Using Animal Care to Promote Empathy in Children

My dogs used to wander around looking for female dogs and you would find that wherever they are they attack people who are trying stop them from fighting. The community police had already warned me many times about the dogs and eventually promised to lay charges against me should the dogs bite another person. The dogs were troublesome indeed because sometimes they would attack people passing along the road nearby. The dogs had a lot of offences.

However, after being spayed they now stay at home and look well fed. My relationship with them has improved. Previously, it was not easy to put a leash around their neck when I needed to take them to the dip tank, but now they come to me willingly. Now I feel safe and my homestead secure because my dogs are always home to protect us

There is just one dog which is not spayed because it was young at the time when I spayed the others; it does not look as healthy and full of life as the others are, I therefore want to spay it too once it has grown.

Narrated by: Mandla 

Letami betiphuma lekhaya tiyofuna letinsikati, manje bowukhandza kutsi lengaphandle tiluma nebantfu labatsi bayatilamula umasetilwa. Besebasekhute kanyenti ngaletinja nemaphoyisa emmango asatsembisa kusibopha uma tiphindza tiluma lomunye umuntfu. Vele betiluhlupho ngobe lesinye sikhatsi bantfu betibasukela endleleni batihambela. Emacala aletinja abese amanyenti.

Kodvwa emvakwekuphakulwa setihlala lekhaya atisaphumi ligede futsi tikhuluphele. Budlelwane bami nato sebukhulile ngobe kucala nangifuna kutibamba bekuba lukhuni kepha nyalo sekumelula.

Imphilo yami nelikhaya lakitsi sekuhlala kuphephile ngobe letinja tihlala lekhaya futsi tiyasivikela. Uma umuntfu lovakashile nje atsi wanga umuntfu walekhaya, letinja tiye ticabange kutsi bayalwa bese tiyamvikela.

Kunayinye nje leyasala natiyophakulwa ngobe beyiseyincane, ayikahlambuluki njengaleti letinye, ngako-ke nayo ngifuna kutsi iphakulwe uma seyikhulile.

Ibhalwe ngu: Mandla 

Vusumnotfo recorded Mandla's story 7 months after the community spay day at Mshingishingini, through the use of Most Significant Change methodology. In response to the many requests that we are receiving, with your support, we would very much like to carry several more community spay days in May - August,  2015.