www.thebigfixuganda.org WHY THE BIG FIX MATTERS Most of us can t begin to imagine what the people and animals of Northern Uganda went through during 20 years of war. The chaos and trauma of war resulted in extreme poverty and suffering, and a daily life that is difficult beyond our comprehension. Throughout all of this, dogs have done what they do everywhere: love people unconditionally. In a chaotic life, dogs have a way of making things better. That s true whether you are in Beverly Hills or Gulu, Uganda. The BIG FIX operates the ONLY veterinary hospital in Northern Uganda, a region home to more than 2 million people and tens of thousands of dogs. We are here to help these best friends 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Can you imagine living in a place where there was no veterinary hospital and no help for our beloved dogs when they were sick, injured, or suffering? We can t either. That s why we work hard every day to serve the animals of Northern Uganda and the people who love them. Thank you for being part of this mission. It matters.
Our Work: Operation of Northern Uganda s only Veterinary Hospital Animal Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Re-Homing Animal Welfare Education Animal Kindness Clubs Dog Companionship Program for War Trauma Survivors JUST ONE STORY This is Lamaro Hope and his 6 week old puppy, Silver. This little boy loves Silver with all his heart so when Hope found a worm crawling out of his puppy s flesh, he ran to The Big Fix Dog Hospital and asked for help. Upon examination, Silver was found to have numerous mango fly larvae on different parts of his body, especially on the ears and legs. Like most puppies in Uganda, Silver was also not in great condition. Our vet team extracted the mango fly larvae, administered de-worming and other medications, and gave Hope instructions for keeping Silver happy and healthy. Now Silver and Hope have a great chance at a happy future, as they deserve. SIX YEARS: MORE THAN 60,000 ANIMALS SERVED! Since August 2012, The BIG FIX Uganda has held 363 village field clinics, treated 61,235 animals, and performed 5,875 surgeries. We have visited more than 150 schools and reached well over 100,000 students and teachers with our animal welfare education programs.
SOME HOSPITAL PATIENTS (Left) This is Akello Vicky and her 6 month old female dog Priscak. Vicky says Priscak is very loving and a good leader. She brought Priscak to The Big Fix to get her spayed. The Big Fix gave Priscak a rabies vaccination, de-wormed her, gave her flea/tick treatment, spayed her, and gave her a dog collar. Vicky paid what she could afford, 5,000 shillings (about $1.40), and our generous donors covered the balance of the cost of providing this care to Priscak. Vicky was very grateful! (Right) Meet beautiful Maxis, a 1 year old male cat cared for by the Olara family. Mrs. Olara requested that The Big Fix neuter Maxis. They praised Maxis for being very aggressive toward wild animals, an important quality for a cat who has the job of guarding the family s food storage! We neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed, and treated Maxis for fleas and ticks, all for what the Olara family could afford to pay, which was about 60 cents. Community members know that all animals are welcome at The BIG FIX Dog Hospital. We routinely see and help cats, goats (see left), chickens, cows, and even the occasional monkey!
HELPING ANIMALS IN THE VILLAGES Since our last UPDATE, during June and July,The BIG FIX Uganda worked in very remote areas of Northern Uganda: Atanga Sub county in Pader District and Koch Goma and Lii Sub counties in Nwoya Districts. Most of these areas have never had veterinary services offered. With our dedicated field team led by Dr. Bernard Agwai (Professor of Makerere University Vet School), we served 1,384 companion animals and their guardians, offering rabies vaccinations, de-worming, flea/tick treatment, treatment of wounds and injuries, and grooming/washing instruction and demonstration by our field educators. 247 spay/neuter and 2 other surgeries were performed. Our Field Educators helped to wash and groom 572 dogs and exchanged 438 unsafe neck restraints (wire, chains, etc.) for rope. Our Field Educator Supervisor commented that the number of ropes given was lower than other areas and explained because dogs in these areas are used for hunting, most dogs didn t need any restraint and stayed close by their guardians. People walked for miles to bring their animals and to receive The BIG FIX services. Dogs were carried in baskets, sacks, wheelbarrows, and in people s arms. The kind man shown (right) wrapped his beautiful blue-eyed cat in a sack and carried him for the multiple-hours-long walk to our clinic site.
THE BIG FIX RECEIVES GRANT FROM ALBERT SCHWEITZER ANIMAL WELFARE FUND The BIG FIX is deeply honored to report that our animal welfare education program has received a grant from the Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund. The grant in the amount of $3,000 will be used to assist us in reaching students, teachers, and parents through our school outreach. Our education program includes teaching The Five Animal Freedoms, and empowering students to advocate for animal rights through debate, art, and dramatic performances, and demonstrating positive human-dog interactions. Born in 1875, Albert Schweitzer was sensitive to the suffering of all living things even as a child. At age 21, after receiving doctorates in music, theology, and philosophy, he declared he would live for science and art until age 30, and then he would devote the rest of his life to serving humanity. True to his word, he worked tirelessly to promote his mission and in 1913, established a missionary hospital at Lambaréné, Gabon (then French Equatorial Africa). Dr. Schweitzer was recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. Schweitzer died at Lambaréné in 1965 at the age of 90. From www.schweitzerfund.org The BIG FIX Uganda s education program uses many different methods to communicate the importance of caring for our animals well. To the left is part of one of our many murals re-enforcing the knowledge that dogs need rabies vaccinations to stay healthy.
