After a week in Guantanamo Bay, our team is excited to report that Project KTMO was a great success! Our nonprofit coalition, composed of Operation Git-Meow and Army Veterinary resources, worked tirelessly to enhance animal conditions and prevent the spread of animal-borne illnesses such as rabies. And we could not have asked for a better turnout. We provided essential veterinary care to 179 animals during the free, five-day clinic! But this project wasn’t just about treating animals; the team also took the time to educate kids from 6th to 12th grade on the importance of safe handling of animals, spaying and neutering, and responsible pet ownership. We were also able to share with them everything our military support programs have to offer and how it could help them and their beloved pets.
We are so thankful to everyone involved in this project and are thrilled to be able to support the health and safety of this tight-knit military community.
ONE WEEK from now, the wheels go up on the most ambitious rescue SPCA International has ever undertaken.
We were founded in 2006 with a simple mission: To advance the safety and well-being of animals.
It’s no secret that honoring this mission can fill your heart one day and break it the next.
Today, as our rescue partners around the world prepare for this monumental flight to finally take place, we are proud to share the events and spotlight the many efforts that have set the stage for animal rescue history to be made.
August 2021:
In the chaotic days before NATO forces pulled out of Afghanistan, the team at Kabul Small Animal Rescue valiantly tackled the daunting task of trying to coordinate an evacuation of the 130 cats and dogs in their care.
As the situation became more tense, a passionate plea from KSAR founder, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, went viral and triggered a response from multiple organizations (SPCAI included). With time running out, teams worked around the clock tapping every resource at their disposal. Despite everyone’s best efforts, hopes were dashed when, at the 11th hour, dogs were released to fend for themselves on the airport property; the cats, having never made it in, were brought back to the KSAR shelter and Charlotte was escorted back to her home.
We were all devastated, but we knew that these cats and dogs were still counting on us and we refused to give up.
Fall 2021:
Throughout the fall, helped by SPCAI donations (thank you!), KSAR was able to continue supporting the ongoing care of the animals and make efforts to rescue the dogs that had been released at the airport. While that took place, we worked relentlessly with Charlotte and our longstanding partner, War Paws, to formulate a new plan to evacuate the animals. With the US CDC suspension on canine imports from over 100 countries (Afghanistan included), we knew Canada would be our best option.
images courtesy of Kabul Small Animal Rescue
November 2021:
As winter loomed, a new coalition with War Paws, Marley’s Mutts, RainCoast Dog Rescue Society and Thank DOG I Am Out (TDIAO) was formed to set up a temporary facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, that could receive almost 300 animals still in KSAR’s care. This dedicated group worked non-stop, following strict guidelines, fully documenting every animal for import and setting up a facility that meets every regulation in record time.
January 2022:
We are proud to announce that after working day and night with our partners for the last two months, the facility is ready and we have a chartered plane booked to make the journey. Experienced staff and over 200 volunteers are on standby, a full-time veterinarian is under contract, and countless adopters and rescue organizations are lining up to give these animals the safe homes they deserve.
We cannot stress enough how challenging this process has been. How thankful we are to have incredible companies like Signature Flight Support, Modu-Loc, and King of Floors in our corner – it would have been impossible to do this without your support. But most importantly, it is animal lovers like YOU, making donations big and small, that have made this a reality. THANK YOU!
Next Week:
Our work won’t stop once the plane touches down in Vancouver. Our precious cargo of cats and dogs will require round-the-clock care as they embark on the next chapter of their lives here in North America. Please contact us for more information on how to volunteer, foster or adopt.
“Happily Ever After”
Writing fairytale endings for animals was what fueled our creation in 2006, and it’s what drives SPCA International today.
We are very proud of our role in this historic rescue and how far we’ve come as an organization – as always, your support makes it all possible. Thank you!
Thanks to everyone who stepped up on behalf of Rosie! The resilient mom and her pups are strong and healthy. Rosie’s belly was cut terribly before she gave birth and the kind people who found her weren’t sure she would make it.
Thankfully, SPCA International supporters helped the people on the ground in Romania with their generous donations. Funding was rushed to Rosie’s caretakers to make sure they could provide her with the proper medical care and give her pups the around-the-clock nursing they needed to survive. We can’t thank you enough for helping us save this sweet dog and her puppies.
I hope you are staying safe and healthy while we navigate
the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Here at SPCA International, we are in constant
communication with officials, shelter partners and rescue organizations. They
are keeping us abreast of the latest developments in Asia, Europe, Latin
America and here in North America.
People all over the world are stepping up to make sure
animals stay safe during this crisis. In many countries, people are restricted
from moving between their homes and workplaces, so shelter staff and volunteers
are living at shelters to care for animals. However, animals continue to be at
risk, mostly because of food shortages.
Over the past few weeks, many shelters have contacted us for
help. They are scattered across the globe, but their stories are eerily
similar. Stores are closing, food shipments are delayed, people don’t know if
they’ll be allowed to go out to buy more food when they need it. Everyone is hustling
to make sure they can feed the animals in their care during this crisis.
