If it wasn’t for supporters like you, Network for Animals could not do its work to help hundreds of animals worldwide. It’s been another busy month. Here are your donations in action:
Greece
On the small Greek island of Ithaca, the population of street cats has exploded. Because of COVID-19, no vet had visited the island for two years to conduct spay and neuter programs. The situation has become so serious that hundreds of cats are roaming the streets, left to breed, starve and die. When local cat lovers asked for our help, we didn’t hesitate. To solve the problem, we struck a deal with a vet from the neighboring island of Kefalonia. Thanks to your help, we managed to raise enough to pay for the vet’s journey to the island and to conduct a spay and neuter program for as many street cats as he could in one weekend. The vet also gave the cats a full medical exam. By the end of the weekend, 48 cats had been successfully sterilized. The job is not over yet, but the vet has agreed to revisit the island soon, and we have paid him to sterilize 100 cats. If our supporters help fund and support this initiative, we promise we will continue until we have sterilized every street cat on the island, of which it’s estimated there are 300.
The Philippines
In the Philippines, street dogs are a common sight, surviving on whatever scraps can be found. But what’s worse is when a dog is kicked out of his home and left to fend for himself because he is sick! That’s what happened to Jack the Labrador. Jack was found thin and weak, suffering from cancer, searching for a family to take him in. When we heard the story, we called on our supporters to help us save Jack. Thanks to you, one of our representatives in the Philippines was able to personally take care of Jack and get him the costly medical treatment and nourishment he desperately needed.
Thailand
In Thailand, conditions for street dogs are rapidly deteriorating as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. In the area around our partner, the Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary, dogs living on the streets suffer immensely. Puppies are born on the streets; dogs are regularly hit by cars and hundreds are starving. Making it worse, travel restrictions have prevented veterinarians from visiting the sanctuary. It was clear that urgent intervention was needed, so we called on your support for an ambitious project that we believe could save thousands of lives. With your donations, the Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary will be able to launch one of the largest-ever spay/neuter and emergency surgery clinics as soon as a team of vets can enter the country and be mobilized. Thanks to you, the Sangkhlaburi Animal Sanctuary can now stock necessary anesthesia for surgery and essential medicines, plus secure lodging agreements for visiting veterinarians. While the dogs are under anesthesia being sterilized, each will be vaccinated for rabies and humanely ear-tipped, which local authorities recognize and know that the animal cannot breed. We’ve estimated that more than 5,000 strays will be helped with this program. But we could never do it without your help!
Zimbabwe
In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, a criminal syndicate, or “donkey mafia,” kidnaps donkeys and uses them to transport firewood and sand to sell to townspeople. The donkeys are stolen from their owners and forced to travel a grueling 31-mile (50-kilometer) route, with cartloads weighing up to a ton. Once these creatures have served their purpose, the mafia carelessly abandons them with no food or water. In search of food, the exhausted, hungry creatures wander into nearby farmlands and eat vegetables and maize grown by farmers. This infuriates the farmers, and many have taken to beating the donkeys, throwing boiling water at them or, worse, hacking at them with axes, to TEACH THEM A LESSON!
With the help of our supporters, we were able to rescue a sweet donkey who had five gaping axe wounds. We named her Ariel and rushed her to the MARES donkey sanctuary, which Network for Animals supports. After an intense three-hour surgery to stitch her wounds closed – a total of 72 stitches, Ariel is on the road to recovery. We also discovered that Ariel is PREGNANT!
In Harare, Zimbabwe, the Friend Animal Foundation (FAF) faced closure after its owner died. COVID-19 has caused Zimbabwe’s economy to collapse, and the number of abandoned dogs has skyrocketed because people can no longer afford to feed them. FAF was running dangerously low on money and faced closure. If that happened, the 450 dogs living there would have faced death if they could not find homes. In desperation, FAF called on us to help. It was heartbreaking to see so many innocent animals needing love and care. We could not stand by and leave them to a terribly sad and cruel fate. Thanks to our supporters, we have solved immediate food issues and have pledged to provide solutions to improve the conditions.
