At the end of last year three animal loving schoolchildren chose to support the TNR Trust by donating the proceeds of the home-made cards during the Zen Kids Business Fair held at Zen Gardens (Read their Business Plan)
Keiya (10), and Sitara (8) Sumaria and Ayana (11) Karena – enlisted the help of some friends and sold cards in aid of the TNR, whilst chanting ‘We love Dogs!’ around the grounds.
Their hard work and persistence not only helped raise the profile of the charity at the fair – they also raised a whopping 47,000 KES in the process!
Keiya, Sitara and Ayana in action during the Fair
We’d like to say a huge thank you to the girls and the boys “pushing” the sales!
The money will all go towards funding our new Mobile Clinic and our dog and cat vaccination and sterilisation programme.
Dr. Desmond Tutu received his undergraduate degree in veterinary medicine from The University of Nairobi, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. He is an experienced veterinary surgeon with passion for animals and animal welfare. He has experience as a clinician from one of the best private clinics in East Africa where he served as an associate veterinary surgeon between 2011 and 2014. Most recently, 2014-2018, he managed a working dog kennel with a private security company. Dr Tutu was responsible for the health and welfare of over 500 dogs, performing surgeries both soft tissue, orthopaedics and internal medicine.
He is an animal welfare and animal rights champion and loves working with all species of animals; companion, livestock and exotic veterinary practice. He has specific interest in dogs and cats especially the stray population. He enjoys the neuter programs and has been involved with the KVA (Kenya Veterinary Association) and the KESCAVA (Kenya Small and Companion Animal Veterinary Association) neuter and vaccination programs as part of CSR that the two associations perform every year.
Dr. Desmond Tutu, TNR Trust’s Mobile Clinic Vet
He has been part of KSPCA as a student and as a graduate helping out with education on stray dog population control programs. He is very excited to be part of TNR Trust as the pioneer mobile clinic veterinarian. Dr Tutu brings many years of experience with small animal surgery with over 500 dogs and cats spayed and castrated in his career. The objectives of the project are in line with his career goals and offer him an opportunity to realise the dream of a Rabies free Kenya.
In addition to veterinary medicine, he has interest in advocacy, sensitisation, and animal welfare and loves music, reading and travelling.
As a boy growing up in Nyamira County, Erick Onsongo had ambitions of helping people by becoming a doctor – but he couldn’t ignore his love for animals that had grown from his time spent looking after sheep and cattle during his school holidays and at weekends.
If he was to become a vet, he realised he could help both. By teaching locals how to treat and look after animals properly, the animals would benefit – and the communities, with a greater understanding of animal behaviour, would be more tolerant of them.
After a chance meeting with Amy Rapp of the TNR Trust in 2016, whilst still training as a vet at the University of Nairobi, he knew he had found an organisation that embodied the principles he believed in, and he decided to dedicate his free time in helping the TNR Trust.
As his involvement with the organisation grew, he became more involved with the mobile clinic and along with Carla, Erick devised an education programme which the TNR could put in place to get the message out to communities on how vaccination would keep their animals healthy and sterilisation would prevent the over population of cats and dogs.
Erick (right) “in action”
Erick is hugely excited about the official launch of the clinic in January 2019 – pending the issuance of our KVB (Kenya Vet Board Permit) – and is keen to visit the more rural parts of Nairobi – so that he can provide much needed medical care to animals who are suffering and advise locals on vaccinations and what to do in the event of a dog or a cat bite.
Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! – the countdown to Christmas has begun and we are taking full advantage of this season of goodwill by busily recruiting volunteers for the TNR mobile clinic.
The first person we’d like to thank for joining our team is Erick Onsongo -one of the mobile clinic’s veterinary volunteers who’s been pivotal in helping set the programme up.
We will be profiling Erick next week, who explains how a chance meeting with the TNR’s Amy Rapp and a desire to better the lives of animals and people has changed the course of his life.
If you have any questions you’d like to ask Erick – either for the profile or to find out how you can volunteer your services, then please get in touch with the TNR Trust.
The TNR Trust’s mobile clinic will be on the road in January, to fulfill our mission of improving community health by sterilizing and vaccinating dogs and cats in and around Nairobi.
If you’re a registered vet or veterinary student and would like to help the TNR Trust, or if your company is looking to provide funding for a very worthwhile cause, then we’d love to hear from you!
Please click on the link to see how you can help.
VETS
We need registered vets and veterinary students to sterilize and vaccinate animals brought to us against rabies. They will work alongside our volunteers to educate the communities we meet on the benefits of maintaining a healthy dog and cat population. If you want to be part of this please contact us via email
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP
Sterilization and vaccination is important – but expensive. We are offering a competitive branding package for potential sponsors as well as advertising space on our mobile clinic. If you think your company would like to be part of this please contact us via email
We had our preliminary KVB (Kenya Vet Board) inspection of our Mobile Clinic. They were most encouraging and very impressed with our clinic. We have also received a grant to cover the vets salary for a year, so it’s really, really the home stretch!
We still have some items to cover, some are required by the vet board and some are things left to fund.
What we still need
Permit fees 60,000 ksh (required)
Branding of Mobile Clinic with our logo
Laptop, printer and power bar
3 tents, (1 with mesh sides)
Padded canvas covers for protecting our solar panels
LP Gas autoclave, gas canisters, and ring
Ramp to be build for the entrance for carrying sedated animals
Rubber mats for ramp and exam tables
Tables and chairs for paperwork for admitting animals, paperwork
Megaphone
Basins / stands for pre washing surgical drapes and hand washing
Ongoing printing of vaccination cards
First Aid kit for humans, required triangles and fire extinguisher
Monetary donations or donations in kinds are also very welcome!
CREDITS FOR THIS STORY: K 24 TV (2013), Kirigo, Dagoretti (Kenya)
7-year-old Mbugua and his 6-year-old sister Wanjiku have been living with their grandmother after their biological alcoholic mother abandoned them. Their grandmother is however often away from home and has to tend to a total of 5 children left in her care.
Early every morning, Oscar can be found waiting patiently at the door of the home of Mbugua’s and Wanjiku’s grandmother
Oscar the dog, their unusual foster mother, stepped in and has been taking care of them. 2 years ago, neighbours found the 2 children, then 5 and 4 years old, cuddling the dog and trying to drink her breastmilk. Oscar had had puppies, who had been already taken away.
Oscar then started showing up at their home. She started treating the children as her own and became very protective of them, guarding them from attacks, strangers and even helped them get home after they got lost going to Dagoretti market.
Much love between Oscar and these 2 kids!
Every morning at 6am, Oscar patiently waits for Mbugua and Wanjiku to get ready for school at Kirigo Primary School. She takes them to school, hangs around waiting for them to finish, and then takes them home again. She would come and take Mbugua and Wanjiku to school, waits for them to finish and take them home again.
Oscar taking Wanjiku and Mbugua to school
Efforts to seek extra help for the children have been in vain, but they have a caring grandmother who feeds them, provides a roof for them and makes sure that they get an education.
The dog has never been treated and being in such close proximity, the children could contract diseases from her. This is exactly the kind of situation TNR Trust tries to prevent. By educating the public, we make them aware that treatments such as (preventive) rabies vaccinations and regular deworming are necessary.
All of you can make Community Health by Animal Welfare happen. TNR Trust is volunteer-based and relies 100% on donors. One of these generous donours is Charles Mather. He has sponsored the building of our brand-new mobile clinic. With this clinic, we will be able to reach places that have no or limited access to vet care.
What we still need
