A Winter Vacation/Work Trip to Botswana, Africa

Transcription

1 A Winter Vacation/Work Trip to Botswana, Africa By Dr. Gina Bowen TABLE OF CONTENTS A Work Trip to Botswana, Africa page 1 About 36 hours after leaving home, Sherisse and I finally land in Maun, Botswana. We are exhausted with huge cankles from sitting for so long but excited to be back for our fifth trip as veterinary volunteers at the Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS). The view that meets us is a breath of fresh air. Botswana has been suffering from a drought for the past several years and dust and brown trees have been the normal surroundings even during the rainy season. This year there s been more rain since November and there is grass and leaves on the trees which is much more beautiful but also means more feed for the cattle, horses, donkeys and goats which are abundant. The The PVHS Foster Program Kennel Repair Project Shelter Wish List Up-Coming Events Volunteer Profile Featured Pets page 4 page 4 page 5 page 5 page 6 page 7 Botswana summer weather is warm, degrees Celsius daily and a welcome break from our chilly Manitoba winter. Typical Botswana Yard The MAWS clinic building T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 1

2 Botswana is a small landlocked country just north of South Africa. It is a peaceful country of about 2 million people and is known for its wildlife and national parks. It boasts some of the best wildlife viewing safaris (hunting safaris have been banned in the country) in all of Africa. We come for a short safari every year, but the main reason for our trip is to volunteer at MAWS to help improve the welfare of low income people s dogs and cats and to perform sterilization surgeries. MAWS is made up of dedicated volunteers, a clinic building, a truck and three fabulous staff members who keep the clinic running. Kenny and Vasco live in a small house behind the clinic and take care of the dog and cat handling, kennels, treatments, translating, cleaning and anesthesia. Nation drives the truck and picks up dogs and cats every day from low income households. Most of these owners don t have transportation and little extra money so paid veterinary care is out of the question. Veterinary work is exciting here because it is so different from Canada. We see things that we just don t often see here. Starvation is a huge issue. People often have multiple dogs and low incomes that do not allow them to buy dog food. Dogs end up eating scraps which are sometimes inadequate and lead to poor body conditions. We see a lot of fleas and ticks and a lot more deer ticks than we have here. These deer ticks tend to carry Ehrlichia instead of Lyme disease which leads to anemia and weakness. It is easily treated with the same medication as Lyme disease. Most dogs are free roaming so we see a lot of bite wounds and car traumas. Botswana is sadly going through a Distemper outbreak right now which is easily preventable with vaccination but the majority of dogs here are not vaccinated. Distemper is a chronic lethal and untreatable virus, so euthanasia is the humane option in these cases. Another interesting disease is Transmissible Venereal Tumors which is a virus induced tumor spread through breeding. As long as it is caught early enough dogs respond really well to a weekly injection of chemotherapy for 4 weeks. Dogs recovering from surgery at the clinic Helping a dog hit by a vehicle T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 2

3 Our days consist of sterilizing, vaccinating and deworming roughly 20 dogs and cats between the two of us. Everything is done under injectable anesthesia so no oxygen and no gas which means we have to be fast and efficient. Then we look after any sick animals that have been brought in, watch the sunset as we eat supper and collapse into bed. Sometimes we travel around in the truck with Nation to check on dogs and cats at people s houses. It s always interesting to see where people live. Most houses are 1 or two small rooms. Some people have water and electricity, others don t. Outhouses and outdoor kitchens are not uncommon. Most of people s time is spent outside because the weather allows it year round. The hospitality in Botswana is exceptional. We are invited to supper regularly and treated with respect and appreciation. Kenny and Vasco Botswanan children Sherisse and I will be back next year! MAWS has a website ( if you are interested in learning more about the charity. Here s to all volunteers, those dedicated people who believe in all work and no pay. Robert Orben Dr. Gina and Dr. Sharisse in Botswana T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 3

4 The PVHS Foster Program If you enjoy taking care of animals but aren t quite ready for one of your own or if you just want to help take care of some homeless animals for a while then fostering might be a good fit for you. You can have pets of your own as well but you should have enough space to be able to isolate the foster animal if necessary, for example if the animal is sick. Animals sent out to foster care are typically dogs that have been at the shelter for a long time and need a break from the kennels, dogs or cats recovering from surgery or illness before they can be put up for adoption, or puppies or kittens who are not yet old enough for adoption. The shelter provides all the supplies (food, bedding, toys, litter etc.) as well as needed veterinary care and you supply the animal with love, attention and basic training for a defined period of time. Afterwards the animal is returned to the shelter for adoption, although foster parents always have the first opportunity to adopt the animal if they choose to do so. However this is not a trial adoption program. You do not get to pick which animal you get to foster. Once you have filled out the foster application form and indicated what types of animals you are willing to foster you will be contacted when a suitable animal needs a temporary home. Fostering a dog or cat can be a very rewarding experience and the whole family can be involved. If you would like to be a PVHS foster parent you can call the shelter manager, download the foster application form from our website or pick up a copy at the shelter during public hours. The shelter is about to undertake a much needed renovation project of our dog kennels and we would like all our dogs to be in foster homes while the renovations are happening. If you would like to foster one of our current dogs please fill out a foster application form and let the shelter manager know which dog you would like to foster. The Pembina Valley Humane Society is so excited for our upcoming kennel repair project! We re aiming to have construction start mid to late April. Once completed we ll have seamless kennels and durable epoxy finished floors which will be more sanitary and easier for our volunteers to clean! Now that s something to wag your tail about! Thank you so much to Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, The Winkler Community Foundation and The Thomas Sill Foundation their donations towards this project. We wouldn t be able to move forward with it without your support! T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 4

