And.. lots of IV sets!

IMS Euro have also donated 100's of IV sets (the tubes to connect a drip to the animal). This is a brilliant donation, this full box of IV sets will be enough for all of LSPCA's patients for a couple of years! A big thank you to Durgham, Karen, Nick and Omar, much appreciated! 


Donna

IMS Euro - more donations of veterinary consumables!

We are very grateful to IMS Euro, (http://www.imseuro.co.uk/) for their fantastic donation of veterinary consumables - lots of surgical gloves, scrub brushes, dressings and needles and lots more! These boxes full of donations are the second batch of donations IMS Euro have given to our clinic so we really appreciate their support and our vets will put all these items to great use in the LSPCA clinic.  Donna

Surgical instruments donated!

A big thank you to veterinary suppliers Dunlops who have kindly donated lots of surgical instruments to the clinic! Good quality instruments are obviously vital so this is a great help and will soon be well used in the clinic theatre. Our vets Richard and Vicky are looking forward to getting their hands on brand new instruments!  


Donna

Katherine Crosse at LSPCA

Dear Readers

On the 2^nd November 2011, a week and a half ago from today, we received Katherine Crosse MRCVS from the World Veterinary Services to help with the setting up of the Veterinary Clinic as well helping to treat the animals too. Two weeks seems like a very short period but Katherine has been a great help in quite a number of things during this period; she assisted with the farm day in Dzenza, the spay and neuter clinic in Area 25, Rescues and Public call outs, reviewing and making an inventory of the drug supplies in the clinic as well as structuring their prices.

She has also left a foundation for the Standard Operating Procedures and reviewed clinic procedures paperwork to build on after she leaves. We have no doubt that she has left the LSPCA Clinic in a much better place than she found it. Thanks Katherine.

In addition to the domestic work, she helped in the treatment of some wildlife at a local wildlife centre; the health of a newly rescued baboon battling to survive was reinstated and carried out a life-saving finger amputation on a resident African green monkey that was caught up in interspecies squabbles.

Her two weeks stay has been greatly beneficial to the resident clinic staffers as time has been freed to focus on less prioritised facets of the practice since she arrived.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Katherine and the Worldwide Veterinary Services who made her stay possible. We look forward to maintaining this cooperation for the greater good of the animals.

Wow, lots of dogs' dinners...!

A big thank you to Mars PetCare for a very generous donation of tinned and dry dog food for our rescued LSPCA dogs! This is a fantastic help and will provide yummy meals for all our dogs for many months. Thank you to Andrew for arranging this, much appreciated! 


Donna

New donation - lots of paper

A big thank you to Commercial (thank you Michelle!), for donating 10 boxes of computer paper, this will keep the LSPCA office going for a long time and we will use some of the paper for our educational leaflets for schools. Thank you! Donna 

New toys to keep our dogs happy!

Thank you to Paws to Your Door (http://www.pawstoyourdoor.co.uk/) (thanks Tony!) for donating these great toys and 10 dog bowls. Our dogs will love playing with these squeaky toys and the stainless steel bowls are perfect as they are indestructible! We really appreciate your support. Donna

Let there be light...

As you can see, the LSPCA clinic really needs some professional surgical lights. Fortunately, thanks to the donation of a small light from the Worldwide Veterinary Service (thanks Luke and Tess!) we have this small light that our vet student volunteer, Fatima, patiently held throughout this operation. We are hoping that the Clinic in a Box appeal will include new lighting to brighten our theatre.

New donations!

Here's LSPCA vet and programme manager, Richard with just a small sample of some of the latest donations to the clinic. 


We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Dechra (thanks Liz Rawlings) who donated hundreds of dog and cat flea treatments and other vital medicines, IMS (thanks to Durgham and Nick) who donated IV sets, gloves, swabs and other supplies and WVS (thanks to Tess and Luke) who have donated lots of supplies to LSPCA over the years and this donation includes surgical instruments. These supplies are helping us to treat many animals that really need our help and we're very grateful for your support. Thanks to all! 

