Author: SPCAI Staff

A Miraculous Recovery for Victoria

by SPCAI Staff
By SPCA International Staff In August the SPCAI team was on location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, promoting adoptions and working to protect animals displaced by the Olympic Games sites. This is where we met Victoria, an incredibly sweet dog who had endured unspeakable cruelty. After being starved and burned, Victoria and 13 other dogs were callously abandoned and left for dead. A “community caretaker” found these 14 abused dogs and brought them to a local vet clinic, where our team met the emaciated and burned dog named Victoria. Although their situation seemed dire, our team noticed an unwavering will to live in Victoria and her friends. We reached out to our supporters for help because all the extensive veterinary care Victoria and her friends needed before they would be ready to go onto forever homes. Without a second thought hundreds of our supporters contributed to help for these 14 dogs heal. Thanks to that support, just over 1 month later Victoria is running around and wagging her tail. If she isn’t getting a pat on the head or a belly rub she starts crying for more attention. She has put on weight and is a completely different dog than the trembling dog we met over a month ago. All of us here at SPCA International cannot say thank you enough to everyone who showed their support. None of this would have been possible with out you! Victoria and the other 13 dogs are well on the road to recovery. Victoria’s story won’t end here; she still has a few more medical treatments before she crosses the finish line and is able to start looking for her forever home. If you are interested in adopting Victoria or one of her 13 friends please contact our partners at Oito Vitas ([email protected]) for more information.

Breed Specific Legislation: What is it?

by SPCAI Staff

By Meredith Ayan, Executive Director

Many people have followed the news out of Montreal recently, where the city council ruled to pass “Breed Specific Legislation” or “BSL”. This ruling states the following:

  • Any dog resembling a pit bull is now illegal to adopt or purchase.
  • All pit-bull type dogs must be muzzled when in their yard or out on walks.
  • Families must pay a fee for a permit ($150) to keep the dogs they already own.

The breeds affected by this group are: Staffordshire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, any mix with these breeds and any dog that presents characteristics of one of these breeds.

So what’s the problem?
The guidelines of the law are so vague they extend to any type of dogs with “pit-bull” like characteristics. Visual breed recognition is entirely subjective and notoriously unreliable. Family dogs with no history of aggression or behavioral problems are subject to all of the restrictions above. For those that cannot afford the permit, they are forced to surrender their beloved family member to a shelter, knowing they have no chance of being adopted or re-homed under this new law. Can you imagine condemning your best friend to death?

The CDC has declared BSL to be an ineffective measure for protecting the public. Instead, they found focusing on responsible pet ownership and educating children and the public about bite prevention to be a more effective tool. We encourage every parent to educate their children on how to safely and respectfully interact with all animals.

Currently, a judge has ordered a delay of the ban, and a longer-term suspension of the by-law is being sought from the Quebec Superior Court. We hope Montreal will see that they are on the wrong side of history, and repeal this by-law quickly and in its entirety.

Olympic Dog Gets An Olympic Home

by SPCAI Staff

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This was the first picture we received of Floquinho – cowering below a gentle hand after being rescued from a site near the Olympic Games facilities.

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Here Flo is relaxing in the Brazilian sun, but without a home to call her own.

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SPCAI's partner getting Flo ready for travel to the United States.

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Flo checking our her new airline crate.

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Flo getting one last hug before she is turned over to airline agents.

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Flo has arrived! She sniffs the ground of a car as she departs the Salt Lake City airport.

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Flo eats a meal in her new home.

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Flo and her Olympian savior, gold medalist Devery Karz.

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Flo snoozing after the long journey.

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Flo and Devery on a hike with the beautiful Utah landscape at their backs.

U.S. Olympian Eleanor Logan Helps Animals in Rio de Janeiro

by SPCAI Staff
By Stephanie Scott, SPCAI staff On Sunday, August 21st when most of the U.S. media was still focused on the transgressions of a U.S. Olympic swimmer, another U.S. Olympian met up with SPCA International partners in Rio de Janeiro to tour the local public animal shelter and raise awareness about the hundreds of dogs and cats there who are longing for a better life. Eleanor Logan is no ordinary Olympian. A seasoned member of the U.S. women’s coxed 8, Elle already had two gold medals to her name from the Bejing and London Olympics when we met her en route to Rio in late July. On August 14th, with 500 meters left in the race, Elle and her teammates surged past the other boats to clinch their 3rd straight Olympic gold. With a lot of reasons to celebrate and focus on her team’s outstanding success, Elle still took the time that very day to tell SPCA International that she was now ready to help the animals of Rio who were displaced by the construction of the Olympic sites. On Saturday August 20th, Elle visited a local veterinary clinic with SPCAI partners, Oito Vidas, where she met two young cats who had recently been rescued from Vila Autodromo by the Olympic Park. Elle made a commitment then and there to adopt both cats and bring them home with her to the United States. After hearing that more animals displaced from Olympic sites were being kept at the local public shelter and were in need of homes, Elle made plans to go visit them the next day in an effort to raise awareness about adoption. While she was there she made the heartwarming video you can watch below and our friends captured these pictures as she interacted with the animals. SPCA International and Oito Vidas couldn’t be more impressed with this Olympic animal champion. We salute her! If you are interested in giving a dog or cat from Rio a good home please visit Olympic Animals For Adoption.

