Survival of Animal Welfare Charity in Zimbabwe

DEC 2018. Hello again to our Global Giving community.

What a busy time we have had since we last communicated by way of a report with you all.

We, the volunteers at Mutare SPCA, have made it our purpose to ‘grow’ our staff, giving them more command in their very important role in the community. We have sent two of our Inspectors to Imire Game Park near Harare where they attended a course on Strategy for Captive Elephant Management. We do not condone captive wildlife in any shape or form, BUT captive wildlife is being forced upon us and we felt they should attend so we could understand current thinking in Zimbabwe, and voice our concerns where necessary. More and more we are seeing our beautiful wildlife, for example lions, in small cages for the amusement, even taunting, of the general public, who do not understand the stress those animals and being placed under. Also, we feel extremely strongly that the decimation of herds of elephants, to capture their very young to send to zoos in China is off the charts cruel, and yet it continues to happen as government corruption reaches proportions we could never have imagined.SPCA Mutare sometimes feels like that ‘lone voice in the wilderness’ in these cases.

Then more recently, the same Inspectors attended a Dogs Trust Worldwide Behaviour Course in Harare. They have come back full of wonderful new ideas for how we can better ourselves and the lives of our shelter animals. The first thing they want is for us to design and implement is an enrichment area for play. Global Giving funds could help us with this playground. Keep up the great ideas, Inspectors William Nyawengu and Simba Karumbidza! We are all behind you.

Here I include Inspector William’s report for Global Giving. It’s long, I know, but the last few lines are worth their weight in gold to the volunteers of Mutare SPCA:

We attended the Dogs Trust Workshop on 22nd to 25 November which empowered us with vast knowledge of dealing with dog behaviour, shaping and assessment confidence building on nervous dogs and observational learning, touch acceptance, how to approach new dogs, and aggressive dogs. We learned that best practice at the shelters is about standards. We did a general overview of training, learning theory of training dogs, based on positive reward only, and the effects of negative training and how that results in other issues, which will be difficult to correct. Training helps with matching the dog with new owners and homes, and good organizational reputations. Safety at home promotes welfare since dogs will stay in their homes, since there will grow trust, respect, empathy and communication. It also makes for easy handling at Vet Doctors. For us at Mutare SPCA, shelter enrichment will improve animal behaviour, eg life rooms, elevated areas, sensory gardens, sand boxes, raised areas, interactive toys. We must consider the design from dogs perspective, defensive handling is important to provide safety, and reduce costs and work load. We learned to study dog body language, signs of fear in eyes and tails and high stress triggers. We were taught about types of bites eg snapping, ragging, grabbing and crushing. We need improvements to our shelter but it’s a process which includes long and short term planning, Quality care reduces stress to our dogs. We learned of record keeping, and hygiene, and education of the public is as important. So we have lots of plans to implement here.

In short I salute all our Instructors who travelled all the way from UK to come and anoint us with such vast and rich knowledge. I will never forget the organizers, and everyone who contributed in making the workshop a success. I give a big thank you as it was a great eye-opener. I am prepared to share the knowledge with my fellow workmates and I hope to raise the standard of our dog welfare at Mutare SPCA and the community at large. I feel greatly humbled by your effort at empowering us. Yours Sincerely, Inspector William Nyawengu.

THANK YOU, INSPECTOR WILLIAM. Back to me: Our shelter has been flooded with animals in need. We are thankful that people in our community do inform us all the animals in distress. Now to show these animals that they matter, give them the love and sanctuary they should have known, and above all to find good homes. One cat, no more than a kitten herself was found in a bad state in a nearby factory. We gave her that sanctuary and helped her through her delivery of 5 exquisite kittens, each one shaded with pale heads to dark tails in the loveliest silvery greys. We have never seen this coloration before. Talk about 50 Shades of Grey! Another miniscule tabby kitten was brought in, and (the generosity of stray animals!) a feeding mother cat took her over as if she was her own immediately. We have 5 litters to care for at the moment, including 4 delightful X-Siamese female kittens, little SPCA celebs, so we have called them “The Katashians.”