IMPROVING HOSPITAL STANDARDS AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES During June, Dr. Benard Agwai (Senior Veterinary Doctor/Trustee) spent a full week training our hospital and field teams to ensure that The BIG FIX Uganda s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were being carried out well. This training included everything from proper hand washing and drying (as shown below) to vet nurse duties fo during surgical procedures and recordkeeping. The BIG FIX veterinary service SOPs are 93 pages long and all staff working on the team must demonstrate knowledge and competence before they are permitted to provide service to the animals. Our Field Educators are all war trauma survivors who have graduated from The Comfort Dog Project and shown exceptional devotion to and interest in helping animals in their communities. By working at our field clinics, as mentors, as dog trainers, and educators, these men and women have a chance to earn a small income to help support themselves and their families. It is a win-win situation!
WHAT IS THE COMFORT DOG PROJECT? In an area of extreme poverty and suffering, some people might wonder why The BIG FIX Uganda is giving dogs to war trauma survivors and teaching them how to groom and wash their dogs, and practice sit, stay, down, and come. Based on the science proving the transformative power of the human-dog bond, The Comfort Dog Project uses dog companionship as a key part of psycho-social rehabilitation for people whose lives have been plagued by the disabling symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Program participants have faced various horrific life experiences, ranging from being abducted as a child, raped for years, forced to serve as a soldier, or witnessing massacres of family members. Returning to normal after such experiences is a difficult battle, even after the war has ended. Unfortunately, mental health services are painfully lacking in this region, where professionals have estimated that up to 70% of the population suffers from some type of trauma-related symptoms. These symptoms (including nightmares, hypervigilance, anger, inability to trust others, flashbacks, and efforts to escape through alcohol or drugs) prevent war trauma survivors from functioning in society. Suicide rates in the region are high. Individuals selected to become Comfort Dog guardians have already demonstrated commitment to healing through attendance at our group counseling sessions for war trauma survivors. Prospective Comfort Dog guardians must complete a dog guardian education class, undergo home visits and family interviews, and sign a lifetime commitment to a dog. Placement of the Comfort Dogs themselves rescued from
difficult circumstances and rehabilitated to begin a new life is enveloped with mentorship and kinship from previous program graduates. A guardian coordinator makes regular visits to the homes of each new guardian, ensuring that the dogs and guardians are meshing well. At Saturday training classes, the new dog-guardian teams learn to achieve all sorts of amazing things walking well on a loose leash, sit, stay, down, come and work toward advanced maneuvers such as shaking hands, catching a Frisbee, walking on a bench, or rolling over. Every week, there are lectures about dog health and wellness, learning to advocate for animals, giving dog first aid, and opportunities to groom, wash, trim toenails, and, most importantly, for the guardians to sit quietly and pet their dogs. Individual and group counseling is offered by the project manager, a community psychologist. Over the course of 20 weeks, the dog-guardian teams not only are able to pass their certification test, something more miraculous happens: their PTSD symptoms start to disappear. The 2018 class, graduating in September, will be the fifth to complete this program. The past 4 classes have had 100% of participants graduate. Pre- and post-graduation assessments of PTSD symptoms demonstrate that working with the dogs has a direct impact on the severity of symptoms experienced by the guardians. Most of our 2015 graduates now have no symptoms of PTSD and are able to do something quite unexpected: smile again. That s dog love in action. UPDATE FROM THE COMFORT DOG PROJECT Reducing war trauma through the healing power of the human-dog bond Some of our current trainees in front of The BIG FIX Uganda s training area. There are two familiar canine faces amid the 2018 Comfort Dog Project graduating class: Mario (now Watber) and Pancake (now Nimaro).
Mario was certified as a Comfort Dog in 2016 and was raised from a puppy by his former guardian. Unfortunately, difficult life circumstances took his guardian away and Mario came to stay at The Big Fix. We had hoped that a reunion with his former guardian would be possible, but after nearly a year, Mario deserved a new home. Ognwen Bosco was paired with our wonderful bow-legged Mario and renamed him Watber which means Whoever Talks Should Tell The Truth. The two are a perfect match and both are doing well. Our sweet little dog formerly known as Pancake (shown below with her signature one ear up/one ear down look) came to The BIG FIX as part of a litter of puppies extremely ill with parvo virus. Most of the puppies died, but Pancake and a sister survived, along with their mother now Comfort Dog Gum who completed training in January 2018. Pancake warmed the hearts of our 2017 World Animal Day volunteer team as a playful, energetic puppy. Later, Pancake was placed in a foster home with the plan that she would begin training in April as a Comfort Dog. However, in April after she saw American friends at The Big Fix, she escaped from her foster home and refused to leave. Upon investigation, Pancake was removed from her foster, pending placement as a Comfort Dog trainee. A committee of CDP graduates pairs every new dog with every new guardian and the committee, again, did an excellent job. Adong Lucy was selected for Pancake because she, like Pancake, was seen as young and energetic. Pancake was named Nimaro by Lucy, which means I Feel Myself Being Loved Now Although I Have Been Abandoned. That name says it all.
