La Habana 500

Today, November 16, 2019, is Havana's 500th Anniversary.

The commemoration has taken place throughout 2019

The Spanky Project was part of these celebrations.

In February our goal was to provide sterilizations for 500 dogs/cats and in addition

 500 deparasitizations in separate events.

We even made up buttons to announce our goal.

Our Cuban team came from as far as far away as Guantanamo.

Veterinary students came from as far as Santi Spiritus to join us.

   Caregivers and their pets came from other provinces for the opportunity to have their pets sterilized; a service which is seldom available to them.

Our international team came from Canada, Mexico and the USA.

 Sterilization and education are what the Spanky Project is all about.

Every day at our campañas, while caregivers are waiting for their pets, we offer educational talks on animal care, health and welfare.

It is the path to humane population control and a reduction in the number of

 those abandoned in the streets.

The Spanky Project collaborates with

CEDA- cubanos en defensa de los animales

 They educate and facilitate adoption and rehoming of those rescued from the streets.

 Together we achieved our goals and more.

We blew past our target of 500 with an amazing 628 sterilizations done in 6 days.

 Much has been said in the past couple of weeks about 

Zoonosis (the dog catcher) 

collecting dogs in the streets ahead of the 500th anniversary.

Some of the comments have been sensational and less than truthful.

Zoonosis does have a purpose.

By definition Zoonosis is "a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals."

I do not agree with the methods of collection and end of life for the street animals.

There is no guarantee these methods will change any time soon.

 Zoonosis supports our work in Habana Vieja.

They provide rabies vaccine 

 Dr.Luis, head of Zoonosis in Habana Vieja ,brings us rabies vaccine and issues the certificates.

This supports their mission, the prevention of transmissible disease.

Though the facts about Zoonosis collecting street dogs ahead of the 500th anniversary are murky, one thing is certain. 

They did not enter the tourist center of Habana Vieja where SP has been working to reduce the population of homeless dogs and cats.

The success of our sterilization campañas are proven in this fact.

STERILZATION and more STERILZATION is the path to less Zoonosis intervention.

Sterilization is what we are all about.

Our feet are on the ground and our hearts are in Cuba.

Help us help Cubans help their animals.

Be a part of our next Campaña.

 February 2020

We are aiming for 500 again.

$30 sponsors a sterilization

Help us put an end to homeless animals living lives of peril, disease and hunger.

Chao 2017

September found us back at our Havana campaña home located at Quinta de Los Molinos

Set up days can be a bit of bore.

But at the Spanky Project we aim to make them as pleasant as possible.

Here Audrey, Spanky Project USA President, provides cheese and cracker service.

.. and hosts a little "fashion show".

After set up we were down to the serious business of getting to our diner spot.

The next day it was down to business.

The campaña was opened with greetings by

Martha Oneida Pérez Cortés

Presidenta

Sociedad PATRIMONIO, COMUNIDAD Y MEDIO AMBIENTE

SPCMA are our coordinating Cuban structure.

All patients are pre-registered and given time slots for their surgery.

There is always a group of early arrivers to process once the gates are opened.

 A big thank you goes to Blandine Jochem.

Coming to us from France via Colorado she was one of our international team.

She worked the registration desk with Justo...

... and also did spanish translation for us.

Including ...

...translations during interviews with Cuban media.

The Spanky Project is so much more than just a 

spay/neuter machine.

Our campañas are a place for education, training and investigation.

Indira Castillo Iglesias first joined our campañas in 2016 as a veterinary student.

This campaña Dra. Indira Castillo joined our team as a surgeon.

Dr.Viacheslav Eduardovich Zenkov holds an "Ask the Vet" session.

During campañas we offer caregivers informative sessions on a variety of pet related topics.

Doctors Anaeli Morales and Julio Martin, 

from the University of Havana, 

take blood samples from the cats in our campaña.

They are investigating blood borne diseases in Cuban cats.

Our campañas have come a long way since the kitchen tables and garages of 2003.

Our surgical protocols are second to none.

Our campaña weeks usually end with a free mass deparasitiztion event.

