Mobile Clinic – TNR Trust

Meet our Mobile Clinic Vet!

Dr. Desmond Tutu, B.V.M. – Veterinarian

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.

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.

Meet Erick!

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 Onsongo2 — 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.

Update on the TNR Mobile Clinic

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.

!! BREAKING NEWS !!

Exciting things are happening here at TNR Trust!

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!

Mobile clinic (MOCKUP)

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!

How to Donate

Email us on admin@tnrtrust.org for Donations in Kind

Click HERE for Donations of funds via Mpesa, Stripe, PayPal, etc. – any amount is welcome!

An Unusual Foster Mother

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 — 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.

For the video of the story, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQoXozp62A4

Make sure you check out how much Oscar loves seeing these 2 precious children (at 2:33 in the video!)

All Hands on Deck!

TNR Trust have been working for a long time on getting everything prepped for rolling out the Mobile Clinic. This Mobile Clinic will be used to ensure that rural areas will also have access to these rabies vaccinations. We will then also be able to educate people on caring for their dogs/cats and make them aware of the benefits of sterilization of pets (less aggression, less wandering, increased health of animal, etc.)

Our Trustees and Volunteers have been working non stops with donors, companies and EVEN sewing machines to get all the equipment ready!

Our talented volunteers Jo and Amanda making surgical drapes

Isn't she lovely?! — Isn’t she lovely, our beautiful Mobile Clinic !?

TNR Mobile Clinic is nearly here!

The arrival of the long-awaited TNR Trust Mobile Clinic is imminent! We will be ready to tow out before the end of the month.

In order to keep the Mobile Clinic in a good condition, we need to build a carport for it while it is parked in Nairobi between trips. To that end, we are in need of the following materials:

4 metal poles, about 3 meters high
A horizontal roof frame
Mabati sheets (= iron roof sheets) (can be second-hand)
Shade netting for the side

If you have any of the above to donate, you can send us a message or call/message Carla at 0733 739 708. Or if you want to donate money instead of building materials, the Mchanga link works brilliantly for Mpesa, Pay Pal, Stripe and credit cards:

https://secure.changa.co.ke/myweb/share/3103#contributeContainer

Below are the latest images of the mobile clinic’s progress: