Grants to help village cats, dogs
THE Humane Society International (HSI) Africa has joined forces with Hoedspruit Animal Outreach (Halo) in Limpopo to improve the lives and welfare of village cats and dogs.
Halo has been operating since 2016, providing access to primary animal health care, including vaccinations and sterilisations, and educating owners about animal care.
HSI Africa said it was providing Halo with grants of up to R150000 to increase neutering efforts and to provide medical care to more street pets in the area.
Halo said it hoped to sterilise 150 dogs and treat 800 animals during the year.
“Animal vaccination and sterilisation will be used not only to improve domestic animal welfare and manage overpopulation, but to help protect wild and endangered species such as the African wild dog and African wild cats against diseases such as rabies that are spread by domestic animals.
“In South Africa, the challenges so often seen in street dogs and cats – such as overpopulation, lack of veterinary care, undernourishment – are common to community dogs and cats as well. While most community dogs are ‘owned’ in some way, they often roam the neighbourhood, scrounging for scraps and freely breeding. As they come from rural and disadvantaged communities, affordable and accessible veterinary care is limited,” the society said. Halo is run by volunteers under the supervision of qualified veterinarians.