They show up early for a free deparasization and rabies vaccine.

The weather was on the rainy side so moved in doors.

Dra.Marina Galindo Chenard (all smiles) also worked with us as a student.

This campaña she was back as a veterinarian.

As was Dr.Ernesto

And once the last patient, for the week, was served it was off to the wrap party.

Our second mass campaña for 2017 was in the books

We had 20 veterinarians work on the campaña.

10 from Havana

4 from Mantanzas

1 Cuban veterinarian now residing in Qatar

1 each from Turkey and the Netherlands

34 veterinary students

4 veterinary technicians

5 translators

7 volunteers

Our total sterilizations for the campaña totalled 207

35 San Jose de las Lajas

172 Havana

Kisses and best wishes to all those who supported the work in Cuba

Once the campañas are over and I take that last walk through Habana Vieja I reflect on the week and what was... and at the same time planning for the campaña is on my mind.

And as always I do Camila Cabello one better... my whole heart is in "Havana-oh na na".

2017 by the numbers…

Sterilizations
February World Spay Day Week  283

May Mini- Campaña                   15
August Mini- Campaña               15

October Mass Campaña

 San Jose de las Lajas 35
Havana                                       172
———

520 

We average our costs at $30 per sterilization

2017 = $15,600

For 2018 our goal is 750 sterilization.

2018 = $22,500

Your contribution is vital to our work

Help Cubans help their animals.
The next generation of veterinarians are ready.

Sponsor a spay/neuter

Tax receipts are issued in the USA and Canada.

Donate in the USA

in Canada 

and around the world

And so it began.

Each of our mornings began with a short walk up the Prado to meet our 

'57 Ford Fairlane

We had a great driver.

A sure ride in the morning.

At the end of our day a phone call would have him waiting for us at our designated time.

If you are looking for a reliable driver drop me a line.

How about this for a walk from the street to our "clinic"?

The first morning of our campañas is always a thrill.

To think of our humble beginnings is 2003 and how far we have come.

While giving my greetings to the team on our first morning I came

up with a Rock 'n Roll analogy.

"In 2003 the Spanky Project started as a garage band ... now we are playing arenas".

Yes in our early days we did hold our spay/neuter clinics on kitchen tables and in garages.

Now, thanks to the Oficina del Historiador we have a permanent home for our campañas.

The beautiful Quinta de los Molinos is our "clinic"

We had the great honour of having three veterinary professors  from the 

 Universidad Autónoma de México join us for our World Spay Day 2017 week.

Thanks to the Consejo Cientifico Veterinario de Cuba we we introduce to...

 Dra.Leslie Santiago Sánchez, Dra.Norma  Solis Alanis and Dr Eduardo Tellez Reyes-Retana 

We are so please to share with you this news!

Dra.Leslie will join us again in 2018

A big thank you goes out husband and wife team Drs. Nana & Leyssan.

They, in addition to their respective jobs, work tirelessly to coordinate our campañas.

On our opening day our first patient was a French Bulldog whose caregiver is 

a Canadian working in Cuba.

Dr.Travers did the clinical exam and followed up with the surgery.

Each campaña finds us with a special case or two.

Stella was a special case. The short nosed shape of the French bulldog was a cause for concern to Cuban Vets when considering Stella for sterilization. Her caregiver was waiting for the clinic she attended to get gas for their anaesthesia machine. He consulted with us. We said we would insert and airway and do the surgery with our injectable anaesthetic protocol.

Stella came procedure went without issue and went straight into recovery...

... where each patient is given the upmost of care and attention.

Note the hot water bottles on Stella to bring up her body temperature.

Anaesthesia decreases the bodies ability to regulate it's temperature.

Sometimes a little warming is needed.

 After recover it is time for discharge. 

Dr.Travers gives post op/recovery instructions to Stella's people.

 A big thank you to Bryant, Stella's caregiver.

He left us a very nice donation which covered the entire team's lunches for the entire campaña.

Join Bryant in supporting our work in Cuba.

"Help Cubans Help Their Animals"

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