Animal Welfare Namibia Project #18172

Support for Have A Heart-Namibia

by Animal-Kind International

Project Report | Jan 3, 2022
Have a Heart & AKI's End-of-Year Results

By Karen Menczer | Executive Director, Animal-Kind International

Trixie recovering from surgery-Windhoek vet clinic

The results are in for the months of July through December and they are impressive-and they were made possible thanks to your donations:

HaH's Lifetime Care Program: 155 dogs and 15 cats received their boosters and external and internal parasite treatments. (US$845)

The AKI-HaH Emergency Fund: 7 dogs and 8 cats received emergency treatments (US$1182), and 1 cat received 2 months of special urinary diet food ($35).

And HaH still has almost US$500 remaining from AKI to start the year off.

(Add the above to the numbers in the 1st half of the year: 362 dogs and 38 cats who received help under the Lifetime Care Program; and 7 dogs and 4 cats who received care under the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund.)

Here are some of the cats and dogs who benefited over the last 6 months from our partnership with HaH and you:

Back in May 2020, HaH treated Trixie (thanks to the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund), a tiny 6 kg. dog, for tick fever and TVT. They then spayed her. In October 2021, poor Trixie was the victim of a cruel person who threw a large rock at her. In Keetmanshoop, where Trixie lives, she couldn't get an x-ray, and her leg was obviously in bad shape. She needed to get to Windhoek, where it could be x-rayed and treated. In Windhoek, the vet discovered that her leg was broken at the joint. Surgery was scheduled as quickly as possible. The AKI-HaH Emergency Fund covered the full cost of Trixie's vet care! After surgery, when it was safe to move her, and once a ride was found, she was placed at Keetmans SPCA, where she was given a safe, quiet place to heal until she was returned to her family. (See picture of Trixie at the Windhoek clinic)

Dr. Baines' mobile clinic was in Uis for a spay day in early November and Bruno's family immediately took him to the clinic to have his eye checked. Dr. Baines saw that this was an old injury, a ruptured eyeball - very very painful. Geesche said, "This is another prime example of why we need AKI's emergency fund so much. Uis is a small town in the middle of nowhere, 120 kilometers from any doctor (human or animal). For Dr. Baines to be able to help Bruno when he was in Uis for the spay day and without a worry how to cover the cost is all Bruno and Dr. Baines needed." Dr. Baines removed his eye and Bruno is now pain-free. (see picture of Bruno below)

Girly from Rehoboth became an Emergency Fund client when she was booked for her spay, vaccination, and parasite treatment, but during pre-check, the vet noticed that she wasn't well. She had a fever (41 degrees C/105.8 F) and a test revealed Girly had tick bite fever. With tick bite fever, the blood doesn't clot well, and Girly could have bled to death during surgery. Girly's spay was postponed and she was given injections to protect her liver and to start her antibiotic course. She was also prescribed antibiotic pills for 10 days. After her treatment, Girly was spayed and went home with her loving family. (see picture below)

Brown Cat from Epako Township in Gobabis needed help urgently, it appeared that something had damaged his spine (hit by a vehicle, a rock, or was it a disease?) In September, he became an Emergency Fund client-100% of Brown Cat's vet care was covered by the Fund. When Volunteer Willem saw Brown Cat and how difficult it was for him to walk, he rushed Brown Cat to the vet for x-rays, which showed that he has narrowed spinal tissue--spinal stenosis. The vet prescribed meds, and he was sterilized. Geesche said, "Without AKI he would not have a chance! THANK YOU!!!" (see picture below)

Babatjie - pronounced Babakey - is Afrikaans for small baby. Babatjie is from Gobabis and one day a young boy came running to Willem (he's well known for doing TNR in Gobabis for HaH) and told him about an injured cat. Willem found Babatjie - who is an old HaH customer - with a badly damaged leg. The vet said there are only two options, put her down or remove her leg. So Babatjie became an Emergency Fund client and her leg was removed. For her recovery she stayed with Willem and soon she was able to run around and play like nothing had happened. (see picture below)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP IN 2021

FROM ANIMAL-KIND INTERNATIONAL, HAVE A HEART-NAMIBIA, AND ALL THE ANIMALS YOU'VE HELPED THIS YEAR!

Bruno's ruptured eye is treated-no more pain!

Girly treated for tick-bite fever before her spay

Brown Cat hanging out between his 2 doggy pals

Babatjie's leg was amputated-she's doing great!

