Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society: community outreach

Animal-Kind International
Aug 26
3 min read

In August, LAWCS visited Barnard Farm, Paynesville, Montserrado, a large community in Montserrado County with a lot of dogs and cats, to hold a free animal health care clinic. Pa Moses and his dog Paddy live in Barnard Farm and attended the outreach clinic.

This was the first time Paddy was treated for ticks and fleas and was de-wormed. Paddy was also bothered by mango flies on his ears, and at the clinic, his wounds were cleaned up.

Pa Moses extended his thanks to Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society and Animal-Kind International for supporting his community by holding animal welfare outreach events that improve the health of dogs and cats.

Elderly man with dog sits under a tree beside a Liberia Animal Welfare sign while children and adults sit on wooden benches in Liberia. — Pa Moses brought Paddy to the LAWCS clinic. This was the 1st time that Paddy was treated for issues so common in Liberia--parasites and open sores.

It's currently the rainy season in Liberia, a difficult time for dogs and cats. Families are more concerned about getting enough food for the humans of the family. They leave their dogs and cats to fend for themselves. The pets are forced to look for food at dumpsites and by begging at homesteads. This exposes animals to diseases and they are sometimes poisoned. Flea and tick infestations are most common during this time, as well.

At the clinics in August, where LAWCS treated over 250 dogs and cats, LAWCS found they were dealing with many of these rainy season issues. As always, along with free general animal health care and feeding, LAWCS emphasizes current topics of concern during community education on animal health care.

People and dogs gather around a table with medical supplies outdoors where a person in rubber gloves prepares items in Liberia. — LAWCS clinics combine animal welfare education and direct treatment, as well as food and water (to demonstrate good care)

Man in red holds a dog on a table while another in a mask and gloves prepares a syringe while children observe in a leafy outdoor setting in Liberia. — August clinic: animal health care worker, Abie, vaccinates a dog

A person in a cap and pink mask examines an orange cat on a table with a plastic teal cover while another person watches in Liberia, surrounded by trees. — August clinic: cats also get check ups and care during the clinics

LAWCS provides these free services--internal and external parasite treatments, vaccinations, wound and injury care--in communities that have no other access to animal health care.

For 2 weeks in July and August, the LAWCS team takes takes a break. It's their time to relax and recuperate and spend time with their families.

Once back to work in August, the team jumped right in and held community education sessions in Zorzor District. As with the health care clinics, these sessions are also funded by AKI.

LAWCS staff visits communities, organizes the people, and leads presentations about the plight and welfare of their animals. It's very participatory, and community members always appreciate the time and effort that LAWCS puts into these sessions.

Many people had never realized that they had unintentionally hurt animals. For example, until attending these sessions, some people didn't realize that their dogs and cats need to be given water; some didn't know that a dog needs to socialize; that cats have feelings.

A group of people sit and stand in a circle outside listening to a person speaking while chickens roam the ground with buildings in the background in Liberia. — Raising awareness about how we sometimes unintentionally contribute to animal suffering

Prior to the August clinics in Barnard Farm, LAWCS held an animal health care clinic in May in Barnesville, Montserrado, where 232 dogs and 15 cats were treated during the week of outreach.

Adults and children with dogs line up outside a rural building under trees where a person in a white coat assists at a table in Liberia. — May clinic: lining up for health care

A man in white coat and gloves prepares vaccines on a wood table outdoors while a woman holds a puppy among lush greenery in the background in Liberia. — May clinic: little puppy gets a check-up and eye drops

A woman holds a cat as a man prepares a syringe outdoors where people and dogs stand around on sandy ground in Liberia. — May clinic: one of the 15 cats at the clinic

These popular and lifesaving clinics are only possible due to support of our AKI donors. Most of the people in rural Liberia are unable to afford a private vet, and private vets are very few and far between--plus they don't reach the communities that LAWCS serves.

Your donation means we can help cats and dogs in poor, remote communities in Liberia!

Donate to Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society