Animal Welfare Uganda Project #25743

Help Us Transform Uganda SPCA Haven Animal Shelter

by Animal-Kind International

Help Us Transform Uganda SPCA Haven Animal Shelter

Project Report | Mar 27, 2024
USPCA: Updates & Some Changes Coming in 2024

By Karen Menczer | Executive Directive, Animal-Kind International

Adopted! Lucky dog and lucky new "mom"

Hello to all of you who so kindly and generously support our Partner Organization, Uganda SPCA,

I'm going to stick to "progress" and not predictions, since this is a Progress Report! But I expect that in our next GlobalGiving Progress Report, I'll be telling you about some major changes (i.e., progress). But if you follow the Animal-Kind International Blog (see the most recent blog post about Uganda SPCA, below, under "Links"), and if you receive our monthly AKI newsletters (you can subscribe HERE -AKI's Home Page), you'll hear about the changes even sooner.

Although we don't have progress to report on as far as new construction and moving into the new site, we have seen progress as far as adoptions, visitors to/volunteers at the USPCA Haven, and community work.

First, adoptions: I'm attaching some pictures of the most recent ones, including one lucky dog; two puppies adopted together; and a grey kitty going to a forever home. These are just a few of several USPCA adoptions since January 2024.

Volunteers: In early February, the USPCA welcomed a few volunteer vets to help with spay/neuter at The Haven (see picture). It's very easy to fall behind on spay/neuter surgeries of rescued cats and dogs when there are so many new rescues every week.

In January, Lara brought a group of people to The Haven, who donated food and spent time playing with puppies (see 2 pictures).

Those are just two examples of visitors and volunteers that the USPCA has welcomed in 2024.

Community work: The USPCA is continuing their work in local communities, encouraging everyone to spay/neuter their pets and providing free spay/neuter.

About a year ago, the USPCA spayed a family's white dog, and now-in early March-that family asked the USPCA to return to spay their brown dog (pictured) and their cat. The USPCA picks up the animals from the family, the surgery takes place at The Haven, and then, once recovered, the USPCA returns the pet to the family (or in some cases, to the community, if the dog or cat has no family, and if the community wants the animal back--as long as they know the animal will be safe and well-treated).

Sometimes community work entails more than spay/neuter. For example, Scooby had TVT, a form of cancer that is transmissable between dogs and is common among unneutered animals. The USPCA was called to help Scooby (see picture). They brought Scooby to the shelter, where he is receiving TVT treatment. The cancer is curable, and when Scooby's treatment is completed, he'll be returned to his family.

The USPCA puts top priority on taking good care of the shelters' rescued/abandoned animals --about 350 of them--and we are grateful that with your help, we've been able to give them the best care. As always, so much more has happened at the USPCA Haven (both shelters) than we can report on and post pictures about here. But please stick with us as we move forward, make changes, improve, and together rejoice at the progress yet to come.

Two very lucky puppies & 2 very lucky people

A beautiful gray kitty gets adopted!

One of a few vets who volunteered for spay/neuter

USPCA friend, Lara, brought a group to the shelter

Lara's group played with the puppies

Community work: the USPCA spayed this dog & a cat

Scooby was taken to The Haven for TVT treatment

Links:

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Nov 29, 2023
Uganda SPCA in challenging times

By Karen Menczer | Executive Directive. Animal-Kind International

Alex successfully removes kitty from pit latrine

It wasn't supposed to be like this. By now, we thought we'd be fully shifted from the old Haven into the new USPCA shelter. We thought the old shelter would be closed down by now, we'd have no more rent payments, no double utility bills.

But up until about 10 months ago, we didn't know that Uganda's National Environmental Management Authority had new rules that allowed up to only 50 dogs at a site without submitting an environmental review and getting a NEMA permit (of course the USPCA has more than 300 cats and dogs, close to 300 dogs, about 50 cats). We didn't know that the USPCA would have to re-register as a trust to own property, a recent change to Uganda's legal framework governing land ownership (the re-registation was completed).

We didn't know we'd be paying rent for more than a full year beyond what we had planned for.....rent that would have almost covered one year of food for the dogs and cats at the two shelters.

