Mayhew International newsletter Autumn/Winter 2014

Mayhew International wor ki ng to alleviate th e s u ffe r i ng of an i mals ab road

Issue 15 | Autumn/Winter 2014

Well, we can’t quite believe it but here at Mayhew International HQ, we are gearing up for Christmas and planning for 2015 already. The year has flown by and been packed with different projects and initiatives.

Rani, rescued from the streets of Ranchi, recovering at the HOPE clinic.

In this issue read about our second training trip to Tbilisi, Georgia, the experiences of three Indian vets who visited The Mayhew in London this summer, plus an update from Moscow and some information about the Mission Rabies month in Ranchi, that Mayhew International is sponsoring this year with the help of HOPE & Animal Trust and the team at WVS of course.

We hope to see as many of you as possible at our special Mayhew International Evening on Friday, 24 October 2014 – for details please see the back page. And don’t forget to browse our Christmas Catalogue. Any items purchased in aid of Mayhew International will help animals in need, like Rani, pictured on the front cover, rescued from the streets of Ranchi, and developing our training programmes for vet professionals working to alleviate suffering and overpopulation around the world.

The Mayhew’s Chief Vet with the vet team from Tbilisi Municipal Shelter

Demonstrating a bitch spay at Tbilisi University

Making a cat friendly environment at Tbilisi Municipal shelter

Mayhew VN Laura with a pup at Tbilisi Municipal Shelter

through and the techniques learned, retained. It was pleasing to see many vets and vet students who had attended lectures last year, returning not only to learn more but also to help with the neutering of the animals in Tbilisi and Gori whilst we were there.

For the first time, Mayhew International was able to bring together many of the stakeholders that need to collaborate in order for any comprehensive strategy to control and contain the street animal population in Tbilisi to have any impact.

Our thanks go to Dr Mariam, Head Vet

of Agrarian University Clinic, Chair of Homeless Pets Help Organisation and Mayhew International alumni, Tinatin Chavchadnize of Animal Rights Committee Georgia, Fiona Coxshall of Dog Organisation Georgia, Temur Pkhaladze, Department of Emergency Services, Tbilisi City Council and responsible for Tbilisi Municipal Shelter and the many volunteers and students who made the two weeks enjoyable and productive.

Mayhew International is now working with these organisations to develop the next strategic steps.

What we have achieved in 2014 is down to you! So thank you from all of us – and onwards and upwards!

MAYHEW INTERNATIONAL in GEORGIA

In May, Mayhew International returned to Tbilisi to carry out two weeks of intensive training in dog and cat reproductive surgery and shelter management.

The first week concentrated on dogs, with lectures and practical workshops for vets and vet students at the Agrarian University of Georgia by our Chief Vet Ursula Goetz and veterinary nurse Laura Cashman, and several days intensive training for the veterinary and shelter team at Tbilisi’s Municipal Shelter. In addition, our vet team travelled to the city of Gori about 40 km from Tbilisi following a cry for help from the Municipal shelter there.

The second week included some more in depth work on cats: how to improve 2

cat welfare in the shelter environment, humane handling and restraint, some practical lessons on the use of cat traps and holding baskets as well as neutering.

Mayhew International would like to thank International Cat Care for the donation of traps and baskets which were presented to the animal welfare groups in Tbilisi and to Ian MacFarlaine for his expertise on all things cat welfare related!

Although there remain many problems, we were pleased to see that the initial training given to the Municipal vet team in 2013 was being followed

3

MAYHEW INTERNATIONAL VET TRAINING PROGRAMME This year, Mayhew International welcomed 3 Indian vets to our London-based Community Vet Clinic as participants in our International Vet Training Programme.

Dr Anupam Mital, from the Shimla State Veterinary Hospital was the first to join us at the end of May. Dr Mital had won a competition, judged by our own Chief Vet, on a case study dealing with street and community dogs in India and a placement on our training scheme was part of the prize.

Although an experienced vet, Dr Mital told us “I had very little exposure of feline surgery. Feline anaesthetic protocol, cat castration, cat spay were learned and performed during the training course and this has really boosted my confidence and enhanced my knowledge in cat surgery.”

And we have had two Indian vets that work at the WVS International Training Centre in Ooty, Tamil Nadu.

Dr Jawahar joined us for two weeks and soon became an enthusiastic member of the clinic team learning from all the dog and cat neutering surgeries and protocols in place as well as finding out about our other Community Outreach initiatives including TheraPaws.

The third candidate was Dr Vinay who has just recently returned to the ITC in India. Dr Vinay also learned many useful tips and procedures during his three weeks here. In fact he informed us he had a total of 142 new things that he would take back with him to India including new scrubbing up techniques, 4

Mayhew Vet David teaching at the ITC in Ooty, India

Dr Mital carrying out a cat dental at The Mayhew

Dr Jawahar on a TheraPaws visit in London

aseptic control of intubation, the positioning of surgical drapes, left flank spaying of cats, humane restraint to cause minimum stress when taking blood from awake dogs and cats. Quite a list – but a highlight was seeing his first cryptorchid cat castration! (when one or both testicles have not descended).

While Dr Vinay was at The Mayhew, our very own vet, David, had travelled to the ITC in Ooty to teach reproductive surgery for Indian vets attending a 2 week intensive course in spay & neuter there. Upon his return David told us “it was inspiring and rewarding to see the students learn a new surgical skill and then to use this skill to help in the fight against rabies in India”.

The collaboration with the ITC in India continues with our Senior Vet Nurse, Melanie, assisting with a training course there in December.

Dr Vinay in The Mayhew Community Vet Clinic

5

UPDATES FROM MOSCOW & INDIA Throughout 2014 we have continued sponsoring free neutering initiatives in Moscow. We are in our third year now working with Fond Dingo, whose vet team provide free neutering for cats and dogs in private apartment shelters, hoarding cases and for families and the elderly on extremely low incomes. By the end of July this year, through Fond Dingo we have neutered 330 dogs and cats.

We also supported another initiative called “Koshkin Dom” with an organisation called Human Ecology

and in conjunction with the Russian Allotment Association. This project provides neutering and a Trap, Neuter, Release programme for stray and feral cats in the outer suburbs of Moscow, cats that have often been left behind at summer houses/small holdings when owners return to the city. These cats adapt to living outside in colonies but, of course, would reproduce prolifically without neutering. The project started in June with two vets on board and so far they have neutered 137 cats in 3 months.

Mayhew International is excited to be sponsoring the Mission Rabies month in Ranchi this year. This will take place in November and will comprise two weeks of surgical training headed up by our Chief Vet Ursula Goetz, followed by a two week intensive anti rabies campaign with the target of vaccinating 5000 dogs in the Ranchi area. Taking part in the two week vaccination drive will be Mayhew Animal Care Assistant Josh Keegan and Dr Mohammadzai, as he gathers information for a similar programme in Kabul.

Mayhew dog handler Josh at Ranchi Mission Rabies

Christmas items & gifts in aid of Mayhew International Mayhew International has a range of cards, calendar and gift items in our main catalogue enclosed with this newsletter.

We also have some lovely hand-crafted gifts direct from Afghanistan that will only be available via our online shop: www.themayhew.org/shop or at events – please keep an eye out!

Dogs neutered by the vet team of Fond Dingo, Moscow

6

Some of the first cats neutered on the Koshkin Dom project

7

Mayhew International Evening Friday 24th October 2014, 7pm – 10pm Burgh House, New End Square, Hampstead, London, NW3 1LT Advert for MI Evening. £15 per ticket, including light refreshments.

Web/facebook/contacts/signups etc

Enjoy an evening of discovery about the amazing work of Mayhew International as far afield as India, Georgia and Afghanistan in the beautiful venue of Burgh House.

For more information, visit www.themayhew.org/events call 020 8206 5875 or email events@mayhewanimalhome.org

Please keep in touch with Mayhew International. We love to hear from you: Join us on Facebook: mayhewinternational Follow us on Twitter: @mayhewint Sign up to our e-Newsletter: www.mayhewinternational.org/newsletter Donations telephone: 020 8206 5870 Email: international@mayhewanimalhome.org

Mayhew International