Mission Tails: Out of Africa

by SPCAI Staff
By Lori Kalef, SPCAI staff Forget Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Meet Nelson, Jemma and Prince! Three of the most deserving, adorable and special animals I have come to know over the last few weeks as we worked day and night to save their lives for 2 U.S. Soldiers deployed in Obo, Central African Republic and Uganda. 13318949_3053791461653_656967889_n.jpg Since this was a part of the world we have never worked in before, it took weeks of research and planning to arrange for their rescue and transport to the United States. When all 3 animals were safe in Entebbe with one of the Soldiers, it wasn’t long before we needed to find an alternative temporary home due to the commanding officers’ new orders. During Transport.png Our extraordinary new partners at The Big Fix were a 7 hour car drive away, but quickly came to their rescue and brought the trio back to their facility. Once there, Nelson, Jemma and Prince were treated like royalty until we could organize their trip to the U.S. IMG_4610.JPG It was an all team effort as our trusted and valued partner from TAWESO in Tanzania, Dr. Kahema, flew to Uganda to accompany the animals home. The journey was long with many layovers in order to give everyone a break, but all the animals and our tireless flight representative arrived with big smiles and wagging tails (the four-legged portion of that group at least!). 14060378_3136548370524_1996423246_o.jpg OBP: Africa doesn’t stop there! Four more amazing and beautiful dogs are currently on their way from Egypt to the United States where they will be reunited with their anxious military parents who befriended them while on deployment too! Stay tuned for more mission ‘tails’ and updates on our Facebook page.

Victoria Update: Healing and Happy

by SPCAI Staff

We are excited to share these three new photos of Victoria. A few weeks ago we emailed to tell you about Victoria and 13 other dogs who were burned on purpose in an act of unthinkable evil. We received an incredible outpouring of support for Victoria and her 13 friends. These photos show how she is recovering.

When SPCAI staff met her, she couldn’t stand, she was emaciated and she was shaking.  Look at her now – strong enough to stand, fur growing in over her healing wounds and a full belly! We see a look of happiness on her face that wasn’t present the day we met her.

Thank you to all SPCAI supporters who contributed to help Victoria and her friends heal. We will continue to provide updates on our Facebook page as we learn more about their recovery.

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Olympic Adoption Event in Rio

by SPCAI Staff

The countdown to the Rio Olympics is on! Over the past 3 months, the SPCA International team has been working to protect the dogs and cats on the streets of Rio who have been displaced from their homes now taken up by Olympic sites. SPCAI has partnered with local animal groups to combat the terrible suffering of Rio’s stray animals through research, education, spay and neuter and adoption.  Our coalition is working to educate Rio’s citizens about humane pet care, spay and neuter, the hazards of abandonment and the benefits of adopting animals from shelters.  On July 30th and 31st SPCA International’s team will be holding adoption events in Barra de Tijuca and Rio de Janeiro.

Olympic Adoption Events:
July 30 10:00am to 3:00pm
Città Vet, Av. Olegário Maciel, 260
Barra da Tijuca, Brazil

July 31 10:00am to 3:00pm
Praça do ó, Posto 03
Rio, Brazil

Adoption Event Image July 30 Adoption Event Image July 31

Rio Visit Reveals Animal Suffering

by SPCAI Staff

In June, our SPCA International team traveled to Rio de Janeiro, the host city of this year's summer Olympic and ParaOlympic Games, to assess the condition of the stray animal population. In prior Olympic Games and even World Cup Games, many host countries have dealt with the overpopulation of homeless animals in very inhumane ways.  During the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, city authorities ramped up a campaign to exterminate street dogs through the use of poison. Many spectators, visitors and athletes described witnessing stray dogs dying agonizing long deaths. SPCA International is determined to prevent these kinds of inhumane actions ahead of the Olympic Games this year and into the future.

