Using Animal Care to Promote Empathy in Children

On June 24, the day before the clinic, the Swaziland Animal Welfare Society (SAWS) team travelled to Ekudvwaleni High School loaded with operating tables, other equipment, and drugs to set up the class rooms for an early start on Saturday morning.

Late in the afternoon Waterford AWARE (Animals Welfare and Rabies Education) students and teachers arrived, found their overnight accommodation at Vusumnotfo, unpacked and then drove to the school to see where things were and what was expected from them the next day.

Meanwhile, one of the Waterford teachers and a Vusumnotfo staff member were busy in the very basic kitchen preparing supper for the team (around 30), which we all enjoyed. Everyone opted for an early night as we would be up with the sparrows the next day.

Saturday dawned cool but dry and after a quick breakfast we were off to the school to start the long but rewarding day. When we arrived community members were already waiting for us.

The first step in the process was to check the animals against the registration list. We did this on a “first come, first serve” basis. Each animal was tagged according to “medical check” and “sterilized”. The 14 Veterinarians and a few more volunteers arrived around 8.00 am. For the next twelve hours the team worked like crazy, resulting in 54 animals being sterilized and another 115 receiving the necessary medical treatment. The last animal was discharged around 8.00 pm.

Thank you for providing the resources that helped make this amazing day happen.