Jordan
Stray dogs in Jordan are routinely shot, run over by cars, and poisoned! Some of these practices are disguised as population control, such as feeding street dogs poison-laced food. But mostly, it is pure cruelty. We could not just stand by and let this cruelty happen, so we called on you, our supporters, to help. Thanks to you, we raised funds to support our on-the-ground partners, the Al Rabee and Al Rahmeh sanctuaries, to continue rescuing, rehoming and treating as many dogs as possible. We are also working to initiate mass spay and neuter programs to prevent more dogs from being born into a life of hell. And lastly, we are increasing our efforts to raise awareness and let the world know about this horror. We will keep you updated on our progress.
The USA has many kind people who adopt dogs from Jordan but, sadly, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be implementing a ban starting 14 July 2021 on importing dogs into the USA from 113 countries, and Jordan is on that list, making things more challenging. We won’t give up on our furry friends and will always do everything we can to improve the situation for dogs in Jordan.
United Kingdom
Last year, we helped prevent twelve ponies in England (we call them the ”Dartmoor Dozen”) from being shot when their owner was evicted from his land and left them to starve. With our partner, the HUGS Foundation, we saved the Dartmoor Dozen and relocated them to the safety of the HUGS shelter in Bodmin. Now we are thrilled to tell you that nearly all have been rehomed.
Even Gloria, who was highly traumatized and needed long-term care, is now quickly improving and running to meet staff when she sees them near her field. HUGS is confident that she is going to find her forever home soon. This is Gloria today. We thought this photo might make you laugh.
South Africa
In the poor township of Westlake in South Africa, ”pet” dogs suffer lives of abuse, neglect and sickness, while the life of ownerless street dogs and cats is an almost unimaginable horror. We’ve routinely seen dogs suffering from mange, eye infections and sexually transmitted diseases, foraging on whatever scraps they can find. Now it’s winter in South Africa, and the dogs are hungrier than ever, in the cold, wet weather. They are also at risk of getting diseases like distemper, parvo and rabies. Our partner, Fur-Get-Me-Knot, works in the township providing weekly food distribution, sterilizations and vaccinations. They called on us to help them purchase urgent vaccines to vaccinate hundreds of dogs and our supporters responded. As a result, vaccinations are underway. Once again, we couldn’t have done it without animal lovers like you.
South Africa
Remember the walking mass of hair that you helped us rescue with the help of our partner, Fallen Angels? Wookiee, the dreadlocked dog, was found wandering the streets alone in the pouring rain in Cape Town, South Africa. His fur was so overgrown, matted and reeking of filth that at first, no one could recognize him as a dog! We asked for your help and thanks to you, Wookiee received the medication and care he needed. And the good news is Wookiee has found his forever home! One of the veterinary staff who helped Wookiee on the day of his rescue fell in love with him and took him home. Wookiee adores his new mom, Kushka Singh, and follows her wherever she goes. Unfortunately, it was later discovered that Wookiee has malignant melanoma in his mouth, which he has since had surgically removed. But he is receiving all the care and pain management treatment he needs to help him get through this setback, and Kushka has told us that he is a very happy dog and is doing very well.
In Hangberg, Cape Town, many dogs endure severely harsh lives. Unemployment in Hangberg is rife, and gangsterism and drug abuse are prevalent. Unfortunately, it’s the animals who suffer most. When we received a call from our partner, Shaygam Newman, about 12 dogs who desperately needed medical care, we provided medical treatment for all of them.
One dog, Bruno, was found cold and abandoned on the street. He’d been stolen by gangsters – most likely to be used in illegal dogfighting. When the team found him, he lay motionless in the street, suffering from a broken leg. Thankfully, donations from our supporters made it possible for us to pay for the (successful) surgery to keep Bruno’s leg!
Thanks to your help, Network for Animals fights for every single animal’s life. Once again, thank you for your generous donations, which have made these life-saving campaigns possible.