Commissioner Nyoongo adopts LSPCA puppy!

Melvin Mbweza of Lilongwe Police collecting Fluffy
from LSPCA on behalf of the Commissioner

Police Commissioner Dave Nyoongo has been a trustee of LSPCA for the past couple of years and has been instrumental in improving animal welfare in Lilongwe. Thanks to the Commissioner and his staff, and the work of LSPCA, roadside selling of animals is reducing and the police now have a much better knowledge of how to protect animals. Commissioner Nyoongo is now retiring, but we are delighted that he will continue to work with LSPCA as a lay trustee. And to remind him of LSPCA, what better way than to rehome a beautiful puppy called Fluffy from the LSPCA! Fluffy will now have a wonderful life with the Commissioner. We wish Commissioner Nyoongo a happy retirement, thank him for his invaluable work to improve animal welfare and support LSPCA, and look forward to continuing to benefit from his guidance. Fluffy is a very lucky puppy!

Inauguration of LSPCA clinic!

LSPCA was delighted to welcome Dr Chimera, Director of the Animal Health and Livestock Development Department of the Ministry of Agriculture to preside over the inauguration of the new clinic on 30th September. Dr Julius Chulu was a wonderful master of ceremonies and our board chair, Dr Gray Matita gave an insightful address on LSPCA's current programmes. Other guests included representatives from the police, City Assembly, American embassy and donors, trustees and supporters. 

We all enjoyed the beautiful singing and dancing by children of the local Faith Orphanage, which opened the ceremony. Warm words of congratulation were spoken about LSPCA's achievements for animal welfare so far and good wishes for the success of this veterinary clinic to benefit animals from low-income communities. Following the speeches, Dr Chimera cut the ribbon to officially open the clinic and guests enjoyed cakes baked by our wonderful trustees and supporters. 


It was a great day and very exciting that the clinic is now officially open! Many thanks to all our guests for making this a special day for LSPCA.

Donation of 400 rolls of Vetrap!

LSPCA would like to say a big THANK YOU to Dechra who have kindly donated 400 rolls of vetrap and 2 stethoscopes!! The vetrap is even 'LSPCA green' so all animals who need bandaging up will match the LSPCA logo! We are very grateful to Liz Rawlings at Dechra who has helped us with this donation and also with a big order of flea treatments and other medicines which will soon be on their way to Malawi - more on this later! 

Open Day

Dear Readers

Dr Richard Ssuna (LSPCA vet) and Dr Gray Matita (LSPCA Chair)
outside LSPCA clinic 

After the last post, I would like to inform you that we shall finally unveil the new LSPCA offices, including the clinic on the 30^th of this month. This will be preceded by the Rabies day celebrations on the 29^th with a free rabies clinic in the morning and our annual trustees meeting in the afternoon of the same day.

On the 30^th the following day, the clinic will be officially inaugurated by the Director of Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development in the morning. However the general public are invited to come to the open day on the 8^th Saturday of the following week, for a public fete that promises to be a worthy destination for a family fun day. We shall have the usual; jumping castle, face-painting, Ms Muzzy and Mr Ellie. We shall have our staff on duty to answer any of veterinary questions.

The whole family is invited including our four legged, furry children. Come share the fun.

Richard Ssuna

Watch LSPCA on channel 5 online!

If you missed our patron, Joe Inglis on The Wright Stuff Extra today, you can watch it online. Go to Channel 5's website: http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-wright-stuff-extra-with-gabby-logan/episodes/episode-54-30 and you might want to fast forward to around 37 min 40 sec (after the 3rd 'advertisements' section) and you'll see Joe chatting to Gabby Logan and footage of the LSPCA mobile community veterinary clinics.

Thanks to Joe and The Wright Stuff Extra for featuring LSPCA's work!

Donna

LSPCA on The Wright Stuff Extra today!

