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Monday 7 April 2014

Updates

We are extremely busy with several activities, and only one person managing the Facebook and this blog. We will try to bring this up to date - please be patient with us and keep checking Facebook Page in a meantime...

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Catching up...

With only one editor/administrator for both Facebook and our blog, we are falling behind with the updates. We are very sorry about that, and hoping that you have got most of APAC news from the Facebook Page.
Anyways, better late than never, here it is - the summary of our (CONBAC/APAC) major activities since the last update on September 7, 2013 until the December 2013 TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) in Varadero.

September 2013:

1. Jibacoa Beach deparasitation campaign

It was a great event that brought together several volunteers from Cuba and Canada. We have proven that great things happen when people united by the same vision work together. Mayabeque Chapter (Filia) of CCV (Cuban vets association), the Spanky Project, the Agrarian University, Matanzas Filia of CCV, and us - APAC-Varadero spent weeks to organize teams, get permits, distribute supplies. The groups worked in a few locations, including a road-site team that also managed to serve fourteen horses. Altogether, dozens of animals were helped.
Thanks to Susan Tucker from Nova Scotia, who brought us so much needed canopy, we can now offer some help in the areas where no building is available to set up a temporary clinic (or, if the patient is too big to walk in).

Dr. Hanoi with students

Dr. Hanoi Dominguez feeding a horse a dose of medication





Dr. Omar Pena





2. Cardenas spay/neuter clinic (Blue Campaign)
The team has decided that it is time to start the record of the animals spayed and neutered, following the application of a tattoo. Like with all first times, not everything went perfectly well, and more places than just ears ended up with a blue ink Anton was using. Nobody was hurt though, and the next time will be perfect!
Forty dogs and ten cats went home fixed - retiring from producing unwanted off-spring. We try to reward the responsible owners with proper collars and leashes; therefore, we welcome donations of those items - they can be gently used. If you are going to Cuba soon, make sure to put a few in your luggage. Thank you!

Dr. Mayelin
Dr. Hanoi
Lola




Well done Team!!!


October 2013

1. Santa Ana spay/neuter clinic
Santa Ana is a poor village about 25 km from Matanzas City. Dr. Yuya, who has a family there, organized a small clinic in her aunts Odalis' house. The doctors (Slavik, Omar, Mariano, Yuya, Yeney and Kiki) spayed 12 dogs on that Saturday morning, and examined a few that needed other help.


Dr. Yusleydis "Yuya" Abreu 


2. Varadero Dolphinarium TNR campaign
This was our first campaign done on request from the government property. Out of 22 resident cats 15 were fixed and marked. The team will need another try for the remaining cats. Staff was very helpful and the day went well. Dr. Hanoi and Dr. Slavik were very busy, with Slavik doing lots of pre-surgical procedures. The day was very successful! We wish the staff of the resorts to be also as helpful and kind to their animals, and we hope that in time - they will...




Dr. Slavik Zenkov and Dr. Hanoi Dominguez

November 2013

Matanzas horse clinic (deparasitation and general check-up)
November 30, 2013 was all about horses. The tent was set in Matanzas, and the team went to work. Thirty horses received general check-up and a de-worming oral medication. This campaign was also a great educational opportunity. There were lots of conversations with the horse owners - about needs and care of their animals. In Cuba, word-of-mouth is the most popular way of spreading news, therefore we hope that after this successful day, more horses will show up at the next campaign.




December 2013

1. Boca de Camarioca spay/neuter clinic
When you travel to any Varadero resort, you have to go through Boca de Camarioca, a town between the international airport and the peninsula. Because of its proximity to Varadero, stray animals may wander to the resorts in search for food. This is why it is important to have regular spay/neuter clinics there - keeping the population of dogs and cats under control.
For the December 7, 2013 campaign the team was offered a government office location, which means that our work is taken seriously by the local authorities.




2. Varadero TNR - cat colony and Barlovento resort
On December 14, 2013, Dailys, Brian and Anton walked through Varadero promoting the sterilization. They found Maria del Carmen and her husband Nelson interested in spaying/neutering the cats from the colony they have been caring for. They also found a lady named Fefita caring for the smaller colony of cats, and willing to fix them.
Three teams of volunteers were set, headed by Dr. Hanoi Dominguez, Dr. Slavik Zenkov and Dr. Yasiel Ponce. By the end of the day 35 cats (and one dog) were sterilized without any complications. Dr. Hanoi returned and released the Barlovento cats after they woke up - and making sure they were all OK. Daylen, one of the volunteers, ended up adopting one of the stray kittens. 
Bryan is a tour guide in Varadero and our great marketing representative!

Dr. Ponce, our regular volunteer

Antonio (Tony) is in charge of supplies. His compassion for animals dates back to his childhood...

"Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality."
-
 Arthur Schopenhauer