Poor villagers lining up for free dog sterilisation yesterday expressed shock at the number of offspring one animal could produce.
Sibongile Mbanzi, 42, said he only realised the importance of sterilising cats and dogs in Mpekweni village after being told one dog and all its litters and their offspring could number 67000 animals in six years.
“I cannot believe they can become so many so quickly.”
The unemployed father said he did not hesitate to bring his hunting dog Qoshela for free sterilisation when he heard that animal welfare group Community Veterinary Service Southern Africa (CVSSA) was coming to the village.
“We are very poor here, and even though we love our dogs we cannot afford to take them 50km to Port Alfred for treatment.
“Coming to the village to do the dogs for free is the perfect service.”
He has four dogs, but Mbanzi said he was only sterilising one as he was breeding hunting dogs to sell to help put food on the table.
“Things are difficult at home. There are six people and we rely on my mom’s old age pension.”
CVSSA vet Renee van Reenen van Oudtshoorn said they had German funding to sterilise 200 dogs and cats in Sunshine Coast villages.
She said with city vets charging R1500 or more to sterilise an animal, it was impossible for poor rural people to afford treatment when they struggled just to put food on the table each month.
“There is little point going to the vet if you don’t have any money.”
To try and keep costs down, the team stays with local communities during outreaches and relies on local volunteers and overseas veterinary students to treat the animals.
She said it was imperative to sterilise dogs, as one female could produce two litters of six to 10 puppies a year.
“One female and her offspring can produce as many as 67000 dogs in six years if nothing is done to sterilise them.”
Over the past three days, the team has already sterilised 160 animals and they plan to keep going until supplies run out.
The CVSSA sterilises 2000 animals a year throughout southern Africa and vaccinates up to 20000 dogs a year for rabies thanks to sponsorship from German animal welfare group Welttierschutzgesellschaft.
“Europeans have a soft spot for animals. It is one of the biggest animal protection organisations in Europe and they want to make a difference where it is really needed,” Van Reenen van Oudtshoorn said.
She said although they received funding for 500 sterilisations a year they managed to stretch it to cover 2000 animals by using volunteers and getting sponsors to cover food and accommodation.
Getting permission from village leaders to do the rural outreach and making sure the animals were in good enough condition for the surgery took six months of planning by the Ndlambe SPCA.
Australian volunteer Alicia Vasta, who is a final-year veterinary student from Queensland, said it was great coming to rural South Africa to do an outreach as she was helping where it was really needed.
“Clearly rural people care for their dogs even though they do not have the finances to take them to town for treatment.
“This is my first outreach and it has been a fantastic experience helping people look after their animals.”
Port Alfred and Ndlambe SPCA inspector Anel Slabbert and kennel assistant Nocwaka Manyamza said they tried to visit the area as often as they could to educate local people on how to care for their animals even though it was outside their jurisdiction.
“This area is in no-man’s land, that is why we try and help them as much as we can,” Slabbert explained.
The duo did surveys at schools on animal needs in the area and also provided health and nutrition tips for owners living on a tight budget.
“We try to get involved as much as we can and we now have the support of leaders and the community.
“Things work differently here – you can’t just walk in and do something like this.” — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Sterilisation relief for villagers
Sibongile Mbanzi, 42, said he only realised the importance of sterilising cats and dogs in Mpekweni village after being told one dog and all its litters and their offspring could number 67000 animals in six years.
“I cannot believe they can become so many so quickly.”
The unemployed father said he did not hesitate to bring his hunting dog Qoshela for free sterilisation when he heard that animal welfare group Community Veterinary Service Southern Africa (CVSSA) was coming to the village.
“We are very poor here, and even though we love our dogs we cannot afford to take them 50km to Port Alfred for treatment.
“Coming to the village to do the dogs for free is the perfect service.”
He has four dogs, but Mbanzi said he was only sterilising one as he was breeding hunting dogs to sell to help put food on the table.
“Things are difficult at home. There are six people and we rely on my mom’s old age pension.”
CVSSA vet Renee van Reenen van Oudtshoorn said they had German funding to sterilise 200 dogs and cats in Sunshine Coast villages.
She said with city vets charging R1500 or more to sterilise an animal, it was impossible for poor rural people to afford treatment when they struggled just to put food on the table each month.
“There is little point going to the vet if you don’t have any money.”
To try and keep costs down, the team stays with local communities during outreaches and relies on local volunteers and overseas veterinary students to treat the animals.
She said it was imperative to sterilise dogs, as one female could produce two litters of six to 10 puppies a year.
“One female and her offspring can produce as many as 67000 dogs in six years if nothing is done to sterilise them.”
Over the past three days, the team has already sterilised 160 animals and they plan to keep going until supplies run out.
The CVSSA sterilises 2000 animals a year throughout southern Africa and vaccinates up to 20000 dogs a year for rabies thanks to sponsorship from German animal welfare group Welttierschutzgesellschaft.
“Europeans have a soft spot for animals. It is one of the biggest animal protection organisations in Europe and they want to make a difference where it is really needed,” Van Reenen van Oudtshoorn said.
She said although they received funding for 500 sterilisations a year they managed to stretch it to cover 2000 animals by using volunteers and getting sponsors to cover food and accommodation.
Getting permission from village leaders to do the rural outreach and making sure the animals were in good enough condition for the surgery took six months of planning by the Ndlambe SPCA.
Australian volunteer Alicia Vasta, who is a final-year veterinary student from Queensland, said it was great coming to rural South Africa to do an outreach as she was helping where it was really needed.
“Clearly rural people care for their dogs even though they do not have the finances to take them to town for treatment.
“This is my first outreach and it has been a fantastic experience helping people look after their animals.”
Port Alfred and Ndlambe SPCA inspector Anel Slabbert and kennel assistant Nocwaka Manyamza said they tried to visit the area as often as they could to educate local people on how to care for their animals even though it was outside their jurisdiction.
“This area is in no-man’s land, that is why we try and help them as much as we can,” Slabbert explained.
The duo did surveys at schools on animal needs in the area and also provided health and nutrition tips for owners living on a tight budget.
“We try to get involved as much as we can and we now have the support of leaders and the community.
“Things work differently here – you can’t just walk in and do something like this.” — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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