2015 Year End Report. - The BIG FIX Uganda Team

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1 2015 Year End Report Dear Friends and Supporters, Thank you for helping us to serve the animals of Northern Uganda during We are the only organization working for animals in this region, where the human population exceeds 2 million. Below are some of the loving animal guardians who, like us, are grateful for your support. We aim to make 2016 an even better year for the animals with your help. - The BIG FIX Uganda Team Found

2 During 2015, The BIG FIX Uganda accomplished the following: Organization Development Planned and designed Northern Uganda s first veterinary hospital and volunteer facilities. Obtained a grant from Dogs Trust for building of our hospital and facilities. Developed partnerships with Mission Rabies and University of Tennessee. Animal Birth Control and Animal Health Held 96 village field clinics which provided comprehensive free veterinary services. Treated 16,156 dogs and cats. Performed 1,067 surgeries including 1,003 spay/neuter surgeries. Treated cases of transmissible venereal tumors in dogs with surgery and/or chemotherapy. Participated in the Mission Rabies vaccination drive in Blantyre, Malawi. Conducted a comprehensive dog population survey in Nwoya District. Held a massive vaccination drive in Koch Goma Sub county/nwoya District with Mission Rabies. Held a vaccination drive in Amuru District. Carried out a Trap-Neuter-Return program for feral cats in Gulu Municipality. Provided training and field experience for veterinary students. Held a World Spay Day event. Operated a rabies surveillance and response program in Northern Uganda. Held a World Rabies Day event in Arua District in partnership with Uganda Veterinary Association. Humane Education Held an official launch of our story book Adongpiny & Tam-Pira: Best Friends Forever and distributed the story book to schools in Gulu District. Provided rabies and humane education to 27 schools, reaching 11,885 students, teachers & parents and visited an additional 20 schools. Produced a weekly radio talk show on Mega FM. Held a World Animal Day celebration including a parade honoring animals. Managed Animal Kindness Clubs in Northern Uganda. Development of Human-Dog Bonds Successfully trained and certified the first group of Comfort Dogs and their guardians. Prepared a report documenting the impact of the Comfort Dogs on PTSD symptom sufferers. Sent the Comfort Dogs and their guardians out to the villages to serve as ambassadors. Team Training Supported two of our veterinary surgeons in pursuing post-graduate studies in veterinary medicine. Sent one of our vet doctors for internship training at Halifax Humane Society in the U.S. Attended the 2015 Animal Care Expo. 2

3 Organization Development Building A Veterinary Hospital and Volunteer Center There is no veterinary hospital or diagnostic lab in Northern Uganda, a region with a human population of over 2 million. With the mission to improve the health and well-being of animals, the construction of the area s first hospital has been an important goal for The BIG FIX Uganda. In 2014, we acquired four acres of land in Koch Village, Gulu Municipality. During 2015, we received the advice and guidance of experts around the world to design the hospital. To fund the operation of the hospital, we also designed a staff/volunteer house which will allow us to administer an income-generating volunteer program. In September 2016, we received the news that Dogs Trust was awarding a grant to The BIG FIX Uganda to help build the hospital and house as well as a pole barn with kennels for housing of hospital patients. Our plans were approved and construction commenced in October 2016 and work is proceeding ahead of schedule. Our immediate needs in 2016 will be to raise the remaining construction funds needed, to equip the house and hospital, and to fund construction of a traditional Acholi roundhouse, to be used as an education center and meeting place for the Comfort Dog Project. The new facility will be ready for opening in June

4 Organization Development Partnering with Dynamic Organizations Thanks to our partnership with Mission Rabies and Worldwide Veterinary Service, in 2015 we were able to expand our services to Nwoya District, an area plagued by regular rabid dog cases. The 2015 Mission Rabies Uganda project included: Completion of a comprehensive dog population survey in Koch-Goma Sub county. Participation by two of our team members in the Mission Rabies Malawi vaccination drive in Blantyre which resulted in treatment of over 30,000 dogs. Delivery of a Rabies and Animal Kindness Education program to 27 schools, reaching 11,885 students, teachers & parents. Vaccination of 6,419 animals during a massive vaccination drive in Koch-Goma Sub county. Completion of a post-vaccination survey to confirm we had vaccinated over 70% of the dog population. We are very grateful to Mission Rabies/WVS and its sponsors and look forward to expanding our vaccination efforts to other areas of Nwoya District during During September, The BIG FIX Uganda hosted representatives of the University of Tennessee Knoxville in exploration of a partnership to benefit the animals of Northern Uganda. This trip resulted in development a summer internship program for U.T. vet students. Commencing 2016, the University of Tennessee will work with The BIG FIX Uganda and Makerere University s college of veterinary medicine to expand provision of animal health services in Northern Uganda as well as to help train future veterinary doctors. 4

