Vetnuus | Januarie 2024 20 « BACK TO CONTENTS Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the City of Cape Town and local animal welfare organisations nearly 15 000 pet sterilisations have been achieved in impoverished communities in and around the Mother City in the last decade. At the most recent outreach, 1500 animals were targeted in Macassar and Eersterivier. The Mass Animal Sterilisation Project (MASP) has cost the city R6million thus far. “Animal welfare is a critical part of community health and upliftment initiatives,” said Karen de Clerk, chairperson of the Cape Animal Welfare Forum (CAWF). “Our grateful thanks to the City of Cape Town for their continued support. This positive intervention will reduce the instance of unwanted litters substantially.” During November, 12 animal welfare organisations and 9 veterinary surgical teams under CAWF set up makeshift clinics in community halls, volunteering their time and skills for the project. Dr Hilldidge Beer, veterinary surgeon at EberVet Community Veterinary Care and CEO of the EberVet Petcare Group, said her team would most certainly take part in the programme again next year. “Our staff were delighted to be part of this initiative, to the see the results and to hear from pet owners how grateful they were for the assistance. This programme is making a big dent in animal numbers; long may it continue. We commend the City of Cape Town and the Cape Animal Welfare Forum for this excellent collaboration.” Samanatha Mann, clinic co-ordinator at EberVet Community Veterinary Care (CVC) and a representative of The Outreach Program animal welfare organisation, said the experience had been incredibly heartwarming, despite initial resistance from some pet owners. “The highlight for me of this whole project was how grateful the pet owners were for the help.” EberVet CVC was allocated Electric City in Eersterivier where it secured the Step Up Ministeries church hall as a venue for the clinic and where seven of its veterinarians and dozens of volunteers sterilised 145 pets. It has another 20 to sterilise which it will do at EberVet Pet Clinic in Strand over the next two weeks. All animals were also protected with parasite control. v An initiative of the SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION Non-profit Company: 1998/016654/08 Non-profit Organisation: 000-234 NPO Public Benefit Organisation: 130001321 CVC News I CVC Nuus Sterilisation collaboration makes significant impact By Toni Younghusband
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