The Future Is Now!

On this September morning our Spanky Project Team assembled 

near the lancha (ferry) docks in Habana Vieja.

With representation from France, The Netherlands, Turkey, USA, Canada and Cuba 

we were truly an international team.

Before hitting the road Audrey Mabie, president of 

Spanky Project USA 

handed out some stylish scrub tops.

Our first surgical day was not at our Havana home base, Quinta de los Molinos.

 We were headed to San Jose de las Lajas now home to the veterinary school.

A point of interest, until 1976 the veterinary school was located across from Quinta de los Molinos .

After overcoming car issues with Cuban ingenuity and 

Claudia's "encouragement"

we were back on the road.

A 30km drive brought us to the Province of Mayabeque 

and it capital San Jose de las Lajas.

Here, we were met by students of the 

Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria. Universidad Agraria de La Habana

and the student group... 

Veterinarios for la Protección y Bienestar Animal

VESPA

In their own words....

The VESPA group is based at the Agrarian University of Havana (UNAH) and is made up of students and professors who advocate for Animal Welfare. We carry out mass sterilization campaigns and free deparisitizations  in different locations in the Mayabeque province. We have a shelter in which we welcome a limited number of animals due to the characteristics of the building of the place, among other limitations. With some of these dogs we perform assisted therapy for children with special needs in a school in San José, this activity is recognized nationally.

Our main task is to educate the community in general about Animal Welfare and the importance of this for sustainable development. And try to change the world of more than one animal, we speak for those who have no voice, but who like us suffer and feel.

All of our sterilization campañas have the participation of veterinary students.

They are the future and we are honoured to work with them on their home turf.

With limited supplies available in Cuba teaching opportunities like this have been limited.

Until recently veterinary schools had focused on beasts of burden and food production.

Still much of the practical, small and companion animal, education takes place outside of the curriculum.

In mini campaña like this and our mass campañas in Havana.

This mini-campaña was held outdoors at an athletic complex.

From the intake exam..

through surgery..

.. to recovery this was a student run campaña.

A big thank you to Dr.Slavik Zenkov (left) and

Dr.Rayko Calimano (red).

They both work with VESPA on an ongoing basis.

Both join in on our campañas in Havana.

Note: Blandine and Claudia (on the left) with their new scrub tops thanks to Audrey (right).

Stylin' the scrub!

Dr.Natacha Nuñez, Vice Dean, holds court with the local media.

Here is a news report from our visit in 2011.

In 2003 the Spanky Project was born. 

The first Cuban veterinarian we met was Dr.Joemel Betancourt.
He is a graduate of the veterinary school in San Jose.

Now living In Qatar,  and as good fortune would have it,  in Cuba during our September campaña.
He joined us and the veterinary students.

It was great to reunite with "Dr.Joe".

We are increasing our support for the VESPA group.
On March 3 we will be back in San Jose.
At that time will share some exciting news with them.
When we return we will share it with you.

Help us help them.

The future is now!

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.

VetTrek - Day 4

Thursday December 2, 2010

¡Hace frío!

¡It's cold!

This Havana morning could very well have been around 10C.

After a morning walk through Old Havana we arrived at the Society for Heritage, Community and the Environment (SPCMA) Sociedad Patrimonio, Comunidad y Medio Ambiente.

SPCMA is a Cuban NGO that concerns itself with “the preservation, rehabilitation, management, development and promotion of the historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the City of Havana, and in the community and environmental issues that affect the City.”

Photo:Michael Belovich
The SPCMA is located in the heart of Habana Vieja.
Space is available for meetings and art installations that promote the NGO's objectives.

Dr. Fernando Gispert opened with a presentation of the work being done by Comisión Nacional de Bienestar Animal lead by Dra. María Gloria Vidal Rivalta

Dra.Vidal also hosts a television show focusing on animal welfare.

The next presentation was the one I was looking forward to.
Comisión de Esterilización

A collective of volunteers working together with the Veterinary Clinic in Old Havana to
carry out free sterilizations each quarter.
The objective is to lessening the number of strays in the streets and therefore reducing disease among animals and humans alike.

This is done with the support of the “Popular Council” and their access to media to promote the work.
The neigbourhood CDRs (Committee for the Defense of the Revolution) identify strays for participation.

From the intake of a stray from the street
- through nursing back to health
- sterilization
- post operative care
the process takes over 90 days.

In the two years this program has been running, 208 animal have gone through the process. They are enjoying a 100% placement rate into new homes for these former strays. This program has reduced the number of strays wandering the streets and increased the health of many more.

It was great to see members of the Comisión de Esterilización in attendance
with their latest placements.
Not long ago they were strays on the streets of La Habana Vieja.

The Spanky Project delivered anesthetic and supplies for 100 spay /neuters in support of this program in Old Havana. I look forward to seeing this project spread to surrounding barrios.

Professor Natan Vera Rodríguez
of the Agrarian University of Havana gave a presentation on the
lateral flank approach for ovariohysterectomy.
The majority of Cuban veterinarians use this small incision procedure over the North American preferred mid-line spay.
This theoretical presentation was a step towards a practical application by our Canadian veterinarians the following day.
Natan and Dr. Carlos Yrurzun presented a case study involving "external fixation" on the broken jaw of a horse.

Dr.Belovich was called upon for a consultation.
At this moment, with a light being shone up his butt this guy
may have wished he was back in the street.
The tentative diagnosis for the dog was anal gland adenoma.The Spanky Project's Cuban front line of Susana Hurlich and Gladys Morales posed with
Agrarian University Profesores Pavel Herrera Vera and Natan.

After our morning event it was time to collect the supplies we had brought from Canada.
We offered to assist Dr.Gispert and Dra. Guadalupe Ramos-Directora Municipal de Veterinaria de la Habana Viejain in transporting them to the Laika Clinic for a mass sterilization event on Friday.

But first.... time for lunch

photo:Michael Belovich
Some will tell you that "the food in Cuba is horrible".
Well, not true.
Taberna de la Muralla on Plaza Viaja is a micro-brewery that serves up tasty well priced offerings from the grill.
Once we completed lunch we moved across the square to ...
Café El Escorial
Some of the best coffee based infusions in the city can be found here on Plaza Vieja.

Photo:Michael Belovich
Considering the amount of supplies, it was decided that carrying the bags across
Old Havana was not an option.
So,we flagged down a couple of Bici Taxis and load up Gispert and Guadelope.


Photo:Michael Belovich
We would meet up with them the next day, along with other members of the
Comisión de Esterilización.

We capped off our day with friends and dinner in Barrio Chino.
Yes, Havana has a Chinatown.