Animal-Kind International

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization Uganda Society for the Protection & Care of Animals: In 2023, we continued to support the USPCA's two shelters, the old Haven and the new shelter, providing approximately 40% of the USPCA's operating expenses. Just over 50% of our support to the USPCA went towards rent of the old Haven shelter (we covered the cost for the full year of rent); 1/3 of AKI support was used to pay USPCA staff salaries for six staff members for one year; and the USPCA used 10% of AKI funds to purchase cat and dog food for the more than 350 dogs and cats at the two shelters. We also paid for new uniforms and gumboots for 11 staff members and rabies boosters for 12 staff (including the USPCA vet) and for an ultrasound machine. We sent a special disbursement to USPCA with the remaining funds in the Land Fund (raised in previous years to purchase land for a new shelter, then construct the new shelter). At the very end of 2023, we created a Pet Food Fund for USPCA and sent a disbursement to cover cat and dog food starting in 2024.

AKI's 2023 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program (the 6th annual) awarded grants to eight animal welfare organizations in Africa: two in South Africa, two in Zimbabwe, two in Tanzania, one in Morocco, one in Namibia. For 1st year grantees, grant size was limited to $2000. For grantees who successfully completed a grant previously, the grant ceiling was $3000. The grants range in size from $1810 to $3000 and supported projects such as: spay/neuter and rabies clinics; vet care and feeding; earthquake response; construction of a cattery; and construction of enclosures for rescued donkeys and horses. We awarded grants to: Tanzania Small Animal Veterinary Organization and VERITAS, both in Tanzania; Blind Love and SPCA-Grahamstown, both in South Africa; Matabeleland Animal Rescue and Equine Sanctuary and Twala Trust, both in Zimbabwe; Morocco Animal Aid, and Bubu's Animal Haven in Namibia.

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization Sauvons nos Animaux: During 2023, we covered the cost for 100% of the cat and dog food for the animals at the SnA shelter. When SnA became an AKI Partner Organization in 2022, their shelter staff hadn't been paid for several months. In 2023, AKI funds fully paid the salaries of the five to six animal caretakers who worked at the shelter during the year. AKI disbursements were also used to build a wall and drainage structures along the upper boundary of the shelter property to prevent further damage from floods and mudslides. SnA's Pet Friendly Kids Camp hosted about 245 children, Monday-Friday, for seven weeks during school break. SnA used AKI funds to purchase camp supplies (photocopies of puzzles, games, and coloring books with animals, gardening tools, and food for the campers). SnA also used AKI funds to purchase supplies for the shelter and for their daily Youth Club, which welcomes local kids to the shelter year-round to learn and help with shelter tasks.

Disbursements to AKI Partner South Sudan Spay/Neuter Campaign Team: The South Sudan team is using AKI funds to organize the first spay/neuter campaign in South Sudan, which includes bringing Kenya SPCA staff to Juba to train local vets, community animal health care workers, humane educators, and others and help the local group run the campaign so that in the future, the local team can manage community spay/neuter clinics on their own.

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization Kingston Community Animal Welfare covered about 75% of KCAW's operating costs in 2023 and helped about 1000 cats and dogs. KCAW used AKI funds to purchase cat and dog food (about 60%); for surgeries and other vet care (25%); and the remainder for purchasing medicines and other vet supplies, mainly anti-parasite and wound treatment. AKI funded the spay/neuter of 52 dogs and cats (36 females and 16 males, 40 cats and 12 dogs) living on Kingston's streets or with impoverished families. Other cases requiring vet care and paid for with AKI funding included a dog with a hematoma (surgery was required to repair it); a cat with severe dehydration (required hospitalization and IV treatment); a mobile vet visit for a cat, who was having seizures; a cat with severe colitis; a dog with a maggot wound on his head; a seven-month old puppy with a fractured leg; a dog with a perforated hernia; and a two-year old dog with suspected poisoning.