ONE OF THE AMAZING PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE BIG FIX Meg Daley Olmert s book Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond culminates 30 years of research into a conclusion many of us would not argue: animals, especially dogs, make us feel better. This is the philosophy behind the hugely successful Warrior Canine Connection program which has paired dogs with American service members with PTSD. When we first had the idea of using dogs to help war trauma survivors in Northern Uganda, I thought, Why not consult with the top person in this field, Meg Olmert? Imagine my surprise when this incredibly talented, extremely busy phenom not only talked to me, but helped to develop The Comfort Dog Project, and even agreed to serve as our official project adviser! From the very beginning, Meg Olmert has kept The Comfort Dog Project in her heart and thoughts and has worked tirelessly to help the project succeed. Meg is one of our silent heroes whose efforts have an impact greater than she will ever realize. HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED We sincerely appreciate cash donations, which allow us to purchase the supplies we most critically need, and to pay our staff salaries in Uganda and other operating expenses. However, there are many other ways you can help us. Here are just a few. Collect dog collars for us. Dog collars improve the health and well-being of dogs in the villages, where only chains, wire, and other unsafe materials are available to tie or lead dogs. Shop on Amazon Smile and list The BIG FIX as your organization to support. And while you re shopping, check out our WISH LIST on Amazon at http://a.co/7bk2kqr Share this Update with others. Follow us on Facebook and share our posts. Come visit us in Uganda! Plan to be part of a future volunteer team.
ANIMAL KINDNESS CLUBS MAKING AN IMPACT Our Animal Kindness Clubs partnered with the Gulu District Police to make a number of community presentations aimed at educating about the criminal penalties in Uganda for crimes of animal neglect and acts of cruelty. Club members made drawings to illustrate their points about the rights of animals and the presence of the police made an impact. We face ongoing problems with dog poisonings in Uganda as well as incidents of cruelty. Most people did not realize that such acts against animals were a crime and we hope the number of cases in the future will be reduced as a result of this work. Each term the Animal Kindness Clubs program focuses on another key issue, with the aim of transforming our communities. This term, the aim is to reduce incidents of animal cruelty. Community attendance was high at our July primary school debate tournament in both the local language and in English. The topic was Resolved that those who commit acts of animal cruelty should face significant criminal penalties. The debate tournament was judged by a panel from the Northern Uganda Debate Association and the finals of the English debate will be held as part of the World Animal Day activities on October 4.
Life in Uganda is difficult. Dogs make it better. Help us take care of them. A special THANK YOU to our monthly donors Kara Donahue, Chris Eckerle, Kaitlyn Gagnon, Alexandra Gruskos, Erin Hoerig, Kelly Lyons, Posh Paws Petcare (Bonnie Ladwig), Sharon Rickard, Alice Porter, and Casey Harrison! We sincerely appreciate all who made donations to us in June and July 2018: Bonnie Ladwig, Cindy Chang, Ket Mee, Greg Rodriguez, Cynthia Clark, Bobby Raiford We are especially grateful to the sponsors of WORLD ANIMAL DAY 2018 in Uganda: Allison and Chris Laurel, Guardian Animal Medical Center, Darla Reagin/Nexgard, John Hinton, Andrea and Mike Kennedy/The Huut, Anonymous Donor in Northern California, Paradise Ridge Pet Clinic, Posh Paws Pet Care, Carolyn Scotton, and Patterson Vet Supply; and to our 2018 World Animal Day Volunteer Team, which will be arriving in Uganda on September 26: Dr. MJ Wixsom, Dr. Ellie Newcomb, and Rhea John! Sincere appreciation to those who donated critical supplies and equipment: Dr. Mariann Regnier, Project V.E.T.S., Allison and Chris Laurel, Linda Chandler, Providence Health International, and Dr. Andy Bidwell. Also to Ray and Joy Spragg for their work doing supply inventories! Thanks to those who volunteered their time and talent to help The BIG FIX: Allison Laurel (Special Campaigns Coordinator), Kelly Lyons (Social Media Coordinator), and Laura Baga (Fundraising/Promotion). You are all part of The BIG FIX Team and we could not help the animals without you. The BIG FIX Uganda is a project of Central Valley Coalition for Animals, an IRC 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, tax ID # 30-0019352. The BIG FIX Uganda is also registered as an International NGO in Uganda, registration number 0658. In the U.S., donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information, contact Sarah Schmidt, Project Coordinator, The BIG FIX Uganda, 8927 Sherman Valley Rd SW, Olympia, WA 98512; e-mail: SAS4dogs@outlook.com; telephone +1 (360) 259-9149.