Did you see Joe Inglis on The Wright Stuff Extra this morning talking about our new clinic? It was great to hear Gabby Logan and Joe discussing how much of a difference the LSPCA is making for animals in Malawi. If this has inspired you to get involved, please see our 'We'd love your help' page. You can donate easily to the new LSPCA clinic by text - details on the left of this page, or online at www.justgiving.com/lspcamalawi. 


Please do get in touch if you want to know more about the clinic, can donate veterinary equipment or education materials, or are interested in volunteering with LSPCA in Malawi. Email: lilongweclinic@gmail.com


Donna

Watch clips of LSPCA in action!

Our patron, UK tv vet Joe Inglis got really stuck in when he visited LSPCA and was soon treating animals in our mobile community veterinary clinics - see the link to film clips below. 


The LSPCA vet is the only vet who visits these low-income communities so provides vital treatment and care for the animals. So imagine how much more we can do when we have all the equipment we need to diagnose and treat animals in the new clinic! Your donation of equipment, or funds to help us buy equipment, will mean we can provide even better care to animals that really need our help. People depend on their livestock for food and income, so by providing veterinary care for animals we are helping their owners too.


Please help if you can and keep checking back here to find out how we're getting on and when the container is full it will be off to Malawi! Go to 'We'd love your help' page for more information on how to get involved.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvVBg95Ai6g

Enjoy!


Donna

LSPCA on tv - Thursday 15th Sept!

LSPCA will feature on The Wright Stuff Extra with Gabby Logan on channel 5 on Thursday 15th Sept. Joe Inglis, tv vet and LSPCA patron will talk about his visit to LSPCA in 2009 and of course the plans for the clinic. The programme will include footage of Joe in Malawi - operating at the mobile clinic and treating chickens and goats at the farm animal clinic. Please watch, and tell your friends to watch too! 

You can help us save animals in Malawi! Please donate via text, details above, or online, see our Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/lspca

Please let us know what you think of the programme - leave a comment below! 

Donna 

Donations from IMS!

We would like to say a BIG thank you to the veterinary supplies company IMS, who have donated supplies to our clinic! This photo shows a very small selection of the contents of the four huge boxes! It was very exciting unpacking all the boxes to see gloves, IV sets, swabs, needles and suture materials and a whole range of bandages and other supplies. This is the first major delivery for our Clinic in a Box project and it will join all the other donations we are working on and go in the container to Malawi to a very good home at the LSPCA clinic. Many thanks to Durgham and Nick at IMS who have arranged this very kind donation, it is a fantastic start to filling our container and will greatly help us in our efforts to provide the best veterinary care for animals in Malawi. 

Donna (Senior Programme Manager (Africa), RSPCA International

We welcome Victoria Gavey MRCVS at the LSPCA Veterinary Clinic

It is just a few days since Victoria Gavey arrived in Malawi. This arrival marked the official opening of the LSPCA veterinary clinic. In addition to acquiring a brand new veterinarian, the clinic has been redesigned to provide for a consultation room, surgery room, reception, office and volunteer space.

The facility will be also used as a community resource centre for all animal consultation, adoptions, humane education and volunteers. With the establishment of the clinic, there will be in house capacity to train students pursuing qualifications in animal related studies, including veterinary.

The facility will house all animals ready for adoption and will showcase the available individuals for appropriate pairing with the prospective adopters. The facility has also established a cattery to address the huge influx of police confiscations.

In conformation  with the existing requirements, an applications to the government authority licensing the storage and dispensing of drugs was submitted, and an inspection was carried out by the staffers of the Malawi Poisons Board last week. And the Malawi Veterinary Board has been formally notified through the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development.

In addition to all the above developments, we still need support to aide the full establishment of the clinic in order to serve the community adequately.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/lspca   or  http://www.lilongwwespca.org/

LSPCA clinic

Consultation room/theatre

This is our new clinic which will function as the veterinary clinic, classroom and LSPCA offices! Its a great space, plenty of room for people to come and see our rescued animals available for adoption, space for school groups to come for educational visits and of course a room for consultations and the theatre. We need to make some alterations to divide the main room into two for the consultation room and theatre and of course we need the equipment to go in our currently very empty theatre! If you are able to donate veterinary supplies, or donate via text so we can buy all the equipment for the clinic, we'd be very grateful. You can contact us on lilongweclinic@gmail.com

Richard Ssuna (LSPCA vet)

Our new mascot!