All of these extra costs have taken a toll on the USPCA's budget.

And then there's the unprecedented number of rescues that the USPCA has made this year, especially during these last 6 or so months with many mama dogs and cats and their large litters (it seems street dogs and cats ALWAYS have large litters!).

In response to this, Animal-Kind International has created a USPCA Pet Food Fund to raise money to ensure the shelters' dogs and cats get the food they need to thrive. This is a separate effort, apart from this GlobalGiving project, but an important one to help ensure the USPCA can continue to operate at the two locations until approvals are obtained to fully occupy the new space. And this will allow the USPCA to continue their lifesaving rescue work. For example.......

On November 28, Shelter Manager, Alex Ochieng, rescued a kitten from a pit latrine that he had fallen into 3 days earlier! After a good bath and food, a de-wormer too, he is recovering at the old Haven. (See photos of when the kitty was rescued, when bathed, and when on the comfort of Alex's lap)

Assistant Shelter Manager, Jackie, was on a boda boda when she saw a puppy in the middle of the road. She jumped off, telling the boda drive to wait for her, grabbed the puppy, put her in her hand bag, and headed back to the shelter. This cute puppy was quickly adopted by a family who loves her. (See photos of when Jackie grabbed the pup off the road and her new forever family)

A mama and her 4 puppies, living in a culvert during a heavy rain, were reported to the USPCA. The caller was concerned that the culvert would be over-run with water and the puppies would drown. The USPCA team rushed to the site in Bugolobi, got on their bellies to scoot into the culvert to get to the puppies, as mama looked on. They were able to rescue all 4 puppies and mama joined her family at the USPCA Haven.

This is just a tiny snippet of the rescues that USPCA has undertaken in the last few months. We hope to bring you a Progress Report full of positive news in 2024. Meanwhile, thank you for standing with us and the USPCA.

Bathing the kitty after pit latrine experience

A clean, happy, lucky kitty

Jackie spots a stray puppy in danger & grabs her

Lucky puppy is adopted quickly!

Going into the culvert to get the puppies out

Mama & 3 puppies safe & dry (the 4th-not pictured)

Links:

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Aug 5, 2023
50 dogs enjoying the new USPCA site

By Karen Menczer | Executive Directive, Animal-Kind International

Dogs exhausted after a long day at play

I've mentoined in previous updates that development plans at the USPCA's new site are on hold due to the renewed National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) focus on wetland protection. Also, in the updated Environmental Protection Act, developments that will house more than 50 dogs require a "Project Brief," essentially a mini-Environmental Impact Assessment.

One of the requirements is that the Project Brief must be prepared by a Team Leader who is registered with NEMA. We've identified a local, NEMA-registered EIA Practitioner, who has agreed to work with us on the Project Brief at a very reasonable cost.

However (there always seems to be a "however"), the process to get the land registered under a USPCA Trust (legal advice was to register the land separately under a Trust with a governing body of Trustees) is hampering our progress. All the legal paperwork must be in place prior to submitting our environmental documentation to NEMA.

But the good news is that as of now, 50 dogs are enjoying the new USPCA premises. They have free run of the large grounds-enclosed by a fence built with funds raised as part of this GlobalGiving project. Their kennels are open during the day so that they can enjoy time with other dogs, or, if they choose, go to their kennel and if they are really tired or shy, into the dog house in their kennel.

But most decide they want to explore, play, and enjoy the green grass and natural environment at the new shelter....and then just collapse in exhaustion wherever they may be at the time.

Although it's impossible to say excactly when we expect to be able to move all dogs and cats to the new site, we are trying to work quickly and diligently within the confines of the system....which we have no choice, but to comply with, of course.

We all wish that all 300 dogs could enjoy the new site--and it is beyond time for that to happen. But for now, we are grateful that these 50 dogs are having the times of their lives. And we will do everything possible to get through these procedures so that we can start building again and move all cats and dogs over.

At the new Haven, dogs get to run free

Dog beds are stuffed with grass clippings, comfy!

Links:

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