Mobile donkey clinic in Zimbabwe
In the course of the Vet Vital Race Cup 2013, and thanks to your generous help by purchasing VetVital products, „VetVital & friends“ could enable the founding of a SPANA mobile clinic for donkeys in Zimbabwe. This was announced at the Veterenarian Congress Leipzig 2014.
A major donation went to the international organisation SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad), which has been supported by Prof. Knottenbelt for years. The objective and purpose of SPANA is to help working animals around the world. In many developing countries, donkeys, camels and horses are the basic subsistence for millions of people. But animals can “help” their masters only if they are strong and healthy. If an animal cannot work, it often means that children will have to work and go without an education, as their families are struggling with survival. A free veterinary care of these animals is tantamount to live-saving and and eduction-friendly help to children and all other local people. Thanks to the support by “VetVital & friends”, a mobile clinic could be established in Zimbabwe, which allows the treatment of working animals, in particular of donkeys, in rural areas. Dr. Erick Mutizhe and Dr. Andy Garura, two equine veterinary surgeons from SPANA, have been able to care for thousands of working animals in Zimbabwe since they started their work in July 2013. At the same time, they provided a lot of useful and important educational work on the keeping of donkeys. In particular, the use of well-fitting harnesses helps to prevent many wounds and pain of the donkeys.
