The LSPCA (Lilongwe Society for Prevention of Cruelty for Animals) is the only charity in Malawi working to improve standards of animal welfare in this small African country where animals play such a crucial role in the everyday lives of the people. Here in the UK our cats, dogs and other animals are usually luxuries, adding to our quality of life and keeping us happy – but in African countries such as Malawi, they are often play an essential role in communities, from guarding livestock to providing food. And with diseases such as Rabies and Newcastle disease prevalent, and little or no veterinary care generally available, the work of the LSPCA is absolutely invaluable.
The main work of the charity is vaccinating dogs against Rabies and other diseases, and chickens against Newcastle disease (which can devastate flocks leaving villages desperately short of food), and neutering dogs to try and reduce the massive stray dog problem – and with it the incidence of rabies infections in people. The LSPCA has also been campaigning hard on animal welfare issues and has made some real progress in reducing the problem of puppies and kittens being sold on the roadside, and chickens being carried by their feet on motorbikes.
However the charity is tiny and the scale of the challenges they face is enormous, so there is a great need for additional resources and funding to help the vets like Richard Ssuna who runs the charity continue and expand their amazing work. The latest project is to set up a proper clinic, as until now Richard has been working out of an open tent in dusty village squares providing far from ideal conditions for proper medical care and surgery. This project, called ‘a clinic in a box’ aims to create a fully functioning veterinary clinic in Malawi for the first time, and once complete it will make an enormous impact on the welfare of thousands of animals across this country. To find out more, please take a few minutes to visit the LSPCA blog where you can also find out how to donate by text and support this wonderful charity.
