The City of Cape Town has approved a grant of R527 999 from the City Health Directorate for a second dog and cat mass sterilisation project to be rolled out in Site B, Khayelitsha. The project launches on the last Tuesday of February each year for World Spay Day.
During the first sterilisation project held in 2013, 1800 animals were sterilised in Dunoon and Brown’s Farm Philippi. Animal Welfare Organisations who are members for the Cape Animal Welfare Forum will be performing the sterilization procedures, each receiving R350 per sterilisation to cover their costs. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA will be managing the distribution of these funds.
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic, funded by the International Fund of Animal Welfare, is based in Khayelitsha and is a member of the Cape Animal Welfare Forum. They are excited to start the project. “It will be an added bonus to the work that we have been doing in this community over the past 17 years,” says Jane Levinson, Project Manager of the Mdzananda Animal Clinic. “Hopefully City funded campaigns of this nature will set a precedent for other provinces in South Africa. Work of this nature can relieve the workload of many animal welfare organisations. Last year’s project was an incredible opportunity to educate and bring awareness to community members that had virtually no experience of any animal welfare interventions before. Although we’ve been working in Khayelitsha for 17 years, this is another opportunity for us to reach out with much needed education. Residents of Browns Farm expressed their gratitude in 2013. They felt that the pet population was much healthier and better managed as a result of last year’s sterilisation campaign”.
African Tails, another member of the Cape Animal Welfare Forum, is currently moving into a container on the Mdzananda Animal Clinic’s premises. They will be performing all their surgeries from here. “Animal Welfare NPO’s are notoriously unhelpful to each other, however, we at the Mdzananda Animal Clinic believe we can do so much more by assisting each other,” says Jane Levinson.
The project aims to educate the community on general animal welfare matters. In terms of the sterilisation, this project will:
· result in fewer unwanted litters
· improve animal health and welfare
· decrease aggressive dog behaviour
· decrease the number of stray animals
· prevent unnecessary euthanasia of animals
The Department of Agriculture will also be approached to provide vaccinations against rabies for all cats and dogs.
About Mdzananda Animal Clinic (www.mdzananda.co.za)
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is the only permanent, veterinary council registered animal clinic in Khayelitsha, a township just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, home to more than 1.6 million people and their animals.
The clinic provides primary veterinary healthcare services including consultations, hospitalization, general and orthopeadic surgeries and mobile clinics. Their clients are primarily dogs and cats. The clinic has a strong focus on community empowerment and education to ensure responsible pet ownership into the future. It is also referred to as “The Happy Clinic” by clients and supporters.
The Mdzananda Animal Clinic is made possible by IFAW (International Fund of Animal Welfare) since 2003, Dogs Trust UK since 2012 and individual donors and supporters.
Issued by: Marcelle van Zyl, Fundraising and Communications Manager for Mdzananda Animal Clinic, marcelle@mdzananda.co.za, 082 251 0554
Press Inquiries: For any further information from the Mdzananda Animal Clinic’s involvement in this project please contact Jane Levinson on Tel:021 689 4091 Cel: 0835488277, E-mail: mdzananda@absamail.co.za.
For any further information from the City, please contact Councillor Lungiswa James, the City's Mayoral lCommittee Member for Health on Tel: 021 400 1307 or Cell: 083 398 5371, E-mail: lungiswa.james@capetown.gov.za.
