WSD 2016 The Clinic Days

Our World Spay Day 2016 Week Campaña in Havana wrapped up Friday February 26. 

In five days we sterilizations 248 dogs and cats.

On Saturday our mass deparasitization event treated 348. 

Rabies vaccine was administered to all that needed the shot.

 Each of our campañas opens with introductions and orientations.

 Clinic protocols are also outlined.

 Casa Calderone's amphitheatre was the ideal location for our morning meetings.

Veterinary Students are the future for Cuba's animals. 

It is an honour for us to be a small part of crafting that future.

 Dr.Raymond Donavan, from Trinidad & Tobago, spends some time greeting at registration.

Dr.(Russo)Viacheslav Eduardovich Zenkov and Spanky Project's Director of Veterinary Medicine Dr.Michael Belovich guide students through the "sedation and induction" department.

It is always great to have these exchanges of mutual support

Dr.Russo and his team do great work in the province of Matanzas.

We always welcome them to our campañas in Havana.

Our surgical suite had four tables.

For the most part a Cuban Vet and one of our International Team 

members would work together.

Here Dr.Ramond shares some of his "fancy knots" with Dra.Rocio.

Humane traps ready to be deployed.

 Since 2006 the Spanky Project has worked under the umbrella of the Consejo Cientifico Veterinario de Cuba (CCVC). The veterinary council is a Cuban NGO created in 1908.  President of the CCVC, Dra.Beatriz Amaro came by for a visit.

Dra.Nana (in blue) is the Queen of Recovery.

The students love this stop on their rotation.

Despite several efforts to channel her to another department she refuses to leave her "realm".

Dr.Fernado takes some time out to administer some holistic therapy Dra.Nora.

Nora is the Institute of Veterinary Medicine's Director for the City of Havana.

We are grateful to the IMV for the trust they place in us and the support they give us in our work.

In addition to the sterilizations we do hold consultations

 on any concerns caregivers have with their pets

As we begin the day with a group meeting so do we end the day.

The head of each department gives a summary of their day.

The good ... the bad ... the ugly.

We want to hear it all and improve day by day. 

Dr.Leyssan and, final year Veterinary Student , Ernesto 

bottle feed some kittens at the end of the day.

All the hard work all the time and all the expense that goes into making these campañas a reality has a big payoff for me in the simplest of ways.

One day I was out of the clinic for a couple of hour to attend a meeting.

Upon my return I was to that two ladies wanted to meet me.

Their pets had been released earlier from surgery but they stuck around because the wanted to meet "el Jefe" (the boss).

Through a translator they expressed their gratitude and thanks for 

the opportunity and great work are doing.

I also had a gentleman that came up to me with a gift.

He thanked me and gave me a package of cigarettes.

"Gracias señor but I do not smoke"

He paused and said, "take them.... maybe you will start again".

We had a good laugh!!!!

The final event of our officlal program was a mass deparasitization and rabies clinic.

This was held in the streets of Habana Vieja.

Thank you to the Cuban structure known as Zoonosis. 

They provided the rabies vaccine for the whole week.

The last order of business for WSD 2016 Week was the wrap party.

We gathered at the Hotel Conde de Villanueva in the heart of Habana Vieja.

 Looking down on our group I was very moved.

Moved by, how out of the love for a little dog the dream of  project has become a reality.

Thankful for those that have joined us on our path.

The Spanky Project has come a long way since it's beginnings in 2003.

Gracias a todos!

I will leave you with these few minutes from our WSD2016 wrap party.

Twas the night before ....

... the opening day of our campaña.

Our World Spay Day 2016 campaña was very much a community effort.

That is, in addition eleven official Cuban structures collaborated with us.

We even had a meeting, in the street, with the local CDR.

(Committees for the Defense of the Revolution)

Locals like Willito and Alejandro (green) were always on hand to help us out.

As the sun sets and the moon rises ... Habana Vieja quiets down.

The day tripping visitors are gone and the cats come out.

We had a team trapping in Plaza de Armas.

Another team was up the street ...

.. and down in the sewer system.

Well, Meredith was down below.

It was a good session with nearly 20 cats trapped.

The cats spent the night in a secure location.

They next morning they were transported to our clinic by horse and carriage.

Members of El Carriage - Cooperativa de Cocheros offered their services to our TNR.

These are the Coach Horse Carriage drivers that are for hire in Habana Vieja

The Spanky Project has been helping Cubans help their animals since 2003.

With every step we take we make new friends that join us on the journey.

We are grateful for each and every one of them.

Reunion 2008 

"If you want to go fast, go alone. 
If you want to go far, go together."

If you have much ....

It is a tough haul for Not For Profit and Charity groups working in the animal welfare field.

One would like to say it is feast or famine as far as fund raising goes.

More often than not it is famine for many.