We have been lucky to find some good homes of late for dogs. Mutare is surrounded by hills and mountains. The Bonda area, known for its superb rural hospital, is particularly interesting. A couple came past to choose two character filled dogs from us, and they kindly adopted a wee kitten at the same time. Celebration day for Mutare SPCA. Two other dogs have been chosen to go and live in Chimanimani Mountains, one of Zimbabwe’s most beautiful locations, second only to Victoria Falls for popularity. Only the best for Mutare SPCA dogs, you know! Four dogs have been homed locally this month.

Our kennels and cattery are filled to bursting, so our next plan is an extension to the cattery that will give each unit access to an outdoor space. If you could, we would be very, very grateful for a helping hand to get this project underway. We have purchased some of the metal ware for the frames, but now need the mesh for the walls and rooves, and labour costs. We will be posting our progress on our facebook page (SPCA-Mutare), but have now discovered our electrical supply box is dangerous. Doesn’t life feel at times like its one step forward and two steps back?

A few months ago we took a leap of faith and allowed a playschool to adopt a puppy. So far it has been a good relationship, and we have taken the opportunity to let little ones have that wondrous experience of ‘owning’ a dog and having to care for it. Inspector William goes regularly to coach the children and the dog at good relationships. Thank you Bongai Shamwari.

This past 6 weeks we have been involved in a case investigating the condition of some horses at a rural school. It may have seemed like a good idea to give children access to horses, but they are expensive to manage and you have to know how to handle horses in your care. We sent 3 Inspectors out, including Ange Wright, who is great with them. The situation was not good. Nutrition was poor and husbandry non-existent. One mare is pregnant, and three youngsters not broken in. This case is going to be an extremely difficult one for us, but it will be a sad day if all rural schools start collecting horses. We try not to be heavy handed in most cases, so Ange met with some school staff to discuss the way forward. Education is so important. On our follow up visit, Ange feels this case will end in intervention. We simply cannot afford to maintain 8 horses, so we have to appeal for help from horse familiar people, for those horses that can be saved. Not all will be in that category sadly. This work can be so tragically sad at times. We will need to transport and medicate them, employ grooms, and find money for quality fodder. Endless worries for us….

On to other subjects, - not all cheerful sadly. Our government, in which most individuals have unlimited access to foreign currency, recently allowed our currency to float against the US Dollar. Here we use an unbacked, unreliable currency called Bond…..look, stay with me here…..it’s weird! know. The immediate effect was that our salaries were divided by the going rate of the day. Shops and businesses reeled at the thought of re-stocking so they put their prices up by said rate. It reached 10:1, that’s right….divide your salary by 10, pay for goods x10!!! Depression set in all round. The rate has settled at 3:1, but tell that to the man in the street, your salary is one third of what it was, and prices have tripled.

This is why this Global Giving Project is worth is weight in gold for us. The value of money our support community gives is stable, and very critical to our survival long term. Please consider having an envelope under your Christmas tree for us. We have almost too much on our plates, but there is no way on this Earth we will stop trying to make a difference in our community.

So thank you all, and have a Happy Festive Season, or treasured family time. I know I say it every time, but in life, if you can make a difference, it matters. And this forum DOES JUST THAT. It makes a difference. For that, we thank you. From the bottom of our hearts….we thank you.

From the Mutare SPCA Team of volunteers.

It’s about 3 months since we last wrote a report for this GlobalGiving project. So much happens every week, we could fill a book!.

Our kennels are filled with strays, desperate, discarded or lost animals. We have been hectically busy. A typical case would be that of Spongey and his brave little mum, now known as Mrs Darling. A dead girl walking, this skeletal little dog was seen roaming in search of food.  She needed intervention, but there was a problem. Her bulging teats proved she was feeding a litter of pups somewhere. It took a couple of days to track the frightened and abused mothering bitch to where it seemed she had stashed her precious pups. Then we acted in force. She was returning to a walled garden, a house,  in fact in a good area.  We located her, and  one surviving pup, a velvety brown wriggling  lad who was obviously getting provided for by his heroic mother. The home resident vigorously denied ownership of the two waifs, although we had observed her going back and forth under the gate. Our informant and others had seen it too, but we had no proof (apparently)  so we decided to get them to the SPCA quickly to begin their joint recovery.

