Focus on animals’ health
RECENTLY recognised as an official Non-Profit Organisation (NPO), Wild Coast Community Vet Clinic (WCCVC Chintsa Dogs), is making waves in and around the Chintsa community, helping pet owners with the health and well-being of their animals.
Started by Chintsa local, Dennis Taylor, the charity functions as part of the Safari4u veterinary student programme, which has been running since 2013.
“We utilise the vet students brought in through the Safari4u programmes and work with communities in and around the Wild Coast region in order to maintain the health of their animals,” Safari4u admin, marketing and student liaison officer, Alex Tweedie said
The charity, not to be confused with the Wild Coast Vet, visits community townships such as Chintsa, Mooiplaas, Kwelera, Soto, Ngxingxolo, Morgan Bay, Kei Mouth and Kefani and runs various animal well-being and healthcare treatment programmes.
WCCVC Chintsa Dogs treat mange outbreaks, assist in anti-parasite treatment, treat animals that have been injured in car accidents, fights, by fence wires or neglect. The charity also runs various community education programmes on the handling and treatment of pets and animals. “Many of the townspeople recognise us and seek our advice on issues concerning their pets, so it’s not that the owners of these animals don’t care, it’s simply that they don’t have the resources to care for them.”
The charity has also started a spay and neuter programme primarily for those who can’t otherwise afford the health care of their animals.
“By reducing populations, we can more easily control the disease outbreaks and the communities don’t have a further financial burden when puppies and kittens come along unexpectedly. Spaying and neutering also comes with other benefits such as the reduced risk of cancers such as mammary cancers and Transmissible Veneral Tumours arising in their pets,” Tweedie said.
Currently WCCVC Chintsa Dogs is solely funded by public donations.
While Wild Coast Vet assists the charity tremendously with an “at cost price” service for specific surgeries, this still comes to R500 per dog for a spay.
“The future vision for WCCVC is to, with the assistance of Safari4u, expand our spay and neuter programme so that it has established population control enough so that a vaccination project can be commenced for the benefit of the local community and the greater area in the long term,” Tweedie said.
In order to raise proceeds for their work, the charity is hosting a fundraising event tomorrow evening at 6pm at C Club in Chintsa East.
At R50 per person, their event, “Gone to the Dogs” promises to be an evening filled with happy music, good food and various raffle prizes to be won.
For more information please contact Tweedie at atweedieis@gmail.com or visit the Safari4u Facebook page for more information.
