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.

We're back!

Meet Marta and Nano.

Marta is the Plaza de Armas colony keeper.

We first met her in 2012 when we surveyed cat colonies in Old Havana

Nano is a resident street dog. Marta and others in the plaza see to his well being.

Here is a short video featuring Marta and her cats.

It was shot on a follow up trip after our first mass TNR in 2012.

It was such a pleasure for Dairne and I to reunite with Marta and see how the cats are doing.

Her main colony has shrunk since our last visit.

The re-construction site where many of the cats resided has wound up.
Some cats have dispersed from the plaza.

Others have taken to the old sewer network in Habana Vieja.

They travel from street to street via this subterranean freeway.

Our campaña priority on this trip was to return to the colonies we visited in 2013

 and continue to sterilize the cats.
We call this a "Regreso".

We did make new friends along the way.

Katia is a shopkeeper on Calle Oficio at Muralla.

She cares for street cats, and as you can see, their offspring.

Although our time in Havana is serious work ...
... we do manage to have some fun.

At the invitation of, my artist friend, Yainiel Martinez ...

... we dropped into the Taller Experimental de Gráfica de La Habana for the opening of Homo Pinocho

Check out this short film by Katie Monk about art in Cuba.

It features an interview with Yainiel.

Another "regresso".

Ada lives in a high rise apartment building in the Municipio Plaza area of Havana. 

As the name suggests it is near the Plaza de Revolucion.

We went from Parque Central to Calle Tulipan in style.

Our driver "Marinaro"( he was a sailor in the Cuban Navy)
has his car decked out with a serious entertainment system.
But that did not overshadow his persona.


Ada and other residents were awaiting our arrival....

.... cats too!

Here is some video of our visit.

Ada's colony is well known.

Some, see it as a dumping ground for unwanted "pets".

We see it as refuge.

A shelter without walls. 

Then, there were new locations to check out

We had several reports of a colony being in Plaza Cristo located on the western edge of Habana Vieja.

Dairne and I went to check it out.

While surveying the area we met a church employee who feeds the cats.

Apparently, the Padre is not fond of the cats and would rather they be gone

This will be the perfect opportunity for some "education" and a future TNR.

Our visit was timely.

We noticed a cat in distress under a hedgerow bordering the plaza.

Upon closer inspection the cat was in dire straits.

We needed a veterinarian.

Dairne went with employee to her nearby home in hope of making telephone contact with one of our collaborating veterinarians.

I hustled back to my casa particular to retrieve a carrier.

We could not make contact with one of our veterinarians so we took the poor cat to the main veterinary clinic in Havana.

The main veterinary clinic in Havana locks up their "pharmacy' for the night.

So, even though the clinic is open round the clock critical drugs are not available.

Our hope of euthanizing the cat was not possible.

We took the cat back to my casa for the night.

I provided food and water which was consumed overnight.

 In the morning we met with Dr.Leyssan at  Quinta de los Molinos.

Upon opening the carrier we heard the horror that had befallen the cat.

Someone tossed boiling water on the poor creature.

Leyssan immediately administered a sedative.

Euthanasia was the only option.

The injection was intracardiac (directly into the heart).

The end was quick.

The reason I bring you this story is ... our work is real.

It is not all purrs and wagging tails.

Along with all the joys and successes...

... there is heartbreak waiting for us.

One way or another ... we shed tears on every trip.

We need your support.

Help Cubans help their animals.

Here is some additional footage of Nano.
He is a happy dog.

If Not For You ...

Before I get into the heart of our February Campaña we have an appeal.

The Cuban Institute of Veterinary Medicine permitted us to double the amount of our critical medications for entry into Cuba. 

This, wonderful development, left us with a budgetary shortfall.

If you can, please donate to keep work in Cuba alive.

If you are not able to donate at this time ....

PLEASE SHARE this posting.

Tell a friend.

In the first seven days of our appeal we realized 18% of our goal.

Help Cubans help their animals.