Disbursements to Partner Organization Bam Animal Clinics-Uganda were used for their donkey welfare program in eastern Uganda, the area of the country with the highest concentration of donkeys. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the organization as a whole, Bam also used AKI funds for their general operations (some salaries, electricity, internet, and water at their office/vet clinic in Iganga). For their donkey program, AKI funding was used to hold community vet clinics and humane sisal saddle-making courses in the eastern districts of Bududa, Manafwa, Bukwo, and Namisindwa (the district with the highest concentration of donkeys in the Elgon region). AKI funding covered all costs associated with the community donkey clinics, including transport to the sites; accommodation; procedures requiring veterinary surgeons who are needed to treat the more serious problems; medications (for internal parasites, skin infections, and wounds, multivitamins, sprays against ticks and flies). AKI funding also covered all material needed for the sisal saddle making trainings. Over the course of the trainings in 2023, 400 people were given sisal sacks to make their own saddles, which they kept to use on their donkeys. Bam also uses AKI funds to provide stipends for animal husbandry/vet officers. These officers are familiar with every village and they speak the languages in the area, so they're responsible for organizing the clinics and trainings. They also follow up on donkeys who were treated and need extra attention and they work with donkey owners to ensure they're using the sisal saddles correctly.

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization The Six Freedoms: The Six Freedoms became a Partner Organization in January 2023. In 2023, T6F used AKI funds to purchase food and supplements for their rescued horses, many of them sick and/or weak from years of abuse. AKI funds also covered vet bills, de-wormers, and maintenance and repair of the stables where their rescued horses live until T6F can raise enough money to purchase their own land for a sanctuary. Grooms are responsible for feeding, hoof and tooth care, cutting grass for feed, cleaning out stables, and general grooming. T6F used AKI funds to pay stipends to the grooms who provide the care and feeding of T6F's rescued horses. Typically in Ghana, grooms are paid a salary well below survival rate, which often leads to frustration and abuse of horses in their care. In 2023, T6F used AKI funds for a horse care workshop for Accra Turf Club jockeys and horse caretakers.

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society were used for: community animal care clinics in remote villages throughout Lofa County. At these clinics, LAWCS attended to thousands of dogs and cats during 2023, providing basic care such as de-worming; rabies and parvo vaccinations; mange, flea, and tick prevention; and ear, eye, and wound care. AKI support covers the medications, transport (fuel and maintenance of one of the LAWCS motorbikes), animal welfare education (printing of educational material) for animal owners, and other costs associated with the clinics. We also help LAWCS cover their basic operating costs-essential to strengthen and grow the organization, the only animal welfare organization working in Lofa County, a highly impoverished area in a highly impoverished country. AKI funds covered 12 months of rent of the LAWCS office/clinic and salaries of up to four LAWCS staff during the year. During the 2nd half of 2023, AKI funds were also used to support the Humane Ed Program in Zorzor, Lofa County's second largest city. This program reaches all ages of students and teaches them kindness to animals (versus what they most often learn at home-fear of animals). LAWCS used AKI funds to purchase supplies for the Humane Ed students in Zorzor.

Disbursements to Partner Organization Have a Heart-Namibia: HaH-Namibia used AKI disbursements for their Lifetime Care Program (booster vaccinations and parasite treatment for previously spayed or neutered dogs and cats to help ensure they live long, healthy lives). We support the Lifetime Care Program as part of HaH's commitment to their spay/neuter clients. In 2023, the HaH Lifetime Care Program gave booster shots and parasite preventative to 491 dogs and one cat. Our second area of support to HaH is for the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund. Each request for emergency care is reviewed by HaH and approval is required prior to providing support. All emergency clients must be spayed or neutered beforehand, or if not, they are required to be sterilized when they are healthy enough for the surgery. In 2023, the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund treated 43 dogs, 28 cats, and one horse.

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras: In 2023, AKI covered about 65% of HHHH's running costs for the Nereida Montes de Oca Refuge (the HHHH Sanctuary), primarily a sanctuary for old, sick, and essentially unadoptable dogs and cats. By far, HHHH's biggest expense is cat and dog food (93% of AKI funds went towards food). HHHH used 3% of AKI funds for medicine (mainly antibiotics and anti-parasite meds) and 4% for surgery and other vet care (removal of a dog's eye, a pyometra case, blood tests, spay/neuter).

Disbursements to AKI Partner Organization Save the Animals-Armenia: SA-Armenia used AKI funds to purchase food for the approximately 30 dogs at the SA-A shelter (mostly older dogs, who were rescued years ago, and because of their large size and many with emotional and physical injuries, never were adopted); to feed street dogs; to take care of an abandoned litter of puppies and sterilize the mother of the puppies.