Oshana SPCA will be the first and only animal shelter in the communal area of the far north of Namibia (the closest animal shelter being 300 km away), and there is a dire need for education about the welfare of animals, vaccinations, neutering and spaying, and many animals needing intervention and medical assistance.
The animal shelter, we intend to build will include a reception area (which will also serve as an office), kitchen for preparing meals, clinic and operating theatre, laundry room, isolation rooms, kennels, a cattery, various playpens and kraals.
Should we be able to raise enough funds, we plan to build a house on the plot. This house will be for the beneficial use of the shelter master to ensure that there is a responsible person on site 24/7 to look after the animals and call for emergency veterinary assistance when needed.
The plot has an oshana next to it. Oshanas are the most prominent landscape feature in the far north of Namibia, namely the shallow, seasonally inundated depressions which underpin the local agro-ecological system. We intend to dig out the oshana, using the soil to fill the plot and creating a dam to benefit the animals in the local community with water supply, especially in times of drought.
There is a veterinary kraal of the Ministry of Agriculture 300 meters away from the plot and we will engage the aforesaid Ministry to provide animal medical training for SPCA employees, and the Management Committee to assist in vaccinations of the local livestock of the community.
We do not have any private veterinary services in the far north, the closest private veterinary being in Tsumeb, some 300 km away. We will thus closely work with the state veterinaries and the Ministry of Agriculture for the medical needs of animals. In this way, we can also help fund the Ministry with payments for medical services rendered as their resources are extremely limited. We will further rely on donations to run spay and neuter campaigns and to employ the services of a private veterinary at least one week every alternative month.
Thanking you in advance for your assistance.