As Have-a-Heart-Namibia finds more sponsors for their country-wide spay/neuter mobile clinic, we're finding that our AKI funds are used more often for emergency care. Which is fine with us! These are cases that would have not been able to get the very needed vet care if it wasn't for our AKI donors.
HAH tries to help any pet owner who doesn't have the financial means to bring the dog or cat to a vet for sterilisation. But we also realised that there is a big need for treatments after accidents and during sickness. With the help of AKI we are able to help injured and sick animals of low and no income owners. The only rule we have is that dogs and cats either already or will have to be sterilised - when strong and healthy enough - in order to become a member of the Have-a-Heart family.
Geesche sent the stories below of some Have-a-Heart dogs helped with AKI funds:
July 11
Yesterday we received the terrible news that one of our Have-a-Heart family members, little Sussie, had been badly burnt after becoming trapped in a burning dwelling in Swakopmund's township Mondesa. Her distraught owners took her to Swakop Vet Clinic, who called us and asked, could we help? Well, thanks to the awesome Animal-Kind International's donations we were able to say YES without a moment's hesitation. Because of the money we received from AKI, the clinic immediately helped her when she arrived with her owners!! She didn't suffer long, she got pain medication and antibiotics and now, all she needs to do is rest and recover.
Sussie's owners have lost everything in that fire and we could not let them lose Sussie as well. Sussie is now in the care of the wonderful team at Swakop Vet Clinic who are taking care of her burns and making sure she is not in pain. We are fully committed to keeping our Have-a-Heart family members healthy and thanks to everyone supporting us through Animal-Kind International we are able to do just that.
July 13 Update
Sussie Dicklass (that's her full name, roughly translated from Afriaans, it means "little fat sister" in a loving way) is currently doing well at Swakop Vet Clinic and her spirits were lifted when her owner came to visit! Thank you so much again to everyone at Animal-Kind International for making sure Sussie gets everything she needs!
July 18 Update
We went today to Sussie's family to drop off a dog house for their second dog because the dog houses burnt as well. The old gentlemen told us again his story and it broke my heart. He worked his whole life just to lose everything. He didn't hesitate to find a taxi willing to drive the Sussie (most taxis don't do that), took Sussie to the clinic asking for help. He had no idea Animal-Kind International is helping in such cases, he had no idea how much it would cost, he just wanted help for his dog. He was sick from the smoke and also had to go to a clinic, but first he got help for his dog. We are trying to get donations for the family, please hold thumbs we get some stuff together that will help them. Imagine what would be without AKI... Imagine the only way would have been to put down Sussie.... THANK YOU!! She had an operation to take off the dead skin and she looks terrible. But now the healing begins and she can't wait to go back home!
July 5
Another rescue successfully done by AKI!!! Beautiful Rocky lives in Swakopmund's Township Mondesa. He broke his back leg and it was quite painful but luckily his owners asked for help. So he got picked up and went to the vet and the xray showed Rocky is in a lot of pain. But luckily thanks to AKI he got help! Dr. Tharina immediately operated him.
After a few days of recovery Rocky was ready to go back home. He has to stay quiet for a while, which is why he received a dog house from Feed a Paw, because he has to stay on a leash for a while and not run around crazy. But his owners are beyond happy to see he is doing so much better and in a few weeks Rocky will be just as active as he was before his accident (we think he got hit by a car as his family doesn't have a fence around their place). Rocky of course also got sterilised and received all vaccinations, parasite treatment, vitamin injection and pain medication! Everything he needs to be back on 4 legs soon.
June 13
Thank you so so so much for the money Anita delivered!!!! This is fantastic!!! Today the first doggy was already helped: this little stirkbaard was brought to Swakop Vet Clinic today. The owner didn't have money, but asked for help, as he thought the doggy has been hit by a car and needed treatment. Luckily we just told Swakop Vet Clinic - who is working closely with Have a Heart for years now and already sterilised over 1000 Have-a-Heart dogs and cats from Swakopmund's townships - that we received money from AKI and in case there is an emergency coming in where the owner is unable to afford the costs, to just help please.
Dr. Tharina immediately checked the little one and had sad news for us. It was distemper and there was no chance for the little doggy to get healthy again. As he was already unable to walk, Dr. Tharina humanely put him down. Imagine the desperate owner, trying to get help for his dog, but not being able to, just because of money. And also imagine the poor dog, he would have suffered for many many days before dying without AKI... Thank you so much again to everyone at AKI, only because of you we have been able to help a very sick dog and a desperate owner! THANK YOU!
June 15
We have a new doggy AKI helped today. This guy is from Henties Bay's township Omdel, he got sterilised last month via Have-a-Heart. He has TVT and Have-a-Heart committed of course to his treatment. During the spay day yesterday his owners brought him back for a check up and because of an infected toe, Dr. Winterbach decided he has to come to the clinic in Swakop to get his toe amputated and because of AKI we could immediately say YES, please help him!! He will go back home to Henties (a small town north of Swakopmund) as soon as he is healed.
In May, Geesche told us about three dogs that were helped thanks to AKI donors:
Lady-Blacky was bitten by a dog and needed vet care. AKI funds were used to get the care she needed and for a dog house and blanket.
Wagter is Lady-Blacky's "room mate." He is an old customer of Have-a-Heart and got neutered in 2017. When Lady-Blacky received her treatment, a volunteer saw Wagter had lots of ticks, so he made sure Wagter also received tick and flea treatment, got de-wormed, and to get him out of the sand and to make sure he will also sleep warm, Wagter also got an AKI dog house and a blanket.
At the end of February, Nica and Lady were AKI beneficiaries. Geesche wrote, "There are only funds from AKI we have to help in such cases!"
Beautiful Nica is from DRC (poor township of Swakopmund) and she is a very sweet and friendly young lady. She injured her leg and was left behind by her owner when he moved away but then luckily Feed a Paw project showed up. I promised Madelaine from Feed a Paw to help not only with Nica's spay but also with the cost for operation and treatment for her leg. When Nica's neighbor realized Nica will be spayed by Have-a-Heart, the neighbor decided to adopt her. We used AKI funds for vet care, meds, dog food and a dog house for Nica.
Lady was also helped at the end of February. Geesche wrote:
We have little doggy from Luderitz in hospital in Windhoek. She didn't eat for 5 days and Luderitz SPCA organised an emergency transport at no cost. The Windhoek Flight and Training Center picked Lady in Luderitz and flew her to Windhoek (850 km). The vet just phoned me and told me she is not feeling good at all but a drip over night works wonders sometimes. Tomorrow they will have to check if she has a liver tumor. Holding thumbs she will be fine tomorrow and we only have to worry about a lift back home for her.
Update: Lady's blood was tested and it looked terrible, she went in for a scan and Dr. Sunette told me Lady's liver was totally destroyed there was nothing they could do for her and Lady was ready to go. She didn't want to fight anymore I'm in tears but I'm glad Lady didn't suffer any longer. RiP Lady. AKI covered the treatment in Windhoek (blood test, exam), including euthanasia.
This is a nice text from Madelaine from Feed a Paw about where some of the AKI money goes to: This money is not for me or anybody else. This is for the dogs and cats with pain, for those who are hungry but can't eat. For those who have no more sign of hope in their eyes - this is all for them. We do not want the praise of fame or anything like this out off this project, we want to see a wagging tail greeting us. We want to see a sick dog who got better and gained weight again. A mange dog who has stunning hair and is not scratching till it is bleeding. We want to see a broken leg that healed and the appreciation for helping them. That's our mission! This is all for them.