News
Dahab: AWAR helps the dogs of Dahab!
March 24, 2008, 4:5AM MT
By Sharon St. Joan
A 12 day successful mission
A 12 day successful mission
By Sharon St Joan, Best Friends Network
Dahab, a popular tourist destination, is a small town in Sinai, on the Red Sea, fifty miles northeast of Sharm el-Sheikh, which began as a Bedouin fishing village.
A February article, by Susie Nassar, on the Egypt Community of the Best Friends Network described the plight of several hundred dogs there who had been saved from death by poisoning. Janet Johnson, originally a British tourist, having saved the dogs, then took on the task of feeding and caring for them and now lives with the dogs out in the desert near the town of Dahab.
The Egyptian coalition of nine animal groups, AWAR, based in Cairo, heard about the situation of the dogs of Dahab, learning that it was a struggle to provide food and water for so many dogs; but just as importantly, it was very urgent that the dogs be spayed and neutered.
AWAR responds!
Amina Abaza, the Founder of SPARE, first alerted her fellow members of AWAR about the need for help for the dogs of Dahab. The group followed up immediately with an investigative mission on February 8 and 9 to Dahab to meet the dogs and Janet.
They then pulled together an emergency team to spay/neuter as many of the animals as possible, since this was clearly needed to prevent a crisis.
Everyone contributed to the expedition, and Amina Abaza, with great generosity, arranged for SPARE to donate some of the resources of their Sakkara Clinic--including all the personnel for the trip and the Clinic vehicle.
Sinai officials, including the Governor of South Sinai and the Veterinary Servces, all gave their permission and approval for the spay/neuter project. A plan has also been under discussion for allocating a tract of land for the dogs to live on.
The two vets from SPARE, Dr. Mustafa Mouhamed and Dr. John Nagi, were accompanied by two assistants, as well as a driver, and a volunteer. A pick-up truck went along too, bringing eight cages. They set off bright and early in the morning of February 17 and after a long day's drive arrived in Dahab at 5 PM.
After meeting Janet and being greeted by the friendlier dogs, that evening they set up all that was needed for surgeries the next day.
The twelve day trip, from February 17--February 28, experienced its share of difficulties, primarily the on-off nature of the electricity supply. Performing operations with an uncertain power supply can be challenging. Some of the surgeries were done by flashlight! All of the dogs did well!
In addition, part of the vets' time was spent on basic medical treatment for the dogs, and for cats too.
It can already be quite hot in the Egyptian desert in February.
Working long, tiring days, and overcoming obstacles, the team accomplished an incredible amount--spaying/neutering around 60 % of the dogs--going a long way towards getting the population under control.
Everyone appreciated all that had been achieved, and the team were thanked by AWAR as returning heroes.
Congratulations to AWAR for this successful trip to help the Dahab dogs!
AWAR hopes that there will be funds available to complete the spay/neuter mission for the Dahab dogs.
How you can help
If you'd like to help the dogs of Dahab, especially with spaying/neutering the remaining dogs, you may donate through the website of SPARE or ESMA. Please specify "Dahab Project" along with your donation.
SPARE
http://www.sparealife.org
ESMA
http://www.esmaegypt.org
To read the previous article about the dogs of dahab, please go to
http://network.bestfriends.org/egypt/news/23098.html