Links:

Namibia page on the AKI website

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Sep 14, 2021
Busy months for the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund

By Karen Menczer | Executive Director, Animal-Kind International

Dog Sure-broken leg treated

Since our last Progress Report (May 19), requests for the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund have been coming in faster than we can replenish the fund. In part that's good--we know we're providing a much-needed service; in part-obviously, it means it's hard to keep up with the need. We are so grateful for your support, which helps Animal-Kind International help Have A Heart-Namibia provide Lifetime Care to returning spay/neuter clients, including boosters and anti-parasite treatments, and to provide emergency vet care when owners are unable to afford it (the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund).

Here are some of the cats and dogs who have been helped in the last few months thanks to your donations.

JUNE

Dog Sure got hit by a car and his leg was broken. His family asked for help to pay for much-needed vet care, and vet nurse Sheelagh asked Geesche if the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund could be used. Geesche agreed. Xrays were done of Sure's leg to help Dr. Winterbach determine how to treat him. It turned out that Sure only needed a splint and rest, no surgery. Sure had to go for weekly check-ups and bandage changes to make sure all healed properly. During one of these visits, Sure was also neutered and vaccinated and treated against parasites--full service! (See picture of Sure with his family at the vet's office)

Kitzie, an old HaH customer in Luderitz, was run over by a car. Her owner, in tears, brought Kitzie to the Luderitz SPCA and Kitzie was seen by the volunteer vet nurse, who knew of the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund, and requested help. It turned out that Kitzie needed to get to Windhoek to be seen by a vet there, where she could get xrays and follow-up care. Kitzie's xrays showed a broken pelvis but no surgery needed, only 6 weeks of cage rest. Clinic employee Niki offered to foster Kitzie during those 6 weeks, and when she was well, she was transported the 900 km back to Luderitz and to her very grateful family.

Not all stories are happy ones, as we know. That is certainly true in Boe Boe's case. Boe Boe's owner moved away and left him behind! He became a community dog in Luderitz, fed and looked after by a number of people. Boe Boe was in the wrong place at the wrong time-hanging around a home when robbers showed up, they stabbed him. One of the people who looked after Boe Boe saw his injuries and contacted a vet for help. The vet's office contacted Geesche, and she agreed to use the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund. Sadly, even though he got the best treatment available-thanks to the Fund, Boe Boe just didn't pull through, the injuries were too serious. At least he was cared for and out of pain during those last days (see picture).

Joan, who takes care of many cats for HaH was told about someone on the street who was selling 7 tiny kittens. When Joan arrived only 5 were still there and out of the 5, 2 had already died. Joan took the remaining 3 to the vet for check-ups, where they tried everything but one was too sick and weak died. The other two received the treatment they needed -thanks to the Emergency Fund-and then went to foster care until old enough to be sterilized and adopted (see photo of one of the kitties below).

JULY

Glitter is an old HaH customer, very much loved by his family. Glitter had blood in his urine, and his worried family took him to a vet. Tests and treatment costs were more than the family could afford, so they asked HaH for help and thanks to AKI's Emergency Fund, Glitter got the help he needed. His blood test results were good, sonar showed some sediment in the bladder, no visible big concrements. He stayed overnight and the next day the sonar was repeated. The vet diagnosed idiopathic cystitis. Unfortunately, even with treatment, the problem might return and in some cases requires surgery. But for now Glitter is happily back with his family! (see photo below)

Snowy (photo below) had a badly injured leg and his owner Jo-Dee, a student, couldn't afford the vet care that Snowy needed. The AKI-HAH Emergency Fund stepped in and Snowy wasneutered and his leg was stitched up.

AUGUST

Wolf from Windhoek had a cauliflower ear. It doesn't look too bad, but in the long term it can lead to serious ear infections and that can be extremely painful and can lead to death. A minor surgery, thanks to the Emergency Fund, Wolf was saved from any pain and suffering the cauliflower ear may have caused. Wolf's owner Nadine was very thankful as she loves old boy Wolf very much but couldn't afford the operation.

ALREADY IN SEPTEMBER, WE'VE HELPED 3 MORE CATS THROUGH THE AKI-HAH EMERGENCY FUND. MORE ABOUT THOSE IN OUR NEXT PROGRESS REPORT!

