seen dogs and cats being neglected or hit?

• Children who regularly witness this will copy this behaviour.
• When young children play “shaya - I will hit you”  it is because they have already seen enough neglect and abuse to take this as “normal”.
• 87% of reported abuse in Eswatini happens within the family
• What children regularly see, hear, and experience in their early years become their "social norms". 

The way we treat the dogs and cats under our care can continue to serve as a negative example - or through Veterinary services can instead serve as a positive example of responsibility and empathy to young children.

Each presentation generates a lively sharing of experiences with plenty of interesting questions!

Your continued support allows us to conduct a Veterinary Clinic annually.  Doing so annually builds a critical understanding within the 17 Swazi communities that authorized the formation of Vusumnotfo.  

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Activity 1.1.  Parenting - ii) Conduct - a veterinary clinic annually, as a strategy to promote animal care as a positive demonstration of responsibility and empathy to children

Due to your support, our Veterinary Clinic on Sept 28 was a huge success - providing veterinary services to 141 dogs and 6 cats (49 surgeries and 98 clinical).

After securing the relevant permissions and protocols, our next step is to raise awareness at Dip Tanks.  Owning cattle is deeply embedded in Swazi traditions; cattle are the traditional banking system and play an important role in events such as weddings.

Each homestead is assigned a dip tank and all cattle must be brought for dipping on a set schedule - during summer it is weekly, during winter it is every second week.

Each dip tank is managed by a government officer and a community committee. People leave their homes at sunrise so dipping is completed by early morning.

We use the Dip Tanks to raise awareness about the “what, why and how” of our Veterinary Clinic so people can make an informed decision to register or not.

This year we went to 4 dip tanks located around our Clinic site making for some extra early cold mornings.

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Vusumnotfo 1.1.  Parenting - ii) Conduct - a veterinary clinic annually, as a strategy to promote animal care as a positive demonstration of responsibility and empathy to children

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