Muzzy was found wandering the streets of Lilongwe and was rescued by LSPCA. She is a very gentle dog and great with children, so she has been given a job with LSPCA! Even children who are initially scared of dogs quickly make friends with Muzzy so she is a great way to teach children how to care for animals and will now be an important feature of our education programmes at the clinic. A local group of school children visited the clinic recently and as the photos show, were soon keen to play with her. 

UK tv vets Joe Inglis and Luke Gamble are supporting us

Its all go to start our new veterinary clinic in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. This week we found the perfect building for the clinic! Now we just need all the equipment and medicines. Its a charity clinic, so we will give free treatment to animals from low income communities. 

We're delighted that two friends of LSPCA, UK vets Joe Inglis and Luke Gamble are helping us. Joe is an LSPCA patron and Luke is CEO of vet charity Worldwide Veterinary Services which kindly donates medicines to LSPCA. Joe and Luke have both been to Malawi to visit LSPCA. They got stuck in straight away, putting the clinic tent up before they could treat any animals! With no electricity or running water, very basic equipment and a huge audience of excited children, it was a world away from their clinics in the UK. We're so grateful they have both agreed to help us get the equipment LSPCA needs. 

Here's what Joe and Luke said about this new project.

 “I am delighted to be an LSPCA patron, its a wonderful organisation and they make a real difference for animals in Malawi. This new clinic will mean Richard and his team have the equipment and facilities to help many more animals. It will also be a supportive training centre for new vets and provide information to the public. If you can donate money or equipment please do, this will be a very well used clinic and I'll be supporting LSPCA in any way I can.” Joe Inglis

"LSPCA is a real life-saver for animals in Lilongwe and I really enjoyed getting stuck in at the mobile clinic when I visited Malawi in 2009. The LSPCA staff are extremely dedicated and a new veterinary clinic will make a huge difference to the type of veterinary care they can provide. If you are a vet please consider donating any equipment you no longer need as it will be put to great use in Malawi. Good luck, this is a fantastic plan which will save and improve the lives of many animals. I'll be back to see the clinic when its open!" Luke Gamble

The project: Clinic in a box

The aim: To set up and run a much-needed free veterinary clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi, southern Africa. We currently offer mobile veterinary clinics in tents, which provide the only access to veterinary care for those on very low-incomes.  Clinic in a box will turn a building into a modern, well-resourced clinic. We’ll be able to carry out more complicated operations and care for a great many more sick animals. It will enable us to support local communities with reliable health care for pets and livestock on a more permanent basis.

Who we are: The charity, the Lilongwe Society for the Protection and Care of Animals is the only animal welfare organisation in Malawi, southern Africa. Well-known veterinary surgeons and television presenters Joe Inglis and Luke Gamble support us. We rely on public donations.

What we need: We’re raising funds to buy everything that’s needed for the clinic, from all kinds of veterinary equipment to medicines. It’ll be packed into a box and sent straight to the new building as this equipment is not available in Malawi. It really will be a ‘clinic in a box’.

Be a part of it: Drop by these pages to hear lots of stories of LSPCA animals and the work we’re carrying out on their behalf. You can also follow us on Facebook,  or get involved! See ‘We’d love your help’ page for more information and get in touch! 


RSPCA International is supporting this project too and co-ordinating all the donations in the UK. Donna O'Connell is RSPCA International's programme manager for Africa, so she'll update on everything happening with donations in the UK and Dr Richard Ssuna, LSPCA vet will keep you up to date on the clinic developments in Malawi. We'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment on the blog or contact us via lilongweclinic@gmail.com