One of our primary goals during our June trip was to strengthen our partnerships with the organizations and individuals on the ground. Our joint efforts with Oito Vidas, a local non-profit group dedicated primarily to the welfare of stray cats, has been paramount in our ability to do make progress without stationing a staff member in Rio full time. Through their expertise we have been able to form new relationships and reach out to the government and Olympic authorities.

During our visit we examined Olympic sites where we rescued several dogs and cats (including the cat pictured here) that were left behind by individuals forced to leave their homes in order to build sporting event structures. The dogs and cats are now being well cared for and treated for disease, dehydration and malnutrition. Once they are strong enough, we will have them spayed or neutered and carefully select loving and deserving homes for each and every one of them.

There is still much to be done for the animals of Rio, and not just before the games, but for long thereafter. We believe that educating the people of Rio about humane care and treatment of their animals, the benefits of sterilization and encouraging adoptions will help elevate the animal population and provide much needed support for animal activists in Rio who are working on these issues daily.

Today we are gearing up for more field work in Rio. Our team leaves July 27th to work on education, sterilization and adoption just ahead of the Opening Ceremonies. We have scheduled adoption events for some of the street animals that would otherwise have little chance of finding a home.

Please join us on Facebook to support our work and share our messages as we post and stream video live from the field. There is so much work to be done, but we can’t do it without your support!

Amazing visit to Spay Panama

by SPCAI Staff
By Hannah Weitzenfeld, DVM When I was first invited by SPCA International to volunteer at Spay Panama, I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit concerned about safety, as well as standards of veterinary care in Panama compared with what I’m used to here in Canada. Upon arrival Patricia Chan, the founder of Spay Panama, warmly welcomed me at the airport. After an inspiring chat she brought me back to my accommodations at the center. The next morning, I met with all of the veterinarians and volunteers, who were quite friendly and helpful. Most of the volunteers and even some of the veterinarians began helping Spay Panama after the organization provided care to one of their family pets. On the first day, I had a chance to observe how the whole clinic is run. The morning was spent on spay and neuter surgeries, and in the afternoon veterinarians saw sick and injured patients. Volunteers worked at different stations, including registration, patient preparation, post-operative care, and instrument sterilization. Volunteers and veterinarians worked together efficiently and harmoniously, with lots of great conversation and laughter through the day. It was evident that everyone was grateful for the opportunity to care for these animals in need. By the end of the first day of watching this team work together, I knew that I was involved with a very special organization. The second day had something entirely different in store for me and part of the team: the head veterinarian, Dr. Augusto Barragan, along with another veterinarian, a technician and myself, were accompanied by a few locals as we went on a spay and neuter expedition to a remote area called Playa Blanca, in Colon province, on the Atlantic side of the country. After driving an hour, we packed our stuff into a boat and headed over to the remote area. There, after sterilizing several animals, we heard from one of the locals about an even more remote area where there were more dogs that needed help. We packed some supplies into a smaller boat and rode over. At the location, there was no paved path – we walked 20 minutes through bush and among cows, to get to a farm where there was a dog that needed to be neutered and had some lacerations that needed treatment. We treated the dog, and the farmer was incredibly grateful for our help. After returning to Playa Blanca, the locals gave us plantains and coconuts to thank us for our work. What a great day! After a few more days at the Spay Panama center, came the “Blitz” – basically a weekend spay and neuter marathon at an elementary school in an impoverished suburb of Panama City. Local officials and city workers spread the word to low-income residents that Spay Panama was doing a low-cost spay-neuter event in the covered outdoor yard of the school. On Friday afternoon when we got there, school children eagerly rushed to help us set up. They crowded the Spay Panama school bus to carry our equipment and supplies, and to set up the many tables for the different care stations. At first it seemed a bit chaotic, but with the leadership of the veterinarians and volunteers, the kids did an amazing job! Saturday morning, we arrived to a seemingly unending line of local residents with their pets – cats in pillowcases in owners’ arms, puppies in laundry baskets, etc. It was quite a sight! One by one, volunteers patiently registered, medicated and prepared patients for surgery. With 10 veterinarians working, we preformed 500 surgeries in two days, using primarily injectable anesthetic, with great success. After the procedures, pet owners waited lovingly, sometimes stroking or codling their recovering animals. Unfortunately, the following day it was time for me to return home. This experience was eye-opening and inspiring. Not only did I learn a lot about organizing large-scale spay-neuter events and the quick-spay method, I came to appreciate the importance of empathy, team cohesion and community involvement. I am so grateful to Spay Panama and SPCAI for this opportunity.