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| ABOUT THE GHANA SOCIETY for the PROTECTION and CARE of ANIMALS (GSPCA) |
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Above: Participants at the second meeting (Dec 2011) of the revitalized GSPCA. |
The Ghana SPCA is coming back to life! They held meetings in November and December 2011, and for now, will continue these once-monthly meetings. At the December 2011 meeting, there were two vets (Dr. Odoom, who is a state vet, and Dr. Richard Suu-Ire, a longtime board member of the GSPCA and a dedicated animal welfare advocate), Ken the dog trainer, and David (one of the original founders) and Aluizah (not pictured), who has been with the GSPCA for years and is a journalist and photographer, and Carine, who has gotten everyone together to get the GSPCA to once again be an active, visible, voice for animals in Ghana.
Carine reported to AKI, “it seems we are ALL very committed to revive this group properly.” |
| History of the Ghana Society for the Protection and Care of Animals |
| Most countries in Africa have at least one animal welfare organization, usually an SPCA-Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or sometimes called, Society for the Protection and Care of Animals. On April 1, 2004, Ghana joined these countries, when the Ghana Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (GSPCA) was registered under the Ghana Companies Code. While Ghana's SPCA is a newcomer to the family of African SPCAs, its history is unique and the people involved bring many years of experience working in animal welfare before the GSPCA was officially registered.
Usually, British, American, or other expatriates, who move to an African country, realize there is a gap, and start an SPCA. That's not the case with the Ghana SPCA-it is Ghana-born and bred, started by two Ghanaians, David Nyoagbe and Roland Azantilow. David and Roland were involved with Animal Kindness Clubs, first as students in the clubs, then as student leaders, and later as Kindness Club Coordinators.
As Club Coordinators, David and Roland oversaw more than 200 Kindness Clubs all over Ghana, Roland working out of Kumasi, where he is a teacher, and David, working out of Accra, where he was in sales and marketing for Fanmilk.
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) used to sponsor Animal Kindness Clubs throughout Africa. These were clubs formed by students of all ages, bringing together anywhere from 10-80 children interested in learning more about animals and helping them. There were over 750 Kindness Clubs reaching over 60,000 students throughout Africa before WSPA decided, in 2006, to change their strategy, and stopped funding the Kindness Clubs.
Working with Kindness Clubs and with WSPA, David and Roland were being primed to start their own organization. They registered the GSPCA-it is the only SPCA in Africa that started with Kindness Clubs, and then formed an SPCA around them-bringing so much homegrown support, knowledge, and experience to the new organization.
The GSPCA Board is made up of seven individuals, all professionals, with interests in improving the lives of dogs, cats, and other animals. Board members include two veterinarians, one vet assistant, a salesman (the Chair), a businessman, teacher (the Vice Chair), and a journalist.
UPDATE 2009: THE GSPCA IS DEVELOPING A NEW STRATEGY, SET OF ACTIVITIES, AND FUNDRAISING PLAN. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS WHO CAN HELP WITH THIS. |
| GSPCA Mission |
- To promote education and awareness about animals
- To provide care for needy animals
- To assist local authorities in animal welfare matters
- To awaken interest in wildlife and conservation among people and spread knowledge about wildlife, the environment and the care of animals among relatives, neighbors, and friends
- To uphold the law of Ghana, specifically animal protection clauses
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| GSPCA Activities |
The Accra Puppy Market
In Ghana, if you want to add a new dog to your family, there are no animal shelters to visit and no pet shops that sell puppies. There are a few breeders who sell expensive, inbred Rottweillers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds. But if the breed isn't important to you, if you are just looking for a nice four-legged companion, you head to the Accra Puppy Market. To Western eyes, the puppy market may not look like a model of humane animal care. But in Ghana, where about one-third of more than 22 million people live below the poverty line, and where the animal welfare movement has yet to take hold, some of the vendors take surprisingly good care of the dogs they are selling. read more.. |
Avian Flu
Avian Flu has recently been found in Ghana, and as is usually the case, inhumane, even barbaric means, are being used to kill the affected, and even unaffected birds. The most common method used to kill birds is burning them alive.