Unfortunately, animals not in the care of animal welfare
groups are at extremely high risk. We have reports from our partners that dogs
in China are being killed indiscriminately and pets are being abandoned on the
streets of Italy due to unfounded fears. Pets are being left behind when their
owners pass away unexpectedly. Animal welfare groups are doing their best to
respond to each of these emergency situations and save as many animals as
possible while facing an uncertain future themselves.
As this situation unfolds, we’re continuing to monitor
animal welfare across the globe and step in where we can help. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters,
we have been able to earmark $100,000 for animal welfare groups affected by the
COVID-19 crisis.
We know the global COVID-19 crisis is far from over, and there are many unknowns, so we remain committed to helping animal welfare groups meet new and unique challenges as they arise.
Please, stay safe and healthy during this difficult time.
If you’d like to help us continue to provide vital support to shelters and animals around the world in this most challenging time :
Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide has been rescuing dogs and
cats befriended by U.S. military members serving overseas since 2008. We have
navigated some incredibly difficult situations in unstable regions.
We’ve had to find alternate routes out of countries at war
and move animals through dangerous checkpoints. However, we’ve never before
been confronted with something like the current COVID-19 crisis.
As borders close and international flights are canceled, our
team is bringing dogs and cats to the U.S. as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, we know some will be stuck for weeks or months while we wait for
travel to resume.
These animals are caught in limbo. As they waited for
routine travel clearances, the situation changed drastically. Now, we don’t
know when they’ll be able to travel.
Currently, 19 cats and 11 dogs are on our waiting list to
travel to the U.S. Caring for them during this crisis is already proving
challenging.
Nearly every location where we are caring for dogs and cats
is experiencing difficulties. Here are just a few examples:
In Iraq, our staff had to secure a special
permit for a veterinarian to travel across the city to provide vaccines to the
dogs in our care.
In Poland, a carefully orchestrated rescue
flight was canceled just two days before it was set to depart.
In Jordan, two cats are stuck in a boarding
facility where a staff member is now living on site to care for them during the
shutdown.
In The Philippines, several dogs and cats have
been stuck since early February.
We’ll continue to provide these animals love and care while
their soldiers anxiously wait for travel to resume.
Here are a few of the sweethearts whose travel plans have been put on standby:
Artie, located in Iraq
Milo, located in Kuwait
Hank, located in The Philippines
Ruby, located in Poland
Precious, located in Iraq
If you’d like to help us continue to provide vital support to shelters and animals around the world in this most challenging time:
Please refer to the EPA list of approved cleaning products to ensure that your cleaning products can kill COVID-19 and properly disinfect surfaces. Remember to read the label and follow the approved contact time for your products.
Check out SPCA International’s disaster kit essentials to help prepare your pets for emergency situations.
The speed and
severity of the COVID-19 crisis has come as a shock to many. As schools and
businesses close, daily life is affected everywhere, including animal shelters.
Here at SPCA International, we continue to receive requests for help from
shelter and rescue partners across the globe. Their need is critical and
urgent.
Thanks to many
generous SPCA International supporters, we have been able to earmark $100,000 for
grants specifically for the COVID-19 crisis response. We have already
authorized grants to the following organizations:
Plushbear (Baicheng, China) – This shelter makes their own dog kibble, so funds will help them buy the ingredients they need to feed the dogs in their care.
K9 Global Rescue (Jeonju, South Korea) – This organization rescues dogs from the dog meat trade and finds them adoptive homes in the U.S. They can’t transport the dogs right now, so funds will help shelter, feed and provide veterinary care until the dogs can travel to their new homes.
SPCA Italia (Ardea, Italy) – This rescue organization has a special permit from the Italian police to rescue the many dogs and cats that are being abandoned on the streets amid the COVID-19 crisis. Funds will help them continue rescuing and caring for animals.
Animal House Jamaica (Lydford, Jamaica) – This shelter relies on food donations from the surrounding hotels to feed the 200 dogs in their care. With hotel operations halted, they now have to buy kibble. Funds will support the cost of buying food to last for two months.
Rifugio Jill Phipps (Asti, Italy) – This refuge organization shelters animals that have been saved from slaughter, including farm animals. They are having difficulty accessing food during the COVID-19 crisis, so funds will help them act quickly to buy food when it is available.
Vucjak Shelter (Kragujevac, Serbia) – This shelter is faced with a food shortage as EU borders close. Funds will help them buy enough food to survive this crisis.
We’ll be sending
many more grants to organizations like these in the coming weeks. If you know of a shelter affected by the
COVID-19 crisis, please have them contact us.
As we all feel the effects of
the COVID-19 crisis, it is important to remember to keep the furry members of
our families and communities safe as well. If you are looking for ways to help,
here are just a few:
Contact your local animal shelter to ask what they
need. Many are seeking extra food donations or short-term foster care for
animals.
Make a donation to your local animal shelter or to SPCA
International and we’ll get it to a shelter in need.
Keep yourself and your family safe by following local
recommendations. By staying healthy, you’ll be able to care for your family
members and pets.
Educate yourself and verify information sources.
Remember, according to the World Health Organization dogs and cats can’t spread
COVID-19 to humans.
If you would like to help us continue to provide vital support to shelters and animals around the world in this most challenging time :