5 Animal Birth Humane Control Education and Animal Health During 2015, The BIG FIX Uganda provided comprehensive free veterinary services at 96 village field clinics and teated 16,156 dogs and cats. Services were provided in Gulu, Nwoya, Arua and Amuru Districts and included rabies vaccination, de-worming, flea/tick treatment, general health examinations, spay/neuter, and treatment of wounds and injuries. As part of our animal birth control program, we performed 1,003 spay/neuter surgeries and carried out an ongoing Trap- Neuter-Return program for feral cats in Gulu Municipality. Our World Spay Day event focused attention on the need for sterilization and provided free services for hundreds of dog guardians. Our comprehensive free services included the performance of 64 surgeries including tumor excision, hernia repair, penal prolapse repair, and amputations. We also provided chemotherapy for cancer patients and saw a 100% remission rate. Our Rabies Surveillance and Response program included a mass public education campaign. Our office became the point of first reporting of suspected rabid dogs. In response to these reports, we carried out investigations, field tested suspected rabid dogs, vaccinated any exposed animals, and directed bite victims to obtain life-saving post-exposure treatment. In partnership with Uganda Veterinary Association, we hosted World Rabies Day events in Arua District. 5

6 Humane Education In connection with our Mission Rabies campaign, we provided rabies and humane education in 27 schools, reaching 11,885 students, teachers and parents. Our team members visited more than 20 additional schools during the year. The BIG FIX Uganda s education program focused on the sentience of animals, basic animal rights, animal health and wellness, rabies and dog bite prevention, and use of positive training methods. We communicated this important information through school outreach, management of 30 animal kindness clubs, a radio talk show, and organization of special events. During 2015, we distributed information posters and our story book Adongpiny & Tam-Pira: Best Friends Forever at schools throughout Gulu District. The launch of our story book in January 2015 marked publication of the first animal kindness book in the local language. We hosted a leadership training conference for our Animal Kindness Clubs in January 2015, empowering our clubs to carry out education campaigns in their schools and villages throughout the year. At villages throughout Northern Uganda, our Humane Officer taught hundreds of dog guardians to wash and groom their dogs, an exercise that promotes development of positive human-dog bonds and improves the quality of life for dogs. Thanks to our partner Dr. Tony Aliro (Gulu District Veterinary Officer), we were able to produce a regular weekly radio talk show on Mega FM. Our World Animal Day celebration in Uganda featured a parade, the reading of poems written by children, and speeches by area leaders recognizing the importance of eliminating animal suffering. 6

7 Developing Human-Animal Bonds The Comfort Dog Project uses animal companionship as an integral part of providing rehabilitation services for war trauma survivors suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. During 2015, we successfully implemented a training program with the dual aims of: (1) using positive reinforcement to achieve obedience certification of the Comfort Dogs, and (2) developing a strong bond between the Comfort Dogs and their guardians. Pre- and Post-program assessments demonstrated that the development of a human-dog bond helped war trauma survivors to significantly improve their symptom severity. At the graduation program in June 2015, the district s top leaders commended the innovation of The Comfort Dog Project and the achievements of our dog-guardian teams. Program graduates became ambassadors for The BIG FIX Uganda, and now teach others about the healing power of dogs, as well as how to train dogs using only love and kindness. 7

8 Since August 2012, The BIG FIX Uganda has: Treated 32,554 animals; Performed 3,019 surgeries; Held 234 village field clinics; Visited 97 schools; Provided over 62,885 students with humane education. Team Training During 2015, two of our veterinary doctors were sponsored in pursuing post-graduate studies at Makerere University. One of our vet doctors received an internship at Halifax Humane Society in the United States and two of our team members attended the 2015 Animal Care Expo, thanks to a grant from Humane Society International. Our Heartfelt Thanks To The BIG FIX Family Dr. James Acai, Dr. Tony Aliro, Anonymous Donor in Northern California, Kelsey Bock, Campbell Pet Company, Brenda Cramsey, Meghan Curtis, Dogs Trust, Dr. Katherine Fertig, Amanda Fiser, Nina & Scott Forrest, Dr. Brenda Forsythe, Marian Goldeen, Rachel Goldeen, Lisa Grusis, Julia Hanebrink, Ellen Hatfield, Tricia Hepner, John Hinton, Joy Howell, Humane Society International, Andrea & Mike Kennedy, Bonnie Ladwig, Rachel Leal, Lupine Pet, Makerere University CoVAB, Mega FM, Mission Rabies, Francis Monroe, On Shore Foundation, PetSafe, Project V.E.T.S., Bobby Raiford, Dr. Marianne Regnier, Gini Richardson, Edith Roberts, Erica & Enjay Santos, Joan Silaco, Denise Smith, Calli Taylor, Dr. James Ukwir, Ulster SPCA, University of Tennessee (Marcy Allard, Teresa Fisher, Jaime Norris, Adam Willcox), Dr. Tiffani Vaughn, Ellen Waggoner, Angela Vera, Catherine Whitney, and Worldwide Veterinary Service. We re all working together. That s the secret. -Sam Walton 8927 Sherman Valley Rd SW Olympia, WA SAS4Dogs@wildblue.net 8 Visit us on Facebook as The Big Fix Uganda and The Comfort Dog Project