Namibia's Emergency Vet Care Fund (AKI & HaH)
- Animal-Kind International
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
As a Partner Organization, we support Have a Heart-Namibia's priority needs: emergency vet care and lifetime care. From January through June 2026, our partnership with Have a Heart has helped 211 dogs and 13 cats:
21 dogs received emergency veterinary care
13 cats received emergency veterinary care
190 dogs received preventative care at community dip day events
Aanwo Vet Clinic in Rehoboth holds Animal-Kind International-sponsored Dip Days, like this event in February:
On Dipping Days, the community--adults, kids, pets--are all welcome to drop by to get their dogs dipped (for fleas, ticks, mites, and lice) as part of Have a Heart's Lifetime Care Program (boosters and parasite prevention for HaH's spayed/neutered dogs and cats). Dogs are given health checks, and if needed, they can get basic care at Dipping Day. Or for more complex issues, they're booked at a later date for vet care and always for spay or neuter (if that hasn't already been done). It's a fun day for everyone.
Or almost everyone.
Some just come for the take home food.
To make the dipping experience less traumatic for the dogs, they get dipped AND get a bag of food for later.
With 34 cats and dogs helped by the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund from January through June 2026, we can't tell all their stories here. These are a few -- and represent the need and the gratitude (for you, our supporters).
Puppy and her very worried owner arrived at Dr Erna's clinic in Mariental and right away, she was diagnosed with parvo. Puppy quickly went downhill and became comatose.
Many vets would have given up on her because without the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund, her owner wasn't able to afford treatment. But for Puppy, that choice didn't have to be made.
Dr Erna first tested Puppy's blood glucose but it was so low, the machine couldn't even read it! Puppy was placed on a drip with glucose, electrolytes, and antibiotics since Puppy was septicemic, as well.
In Dr Erna's words, here's what happened next: "When her glucose picked up, she woke up and did not look back again! She is such a little fighter!"
A few days later Puppy was sent home. Her owner sent the following message to Dr Erna: "Good morning Doctor. Doctor, I just want to come to Doctor this morning and say thank you very much for Doctor saving my dogs life. May Doctors hands and work remain blessed and may Doctor save and make the lives of other animals better. Thank you very much Doctor."
Puppy will be spayed (thanks to HaH) when old enough and she'll be a participant in the HaH Lifetime Care Program (where she'll get annual boosters and parasite prevention, as needed).
This is Tubby from Mariental. He's part of a managed cat colony. When his caretaker saw his terrible injury, she immediately rushed him to Dr Erna. Thanks to the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund, Tubby got all the help he needed.
Tubby's caretaker doesn't know what happened, but Dr Erna suspects dog bite wounds. His leg was a mess and it needed to be amputated.
Tubby moved in with his caretaker. As a feral cat, he's surprisingly unstressed when inside, and this break from life on the streets this will give him time to relax and recover and get used to life with three legs.
One day in mid-June, Dr Erna thought she was done for the day when an emergency case came in: Antonio had rushed with his dog Tessy to the clinic. Antonio thought that the deep gash on Tessy's leg was from a barbed wire fence.
Antonio is a very responsible young man who has made sure that his family's four dogs have been spayed or neutered and vaccinated and he also knows how important regular parasite treatment is. So when Dr Erna saw Antonio with Tessy, she didn't hesitate. She knew that treatment would be covered by the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund.
Tessy was stitched up, given pain meds, and was sent home with Antonio.
This beautiful girl is a mom to many kittens but luckily volunteers managed to trap her and get her spayed. She's part of a managed cat colony. When her caretakers noticed that there was something wrong with her eye, she was trapped again and taken to the vet. Her eye had to be removed and immediately, she felt so much better. She was released back to her home, where her caretakers monitor her regularly and recently noticed that she's been putting on weight now that painful eye is gone.
As a puppy, Trixi survived parvo. She was then spayed and vaccinated (thanks to Have a Heart). As part of the HaH family, Trixi is eligible for the Lifetime Care Program; boosters and parasite prevention for life. But Trixi didn't get to take part in the Lifetime Care Program in time to prevent a case of erchilichia.
Trixi had to be hospitalized for a few days, but then, her fever broke. She still had a couple of days of recovery and hospitalization to go, but finally her family was able to pick her up and take her home:
Multiply these stories by 7 and that's how many more pets and people received help from the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund from January to June this year. Your support is the reason that these cats and dogs are living healthier, kinder lives now. Thank you.