Amasaba Abdul-Yakeen Aluizah, a journalist who is on the GSPCA Board, is publicizing the inhumane methods being used, and disseminates information on how to control the spread of the disease in a more humane manner. He is trying to raise awareness about alternative means of disease control, and he would like to receive information (hardcopy) to pass out to farmers in Ghana.
Dr. Akunzule, a vet who started the Ghana Poultry Network, and who also volunteers with the GSPCA, is trying to discourage the use of inhumane methods in the control of avian flu, as well as work with women to start up poultry enterprises. He encourages humane methods of raising poultry. |
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| World Animal Day Rabies Clinic; One of our patients about to get a rabies shot. |
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Low Cost Spay-Neuter and Rabies Awareness Campaign
Usually at special events, such as World Animal Day celebrations, the GSPCA holds a no cost rabies clinic.
They would like to expand this effort in the near future and include low cost spay-neuter and rabies, not only during special events, but several times during the year. |
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Continued Support for Animal Kindness Clubs and Rural Animal Clinics
Although some of Ghana's 200 Animal Kindness Clubs have disbanded, many are still operating, even without WSPA support. Since the Clubs no longer receive humane education materials from WSPA, such as their quarterly newsletter, David and Roland would like to receive humane education supplies to use at the Kindness Clubs that are still operating.
One of the benefits of Kindness Clubs was that a Club could sponsor a Rural Animal Clinic, funded by WSPA, which offered veterinary treatment to domestic animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, goats, sheep, cows, chickens) in a rural community. Kindness Club members advertised the clinic and helped out on Clinic day. Usually at least two vets attended, and several assistants from GSPCA would be on hand to discuss animal care and welfare. If funding is forthcoming, David and Roland would continue to hold Rural Animal Clubs. |
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A man about to snap the tail of a cow to get him to stand, Ashaiman Cattle Market. |
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Working to Improve Livestock Transport
Sponsored by WSPA, Karen and Aluizah researched livestock transport in Nigeria and Ghana, and wrote a report on the primary routes and animal welfare issues involved.
Trying to improve livestock transport in Ghana will be a significant and long-term effort, and is something the GSPCA would like to consider working on in the future, when the organization is stronger. |
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Amasaba Abdul-Yakeen Aluizah, Journalist and Advocate for Ghana's Animals
Or as he is known to his friends, Aluizah, is a journalist with a special interest in animal and human welfare. He works freelance, and covers issues such as refugees, human rights, political freedom, and animal cruelty and welfare.
Whenever the GSPCA has an event Aluizah will be there to cover it and will get the story in as many newspapers as possible.
Aluizah (with Karen) recently had story published in "The Unlikely Burden and Other Stories," edited by Dipesh Parabi and Lila Luce, and published by the World Society for the Protection and Care of Animals and Sasa Sema Publications (Nairobi). |
| GSPCA Memberships |
| The GSPCA receives no funding from government. The Board members have volunteered their services (there is no paid staff, and no overhead), and often have contributed financially.
You can become a member of the GSPCA, and support this important work. All contributions go directly to help animals. Membership fees are (9000 cedis=US $ 1):
Single.......150,000
Family......200,000
Children (under 15)..100,000
Ghanaian citizen...100,000
Life membership..2,000,000
Corporate.....5,000,000
Contact us for more information. |
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Amasaba Abdul-Yakeen Aluizah, dedicated Ghanian Animal Welfare Advocate - Aluizah sent the following to Animal-Kind International from one of the Ghana newspapers. Only read it if you have a strong stomach for animal cruelty. Read. |
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The Accra Puppy Market. Click on a photo to learn more. |
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World Animal Day 2005 and 2008 Rabies Clinics. Click the photo below to view a slideshow. |
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