The Fisantekraal Animal Welfare (FAW) reached its target of sterilising 50 animals in Fisantekraal on Wednesday July 13.
The sterilisation drive was held in partnership with EnviroVet Community Veterinary Clinic (CVC) which provided the services of two veterinarians and two assistants, for the procedures and raised the funds through the South African Veterinary Association(SAVA) CVC to cover the costs of the sterilisations.
FAW marketer Jenni Davies said the drive was very important, especially in an area such as Fisantekraal, which has an average of two dogs per household.
“Animal overpopulation is a big challenge in the area, which often leads to the neglect and abuse of animals.
“The number-one goal of any animal welfare organisation is to get around 70 to 80 percent of the animals in a community sterilised.”
EnviroVet CVC is a satellite community veterinary clinic, which falls under the umbrella of SAVA CVC. EnviroVet CVC was started in 2011 by Dr Annelize Roos, whose team has been involved in many sterilisation projects in and around Cape Town.
“Although our main focus is on sterilisation, owner education is very important to promote responsible pet care.
“For female dogs, sterilisation helps to prevent cancer. They become more homely but still maintain their watchdog ability. For male dogs, this helps them become less aggressive and prevents any genital problems from occurring,” said Dr Roos.
The animals were picked up and dropped off by FAW volunteers, who had signed them up for the sterilisation prior to the day.
“We had a positive response from the community, but a big challenge we face is pit bull breeders, who are not keen on having their dogs sterilised,” said Ms Davies.
She added: “The sterilisations were done for free, this while the cost of a private practice sterilisation is between R1 000 to R2 000 for dogs and between R9 00 to R1 000 for cats.”
Fisantekraal resident and FAW volunteer Terro Bambelo has been a great help to the organisation, acting as a link between it and the community.
“I saw the way animals were being treated and wanted to help make a change in my community.
“The owners would often mistreat their animals and then be surprised by the animals reaction. There are a lot of aggressive dogs in the area, which often leads to dog fights.”
FAW and veterinarians from the Panorama Vet Clinic will hold another sterilisation drive on Saturday July 30.
While FAW held a successful sterilisation campaign, they are currently experiencing a dip in animal adoptions.
They have 27 dogs, six cats, one puppy and two rabbits in their care.
FAW, however, does not have a shelter and boards their animals at the Uitsig Animal Rescue Centre (Uitsig ARC) in Melkbosstrand.
“It costs around R200 per month per dog for their board and lodging. We have around 16 animals that are unhomeable and will remain at Uitsig ARC,” said Ms Davies, adding that there was usually a drop-off in adoptions during winter.
“This is fairly common for all welfares. I’ve tried to research the phenomenon and have come up empty-handed.
“Personally, I think it’s a great time to adopt,” she said.
More than half of the dogs in their care have been waiting for at least a year or two.
“The sad fact is, the longer they wait, the longer they will wait.
“A third of our dogs are male and most people do not want males. Dogs older than five also tend to wait.”
Ms Davies said the adoption process is straightforward but geared towards the safety, health and happiness of the animal.
“You contact us, and we arrange for you to meet the animals. A basic home check is done, and once this is approved, the forms are signed and adoption fees paid,” she said, adding that the fees range from R350 to R650, depending on the age of the animal.
The fees cover the cost of sterilisation, basic vaccination, a micro chip and deworming.
“The fees also go towards covering the costs of the animal’s board and lodging while they wait to be adopted,” said Mr Davies, who adds that they are not making any profits off these adoptions.
For more information, contact 084 519 0380 or info@faw.za.org