From there, Mrs Darling slowly gained weight and confidence, and has  become one of our favourites. Her puppy, Spongey is going to be a tall fellow, while his mum is petite.  He is fun to be around, and she is becoming more affectionate daily.  Now to get them both a home.

It has not all been positive.  We will not include some awful photographs, but in one case our Inspectors responded to a call about a sheep with all her legs broken. The story goes that the pregnant sheep, had been stolen. When she was eventually located, the two claimants had a vile dispute, and the victim again, became the animal. The accused thief broke all four of her legs when she was fetched. Our Inspectors had the awful task of ending her life, as she was in a pitiful state. The case in in the hands of the Police.

We are often left with various farm animals. Our Precious Piggy Petal has a somewhat sedentary life at the SPCA. We have not been able to find her a safe home, so she ambles plumply from her hay to her pond and back, most often followed by the Pretty Goat.  However  our new goat who is far more interested in the daily activities of the SPCA staff and volunteers.  She is a noisy lass, and seems to want to stare me out whenever we are doing a walkaround.  She was also stolen, found, and then never claimed. Maybe we can send her off to the rocky slopes that Sam the Irish farmer offered to our last herd. Miss Pretty has to stay, because she is rather convinced she is Porcine. Shush! Don’t tell her it isn’t so!  Her favourite place is lying on top of Petal’s substantial tummy. We have also taken on some rabbits for the first time, also a police theft case. Lets hope they don’t multiply!

We have had a good week so far regarding homes. Two soft floppy cuddle-pups were taken to a home. The new owner arrived with baskets and blankets and the right food…..which for Zimbabwe is unusual. We are content that they will be very loved. We also might be getting a home for another tiny lively and alert little girl pup who is to move to a local orphanage, so that the wonderful children therein will be able to learn how to love and be loved by a dog. A blessing for us all, so naturally, we have called the little pup Bless!. Her smaller brother is also hoping to be taken to the orphanage, as it’s a wonderful thing for the two pups to sleep together on cold nights. Hold thumbs for him. His name is Praise. He is half the size of his older tougher sister. They were brought in by a man who found them at an industrial property nearby, and we are grateful to him for not just looking the other way.  We adore these cats and dogs, but so few get a home. As you read this, if you are fence-sitting about getting a pet, please go soon to your local rescue centre and choose someone to love you in our name.

If you saw our last report, you will see that Mutare SPCA organized and held the  recent SPCA BLUE CROSS 500km ULTRA DISTANCE EVENT. 16 people walked for Mutare, and 52 cyclists and walkers took part.

There are no prizes, no cash given, but instead participants collect sponsorship for all the SPCAs of Zimbabwe. We do have awards like for example the person most representing the spirit of the event. This year we (The Blue Cross convenors, all Mutare SPCA volunteers,)  finally accepted a small group of young boys to cycle in a relay. It’s rather a risk taking children on such a long and remote and unsupported event. BUT these lads had the backing of formidable parents and other contestants urging them on. They belong to a group called Learning Knights, from Ruzawi (Junior) School, and they are asked to combine a sporting event with social responsibility.  They did themselves, their parents, their school and us proud. They raised over $19,000 (Zimbond.)  Unheard of!  For an idea of just how difficult this event was, you can read the extremely witty blog of Eric De Jong who had a JustGiving (through GlobalGiving) project raising funds. Google 4 Legs for SPCA. Thank you GlobalGiving. However the donations arrive, we are grateful to you.

This country, this little ZIMBABWE, is so beautiful, so quiet, and so peaceful.  We are privileged to be able to hold this event here in our Province Manicaland. We hope to put this event firmly on the map for anyone who loves cycling and long distance walking. 

So.....thank you for taking time to read this report. We would not be here, telling you of our daily happenings for animals if you gave up on us. We are so grateful to you all.

Links:

• WALK 500KMS FOR MUTARE SPCA? GET SPONSORS THROUGH GLOBAL GIVING