Help Us Transform Uganda SPCA Haven Animal Shelter

When we updated you last, a National Environmental Management Authority representative had recently visited the new USPCA shelter site and reacted favorably to our appeal of their decision that the site was considered to be all wetland and not buildable. But we hadn't received a formal response yet to our appeal letter.

AND NOW WE HAVE AND IT WAS POSITIVE. NEMA OVERTURNED THEIR PREVIOUS DECISION AND WE NOW HAVE A NEMA CERTIFICATE THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE BUILDING ON 80% OF THE SITE, the portion of the site that is not wetland.

We had always intended to leave the wetland area in its natural state as a pleasant area for birdwatching and for visitors to walk through. 

The next step is to get the license from the planning authority. They have already visited the site a few times and we do not expect that to be an issue. Meanwhile, the NEMA certificate allows us to house more than 50 dogs at the new site, so have started to move more from the old place to the new. We're doing this slowly to allow everyone to acclimate.

We can't yet build or move more kennels, so we can't bring that cats over yet. But the kennels that are in place can hold many more dogs than 50. 

We will keep you updated-of course-as we move forward and continue in this transition. It's been a LONG time and we thank you for sticking with us throughout.  

Enjoy the pictures of the dogs entering their new, spacious home at the new shelter--getting out of a cage, off leash, for the first time in a long time. 

Links:

• USPCA page on the AKI website
• Our most recent AKI Blog post about USPCA & AKI-June 18
• Be aware: the Uganda dog rescue scam

We have some potentially good news! 

About a month ago, Uganda's National Environmental Management Authority acknowleged our request for an appeal to the blanket decision not allowing construction in or near wetlands. As we've said many times before in our updates and to NEMA (including in the Environmental & Social Assessment), the USPCA will not be building or affecting any on- or off-site wetlands.

In reponse to our appeal letter, a staff person from NEMA visited the USPCA's new plot and agreed that the upland, where the USPCA will place all structures and where all shelter activity will take place, was created when the expressway was built and as such, is legally upland (having once been wetland, but used to place fill from expressway construction--for which a permit was given) and available --as upland-- for the USPCA to build on. The NEMA wetlands expert also concurred that the proposed construction would not occur in the wetland nor impact wetlands on- nor off-site. 

When he was done with his visit, the NEMA expert told the USPCA representatives that a letter will be sent to USPCA management with the decision on the appeal, which could take about 6 weeks. 

We hope and think that we'll soon be able to re-start our move to the new USPCA shelter location. We can't imagine anything legal that could get in the way of NEMA re-issuing a more reasonable, just decision. 

Meanwhile, the new site continues to house fewer than 50 dogs (50 dogs is the limit without NEMA permission). Two caretakers work at the new site. The dogs have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, given parasite treatments, and receive 2 meals a day, and always have fresh water. They do look like happy, well-cared for dogs-as you can see in the pictures. 

We're still making sure, thanks to donations to AKI, that all of the ~350 cats and dogs under the USPCA's care are fed twice a day. Donations to AKI also pay 100% of salaries of all USPCA staff. BUT Land Fund donations remain in our Land Fund for the day that we can return to building the new shelter and move all cats and dogs!

In the meantime, enjoy a few recent adoption photos (all cats and dogs are spayed/neutered before adoption, or if too young, shelter manager Jackie contacts them when it's time and they are s/n'd after adoption--no one ever gets away from Jackie without spay/neuter!).

As always, we'll keep you posted on progress of the new shelter site. 

Links:

• USPCA website
• USPCA page on the AKI website
• Our most recent AKI Blog post about USPCA & AKI-June 18