Mdzananda Animal Clinic- Capetown

 Blogging, something i need to do more often and something as you can see i have not done for quite sometime, but after spending the last month in South Africa i have lots to blog about - but one step at a time, one story at a time. This blog is about the Mdzananda Animal Clinic where i spent the day observing and documenting the valuable work that goes on there. When i was planning my South African trip i contacted the Penda Trust , (a non profit organisation that uses photography to generate positive change in developing countries) to discuss if there was a chance i could tag along and spend the day in an animal shelter. After connecting with the right people i then found my way to a pickup point , met with Susan my contact for the day and headed off to Khayelitsha, a township on the Cape Flats in the city of Capetown and to the Mdzananda Animal Clinic for the day, not really knowing what to expect but excited anyway.
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The Background Story

About the clinic: best described from their own information: The Mdzananda Animal Clinic was founded in 1996 in response to the need to provide veterinary care to a fast growing community that had no access to help for their animals. Today the clinic serves up to 700 animals per month through consultations, hospitalization, surgery (including continuous sterilizations), mobile clinics and an animal ambulance for sick and injured animals, primarily dogs and cats. Apart from veterinary services we also rehome pets who are stray or abandoned. Lack of education and funds can result in neglect, illnesses and injuries. We bridge this gap by providing low cost veterinary services and pet education. We believe that a community that loves animals is a healthy community. By looking after an animal people learn responsibility, respect for life, compassion and non-violence. These are valuable attributes which flow over into everyday life.

After arriving, being introduced, trying to remember names, which by the way i am very bad at, and meeting some of the 4 legged locals who drop in for snacks and cuddles, it was full steam ahead and within an hour of arriving i found myself in the consultation room with a dog who had been hit by a car and had suffered horrific leg injuries, a desleeving i think is what they called it. It was truly an awful injury and i felt sick to my stomach, not just because of the injury but the fact you could tell it was a day old, even a few but there he lay, calm, gentle even and looked at me with those big brown eyes as if to say "really Deb, i'm ok"
I make no personal judgement as to why he wasn't bought in straight away, that is not up to me comment when i actually don't know why but at the end of the day his owner did bring him in and i could tell it was upsetting for him too. In the good hands of the head consultant, temperature was taken, injury cleaned as well as could be and pain relief given, it was into the surgery room for the vet to take a look at as soon as he was out of surgery. Later on the  decision was made to put him down, sad but a relief at the same time.
​This was the start to my day.

Adoptions

Not only does the centre run as a veterinary clinic but also has an adoption base where they have a mix of feline and canine. With purpose built cat enclosures and pens for the dogs including a large exercise yard, this centre does it's utmost to make sure every animal that comes in are cared for in every way from medical aid to re-homing. There was the cutest little cat who had made himself part of the permanent family there and was know as Container Cat. He made the back of the centre near a large shipping container his home and every time i ventured into that part he would run out, meow and sit and rub all over my feet. Had i been able to steal him, i would have !
There are so many beautiful animals there waiting for adoption, if you are in Capetown and you want to adopt, go there, save one of these babies.

Surgery

Surgery, that's where i found myself next. One of the main goals of the clinic is to decrease the over whelming number of stray dogs and cats in the community. I cannot begin to tell you just how many there are, there seemed to be a double figure amount for every person i saw and with up to 15 desexing operations a day, it doesn't begin to scratch the surface of reducing the numbers but with the work of some dedicated vets they soldier on regardless. Upbeat music blaring through the speakers, sandals, jeans and t-shirt, the head vet chatted as he delicately made an incision, removed the vital bits and stitched back together this little body who lay there listless under anesthetic all the while as the clinic assistant prepared another little being to go under the knife. I did giggle when i saw the vacuum cleaner come out to clean up the shaved hair.  Well it does make sense actually and is very efficient. Surgery is so interesting to watch and even more interesting to photograph and although i only saw desexing on the day i am sure there are some days that are harder than others. 

Mobile Clinic

After spending a few hours at the clinic it was time to head out with some of the team to set up a mobile clinic in the township. These mobile clinics are a vital part of trying to reduce the number of stray dogs and also give medical care to those who bring their animals along including vaccination, worming and defleaing and it's all free. Dogs for desexing are taken back to the main clinic. After loading up the dog trailer with the dogs that needed to be taken back to their homes after their care we headed off. Yes, the dogs that have come in for medical care and desexing are delivered back to their owner and dropped off which can be a task in itself as i noticed the further we got into the township the harder it was as there a no road signs. I for one would be totally lost and i think we were for a short while but soon all the dogs were delivered and we were at the spot to set up the gazebo and start the clinic. 
Before we even got the things out of the back of the ute people started coming, kids with puppies, teenagers/young men with large dogs, Mums and Dad with dogs and the dogs kept coming. It was like a social event, small children gathered around bringing snacks, people appeared from no where and stood in line chatting while they waited their turn. The call had gone out, the clinic was here.
Each dog was given a vaccination and flea treatment, information was recorded and advice given from better feeding practices for the puppies to desexing for the larger dogs who appear to maybe be used for fighting purposes. Sadly that is a culture here, fighting dogs and i knew some of the larger dogs, the pit bull terriers were used for just that. The whole concept of wanting to fight them but then also caring for their health well being confused me but then again it shouldn't, they need to be healthy. I had to try to push past the perception in my head, i could have been wrong, i hoped i was wrong, i just had to push on and concentrate on what i was there for. 

Summary

A huge thanks to the Penda Trust for organising for me to take part in this amazing experience and an even bigger thanks to Mdzananda Animal Clinic to having me tag along for the day. It was truly and experience i will never forget. The tireless work that is done here at the clinic is a credit to each and every individual who work there and also to the people who sponsor and contribute to the funding of this project. There is no government funding, there is no government assistance, a majority of the work done here is for free and willingly. I take home with me lasting memories, admiration and a sense of purpose as a photographer. I received more back than i gave. To anyone reading this, if you can help in anyway, physically or financially then please do so. Without clinics like this dotted across the country and indeed all over the world with one aim in mind and that is of the welfare of our animals, the world would be a sadder place for most of these little furry one. Again, Thankyou for this opportunity.