Back in August I took part in an emergency run for Critter Cabs.

One of many.

A near drowned squirrel needed emergency treatment.

 The run was from Smith Falls to Napanee. 

A 134 km road relay. I drove the last leg of of 50km.

"Rocky" was headed to Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre.

SPWC do amazing work in recovering and rehabilitating wildlife.

Be it squirrels, raccoons, skunks, birds ... you name it.

While there I had an opportunity to let them know of the Spanky Project's work in Cuba.

They offered to call if they had supplies donated to them above their own needs

A big shout out to 

I got the call.

Syringes, gauze, NG tubes dressing trays and much, much more.

All will be heading to Cuba over time.

If you are in Southern Ontario and have some space in your luggage we would love your help in getting some these supplies to Cuba.

Drop us a line if you can help.

If not please consider a donation to Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre .

Thank You!

"If you have much, give of your wealth; If you have little, give of your heart."

-Arab Proverb

International Team WSD 2016

Bienvenidos Leslie!!!!

The first of our International Team arrives.

Leslie, from Canada, first joined us in 2012 for Havana's first mass TNR.

It was so good to have her back with us.

Leslie did say she was hungry so we took her out for a burger.

Next to arrive was Dr. Michael Belovich (Canada)

Dr.B is Spanky Project's Veterinary Medical Director.

Oh, and Leslie was still hungry.

A fix of Churros on the street did the trick.

Arriving with Dr.B was his partner Nelson (Mexico/Canada)

Audrey from the USA and her dear friend Katia from Guantanamo, Cuba ..
and a "photobomber".

Taru from Finland!

 Meet the team from Animal Balance.

Animal Balance were our invited guest collaborators.

Meredith, Amanda, Raymond, Emma

 Dr.Raymond Deonanan (Trinidad & Tobago) and Dr.Amanda Bruce (USA)

Animal Balance's -Director of Field Operations

Meredith Hippert (USA)

Emma Clifford (UK), Founder and Executive Director of Animal Balance.

Rounding out the Animal Balance Team is Dairne Ryan (USA). 

She is the Latin American Program Director.

Her and Emma look like a couple of cats that just ate canaries.

Obviously plotting and scheming in the corner. ;)

A special thank you to Emma.

Several years ago Emma extended a helping paw to us as she does here with Yindra.

At my invitation she and her teams have joined us, in Havana, on three occasions.

Their RSVP for this trip came down to the wire.

Animal Balance committed to our World Spay Day in Cuba about 

eight weeks before the event.

A close call for us to get their visas processed in time.

I have deeply valued her advice and friendship over the years.

GRACIAS EMMA!!

Thank you Animal Balance for your contribution towards the cost of our supplies for 

World Spay Day 2016

AHORA!

Emma has decided that Animal Balance will forge their own 

agreements and chart their own course in Havana.

We wish the best for Cubans ...  their animals ...  and Animal Balance

"HEALTH FOR ALL"

...we believe that also extends to animals.

Before / After

For our February campaña we needed a space larger than 

Clinica Veterinaria Laika or Consultoiro Santo Angel.

Eusebio Leal, Historiador de la Ciudad de La Habana, 

designated this building to be our "ad hoc" clinic.

We are very thankful for the support of Sr.Leal and the Oficina del Historiador Ciudad de La Habana (OHCH).

Casa Calderón is located Habana Vieja (Old Havana).

In it's century and a half of existence it has been repurposed many time.

I first visited here over ten years ago when it was known as the Casa de Tejedoras.

A cooperative of knitters and needle artists.

In it's next incarnation the casa, and adjacent park, is to be a boutique hotel.

Between our initial inspection late in 2015 ....

... and February 2016

 Sr.Leal saw to it that some improvements were put in place.

A big thank you to those structures under the OHCH that turned Casa Calderón into our home for World Spay Day Week.

·      UPI Grupo Avenida del Puerto

·      Servicios Generales OHC

·      Gestión Cultural OHC

 They made sure that the interior ...

... exterior ...

... and street were looking their best for this historic week.

They even brought in some heavy equipment to get the job done.

Years of building relationships, trust, respect and true collaboration have brought us to this point. 

Ahead of this, Cuba's first, World Spay Day an organizing committee was put in place in Havana.

The meetings were held at the Society for Heritage, Community and the Environment (SPCMA).
Headed by Aldo Vega Calderín -Especialista Cooperación Internacional (SPCMA) the Spanky Project brought together over thirteen Cuban groups, organizations and structures. 

Spay/Neuter of pets

TNR

Deparasitizations

Rabies Vaccinations

and more would round out our week.

With all the beautifying going on I had to get a little work done on myself.

Walking by my barbershop in Habana Vieja my guy Gerrardo was nowhere to be seen.

Gerrardo has retired and Josefina has taken over.

With her direction we did track down my old friend.

Hey who's that....