Calm After The Storm

The original plan was to arrive in Havana September 27 for our sterilization Campaña scheduled for October 2 -5.

With hurricane Irma hitting areas of Cuba hard it was decided to head down a week early.

We put out a call for support and you came through.

Pain control, antibiotic, anti-parasitics were the core of the supplies.

Also syringes, needles and shampoos.

Loaded with hurricane relief supplies purchased with a flash fundraiser we flew in a week early.

Upon arrival one of our bags was marked for secondary inspection.

All bags entering Cuba are scanned before reaching the baggage carousel.

"MX" alerts the inspector to look for medicines.

If you have an "AX" on your tag they are looking for food.

We were secure in the fact we would enter without issue.

None of our supplies were restricted or prohibited.

Also, the weight of our medications was under the 7kg limit for duty free entry.

Spanky Project is well known at Jose Marti Airport both with Customs and the Veterinarians so that made for a smooth exit.

Havana was eerily calm.

Yes it was low season but obviously many had canceled their visits.

 The Malecon, seaside drive, was closed.

 Dr. Zeynep Guleryuzlu dare not cross the line 

for fear of being whistled off by the military on guard.

 Irma's storm surge flooded blocks into the Vedado district and affected other areas.

 Vegetation in the Prado area was killed off.

Havana weathered the storm better than other areas of Cuba.

Our Havana team reported that our furry friends had fared well.

Sad to say the human side had their loses.

The third story of a already deteriorated building collapsed onto a bus killing three.

As the week progressed Havana regained it's vigor ..

 ... and life returned to normal.

Normal for us in Havana includes ...

... meetings.

The Sociedad Patrimonio, Comunidad y Medio Ambiente (SPCMA) is an NGO operating under the Oficina del Historiador.

They are the collaborating Cuban structure coordinating our activities.

Visas, import permits, permissions and activity locations are just a few administrative activities they manage.

A huge thank you to Martha Oneida Pérez Cortés - SPCMA President

Dr.Zeynep - Turkish veterinarian Team Spanky

 Martha - President SPCMA

Terry Shewchuk -Founding Director Spanky Project

Audrey Mabie - President Spanky Project USA

Going forward we are working on a program called the 

"Urban Animal Management Plan".

It's a pilot project being developed in Habana Vieja.

Also we are developing the 

Cuban Disaster -Veterinary Relief, Recovery and Support Program.

The future is bright for Cubans helping their animals.

We need your to help secure the future.

For Canadians a tax receipt will be issued for online donations at

CanadaHelps

and for cheques mailed to...

Spanky Project

172 Main St.

Suite 301

Picton ON  K0K 2T0

Canada

We ask that donations from around the globe use the above information.

EXCEPT for those in the USA. 

A tax receipt will be issued for online donations to

Spanky Project USA

or for checks mailed to

Spanky Project USA

2823 Colorado St

Long Beach, CA 90814

USA

GRACIAS

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.

Love is patient, love is kind ...

It has been over two years without a major sterilization campaña.

While we worked through the process we never lost hope.

Our love for Cuba's animals and people sustained us.

The love they showed for their animals never allowed us to give up.

Now that regular entry of our medications is assured, 

all our programs are back and running.

 TNR

Sterilzation Clinics for Pets

Deparasitizations for horses

Education Programs

It is fitting that our first full day on this trip would be Dia del Amor.

Our  casa particulares (accommodations) fronted on our clinic.
This morning we were created by Nina the Pero de la Casa.
She is the resident dog.

Also, a number of cats are resident and feast on the garbage bins located on the corner.

After our breakfast at La Marina we headed to our appointed meeting place for our ride to Mantanzas.

But that was not without some excitement.

The day before our arrival Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill had a meeting at the Havana Airport.

This was the first meeting in nearly 1000 years between a Roman Catholic Pope and a Russian Orthodox Pope.

The first words from Francis to Kirill were ...

"Finally! We are brothers"

That meeting lasted three hours. 

Pope Francis flew on to Mexico and Patriarch Kirill remained in Havana.

 Our casa particulares were located around the corner from The Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral. 

Security had now set up a perimeter for blocks leading to the Cathedral and our appointed meeting spot.

Vehicular traffic was blocked from this area of Habana Vieja.

Kirill was giving a Divine Liturgy and President Raul Castro was in attendance.

 After we finally connected with Susana and Guillermo we were on the road.

Havana - Matanzas is 170km so we needed fuel and chocolate.

Why were we heading to Matanzas?

To meet Dr.Hanoi Dominquez of APAC - Varadero and to pick up cat traps.

APAC is doing great work in Mantanzas Province.

They have partnered with resort hotels to set up Cat Cafes and provide humane population control.
They also hold regular spay/neuter clinics for pets.

We had a dozen traps on loan to APAC.

They in turn loaned us their traps for our campaña in Havana

On the way back to Havana I requested we stop at a road side cafe. Specifically the one over looking Cuba's longest and tallest bridge.

During the round trip we had much time to talk about the plans for our World Spay Day Week.

We had this lead time to finalize details before our veterinary teams arrival.

It was to be a busy one filled with highs and lows. 

Many of which will be detailed in the next few reports.

During the roadtrip Susana presented Dairne and I with very nice cards and a gift.

A Valentine Puppy for me.

Once we had the cages stowed away in our clinic it was time to visit  HQ.

Our "headquarters" in Habana Vieja is Terracotta 4.

It is the studio-gallery of ceramicists Amelia Carballo and Ángel Norniella

HQ is a home away from home for the Spanky Project team.

Once we enter we can never leave without being feed and watered.

Their love and caring extends into the animal community of Habana Vieja.

 They are always caring for a sick or injured cat or dog.

They also manage a colony of cats in a park across the street from their studio.

When other Colony Keepers are not able to tend to their own Amelia & Angel step in.

Next we headed over to Amagura where Amelia has been filling in at feeding time for another Protectora.

This location is adjacent to Danza Teatro Retrazos .

This street will be the site for our

 mass deparasitization of pets on the last day of our World Spay Day week activities.

This was Dia del Amor or as some call it Valentine's Day.

(I like to see you happy)

A day when love is celebrated.

A day that should be a year long.

A lifetime that should be free of violence and abuse for both men and women.

On Calle Carlos III, near the University, we came across this billboard.

It promotes the Eres Mas campaign.

ERES MAS - Campaña por la no violencia hacia la mujer

The campaign for non-violence against women.

I leave you with this.

Let your love be defined by more than flowers, chocolate and words.