5 APRIL 8 Up-Coming Events! Steak Rocks Bar and Grill MAY 6 Hot Dogs for Hotdogs Adoption Fair and Giant Tiger in Morden JUNE 3 Morden Block Centennial Park JUNE 10 (Altona) + JUNE 11 (Morden) Steps for Pets Annual Walk-a-thon Shelter Wish List CLUMPING cat litter Dog and cat treats Wet dog and cat food Black garbage bags Medium size dog Kongs T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 5

6 Tell me a bit about yourself, your family, your pets. I live with my husband and two daughters aged 5 and 11 in Morden. We have one dog who is 8, and 3 cats who are 3, 9 and 10 years old. How long have you been fostering animals? We have been fostering animals for 4 years. What made you decide to become a pet foster parent? We initially decided to start fostering to see if our family was ready for a cat and we wanted to be able to give an animal from the Humane Society a break and a better chance at finding its forever home. Esther with her cat Teddy What are some of the challenges involved? Some of the greatest challenges we have faced when fostering animals are when an animal is very young and needs to be fed on a schedule. We fostered a 3 week old kitten who needed to be syringe fed initially every 3 to 4 hours. This takes a lot of time and commitment to a schedule but fortunately all members of our family were willing to help out and it ended up being a great experience. Introducing the foster animal to our own pets can also be a challenge as our cats especially are not thrilled to have their territory invaded. What are some of the rewards? Esther s daughter Ella with Teddy It is very rewarding to see an animal thriving in a home environment where they are exposed to the sights, smells and sounds of a busy household. Getting extra kitty cuddles is its own reward. Have you ever adopted one of your foster animals? We have had one foster fail, our most recent addition, our cat Teddy. His cuddliness won us over. Would you recommend the program to others? I would really recommend fostering to others, especially those who are thinking of adopting and are not sure whether a pet would fit into their household. A very important point to consider for potential foster or adoptive parents is whether or not they have the time to dedicate to the care of the animal. Cats are a better fit for those who work and are not home during the day. T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 6

7 Stanley is a 2 ½ year old neutered male. He is a pleasant companionable cat who is quite easygoing. He s not a big lap cat but he enjoys being petted and likes to sit near you and just hang out with you. Stanley enjoys playing with his cat toys. He s well behaved and he gets along well with other cats. He s seeking a home as a family pet. Baby Girl is a 3 ½ year old spayed female. She is a very sweet cat who loves to be petted. She s very gentle and good natured. She does well with other cats once she s had a chance to get to know them. She s expected to well with children and she s seeking an indoor home as a family pet. She s rather overweight so it would be best if her new owners did not free-feed her. Tanya is a 7 year old spayed female shepherd mix. She is a calm, relaxed, low energy senior dog, perfect for a family looking for a dog that s not too active and doesn t need too much exercise. She walks well on a leash and likes being around people. She s okay with other dogs who don t crowd her personal space. Moose is a giant 11 month old puppy who is working on manners and basic training. He is playful, affectionate and smart. He knows his name, sit and fetch and he walks well on a leash. He s very people-focused. He s a very active dog who will need a lot of exercise, playtime and calm, consistent training. See all our available pets at T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 7

8 We would like to thank our sponsor Nutrisource for donating all the dry food for the dogs and cats in our care. We would also like to thank Dr. Gina Bowen for providing excellent ongoing veterinary care for our animals. Shelter Hours Tues/Sat 12-5 Wed/Thurs/Fri 6-9 Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished. Dean Koontz Sun/Mon/holidays closed Contact Us At Outside of a dog, a book is man s best friend. Inside of a dog it s too dark to read. Groucho Marx pvhsociety.ca (website) 462 Jefferson St. Morden, MB, R6M 0G3. (204) (phone) (204) (fax) pvhs@live.ca ( ) What greater gift than the love of a cat. Charles Dickens T h e P a w P r i n t S p r i n g Page 8