WINDHOEK – Over 100 dogs and some cats were sterilised during the weekend in Katutura, when the ‘Have-a-Heart Spay and Neuter Program’ conducted the largest drive of its kind in the capital, as part of the current national spayathon which trailblazed on August 31 involving five participating towns.

To sterilise a dog at a private veterinary costs in the region of N$1 200 while to spay a cat costs about N$900, which makes it prohibitively expensive for low and even for middle-income groups.

Hundreds of people flocked with their pets to the Nathaniel Maxuilili Community Centre on Saturday and Sunday to benefit from this charitable service in an area where there is no veterinary assistance for the largely underprivileged community and their animals.

An organisational committee of some 56 volunteers, spearheaded by Lindie Prinsloo an Outjo resident and the founder of the non-profit organisation (NPO) Have-A-Heart project, led this remarkable two-day spayathon, which also included tick dipping, vaccinations and health assessments.

A leading South African veterinarian, Dr Desmond Stafford (Avatar Sterilization and Protection NPO), and Namibian veterinarian Dr Arnold Olivier,  together with a team of Namibian state vets and students, performed an operation marathon on 69 animals on Saturday, and 35 on Sunday, in a makeshift theatre.

All stations were manned by volunteers and specialists to keep the constant flow of mostly dogs and some cats in this delicate stream moving, which involved a specific administrative process for each animal.

From checking pets in, weighing them, tagging them, administering anaesthesia and prepping the pets for surgery the exercise proceeded like clockwork with no casualties reported.

A large recovery station where dogs were laid out on blankets and monitored by vet students after their operation gave them time to wake up in a safe place.

Owners meanwhile waited patiently under gazebos and in the reception area, after which they were sent home with their animal wrapped up in a blanket, together with a supply of dog food and a clean bill of health.

Prinsloo said what originally started out in Outjo with a positive outcome has resulted in her launching this national spayathon campaign which has taken this project to the level of an overwhelming response from all sides.

In just a few months the Have-A-Heart project leaders raised the target of N$150 000 for the cost of medical and other expenses to run this national campaign.

The Windhoek SPCA donated N$35 000 towards the cause in conjunction with FNB. And already since the start of the national spay and neuter campaign in August, 68 animals have been done in Outjo, 81 in Otjiwarongo and 61 in Kalkfeld. The campaign moves to Rehoboth on September 17 and 18, completing the goal for this year.

Windhoek was poised as one of the biggest challenges due to the huge dog population in the sprawling township areas, but the results proved that this is just the start of bigger things to come.

Prinsloo says that sterilising the free roaming dog population in Namibia will reduce the unwanted litters, terrible neglect and sexually transmitted diseases amongst canines. She said the need is enormous as the people in the townships do not have clinic facilities for their animals, so there is a lot of breeding and suffering which she believes will reduce once the Have-A-Heart campaign starts to take effect.

“The willingness of the people to be part of the spayathon programme and participate in the prevention of unwanted litters, has been positively overwhelming and I believe we can work together in reducing the population of dogs in our country and give the people healthy animals.

“Starting from next month we will be doing vaccination and dipping drives in Windhoek,” she said, adding. “The next Have-a-Heart spay and neuter project will be launched in April, 2014, when we plan on including 15 towns in Namibia, of which seven will be in the north, seven in the south plus the coast and Windhoek.”

Fundraising campaigns and collecting sponsorships for this massive drive are already underway with plans for the next year, and Prinsloo can be contacted through lindie@africaoncline.com.na.  or www.have-a-heartspayandneuterproject.com

By Donna Collins