Kitzie at the vet's office in Windhoek

Boe Boe at the vet's office

One of 7 kittens being sold on the street-safe now

Glitter diagnosed, treated, home with his family

Snowy, leg stitched up

Wolf with a cauliflower ear

Links:

Namibia page on the AKI website

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May 19, 2021
Have A Heart-Namibia provides lifetime care

By Karen Menczer | Executive Director, Animal-Kind International

Nala's eye had to be removed to save her life

This Have A Heart-Namibia & Animal-Kind International Progress Report focuses on three dogs and one cat who recently received help through the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund and showcases some of the Life Time Care recipients.

Ranger

Ranger from Rehoboth developed knots all over his body (see picture). Ranger's family went to the vet and got antibiotics but they didn't work. A cancer test needed to be done. The family couldn't afford the test and the vet requested use of the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund. Rex is a much loved boy, well taken care of, and we approved this use. His family was very grateful for the help.

The test came back negative, no cancer. That was the good news. But Ranger was getting worse by the day, more knots were developing, and he wasn't feeling well at all. After some days, the family got in touch and were very upset about how poorly Rex was feeling. They were heartbroken, but felt it was best to let him go.

This is a sad story, but to find something positive, the family felt they had done all that they could do to help Ranger. As all of us who love dogs know, it is inevitable, we lose them, and usually before we're ready (if we can ever be ready). The vet thinks Rex had cutaneous lymphoma and that would not have been treatable in Namibia.

Lucky

Lucky (pictured) from Otjivero (such a tiny settlement, it's difficult to find on the map; it's close to Omitara, East of Windhoek) was hit by a car. A few days later, Dr. Baines' mobile clinic stopped in Otjivero-good timing for Lucky! Lucky needed stitches for the large but luckily superficial laceration. He also had a broken toe. He received a "Rober Jones Bandage" from Dr Baines. Lucky also received HAH's "normal" full service, vaccinations, de-worming, external parasite treatment, and of course, neutering.

Nala

Nala (see picture above) is a cat who lives at the horse stables in Okahandja. Nala doesn't like to be too close to humans, but she and her 11 family members are welcome at the stables because they work hard to keep the stables free of mice and rats. A kind woman looks after them. But 12 cats are more than enough at the stables and so Nala was the 8th of the horse stable kittties to be spayed (funded by FAVI).

When Nala was brough to the clinic for the spay, the vet noticed that her eye didn't look quite right. After a thorough check up and a phone consultation with an eye specialist, the vet decided that the best way to go forward was to put Nala down or have her eye removed. It couldn't be left as is because there was a little pocket that caused her eyelid to turn inward and dirt was collecting in the pocket, which would have caused constant eye infections and a very painful death for Nala over months.

The only question was: Could the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund help by paying for her eye to be removed?

We said YES!

So Nala had her big spay operation and eye removal all at once. She had to stay overnight at the clinic and the next morning the vet sent the following message:"Nala looks very good and the stitches do not seem to be bothering her at all and she doesn't seem to be sore. She ate all her food we left in the cage overnight as well."

Life Time Care Recipients

HAH used Animal-Kind International funds to provide "life time care" services for 28 cats and 227 dogs-all old HAH s/n clients- in February/March during trips to Omitara, Fransfontein, Khorixas, Kamanjab, Gobabis, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Otjivero, and Drimiopsis. They all received a check-up, they were de-wormed and received external parasite treatment, and if needed, a booster vaccination. All covered by AKI!

Black Boy

One customer from a February clinic who needed a bit more care, Black Boy, a beautiful dog from Otjiwarongo, had an infected eye. He is also a dog who would have never been able to see a vet, if not for HAH and AKI. It turns out, his eye had to be removed. Dr Baines did the surgery and the owner, Mr Steven, is so happy Black Boy is not in pain anymore.

Final words from Geesche show us how important your support is:

"Knowing that all of "our" dogs and cats are vaccinated and treated against parasites for the first time in their life when they are spayed/neutered and that at least 95 % of those animals would otherwise not see a vet in their life and that we can offer a lifetime of support thanks to AKI, makes me tear up. Thank you so so much AKI for making it possible for owners to keep their pets healthy and happy - and their families safe!"

Ranger developed knots all over his body

Lucky was hit by a car-luckily injuries were minor

Black Boy's eye was infected & had to be removed

2 Life Time Care recipients at the March clinic

A Life Time Care recipient with owner-March clinic

Links:

Namibia page on the AKI website

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