SPAW Improves Animals Quality of Life in Tonga

Written on the 1st of March 2012 by Kate Yeoman

South Pacific Animal Welfare (SPAW) have just completed a successful clinic in Tongatapu. While here the team of two volunteer vets, two volunteer vet nurses as well as a JIKA volunteer vet desexed 57 dogs, 16 cats, did 62 consultations, and carried out eight surgeries which ranged from cancerous tumors to a vicious dog attack on a puppy that literally had to 'sewn together again' who is doing well. All of this over just eight days.

SPAW sends a team of vets to Tonga every two to three months and are finding that their numbers are growing each clinic. The most pleasing thing for the team in Tonga is seeing so many Tongan faces from villages all around at the clinic as well as people arriving with sick dogs and seeing them leaving a lot healthier, happier and desexed. SPAW is seeing that the work they are doing in Tonga is paying off with a lot of repeat clients bringing their animals back and also bringing their neighbours and friends animals with them.

While here fundraising took place in the form of selling cupcakes and raffle tickets for the popular cookbook Me’a Kai.

SPAW was supported by Chathams Pacific who assisted them by shipping into Tonga free of charge equipment and medicines that had been donated from vet practices around New Zealand. SPAW also received support from local volunteers who baked cupcakes and Jo and Levini Kupu (on island co-ordinators) put a lot of hard work into ensuring the clinic was a success.

The team has now gone to Vava’u for the week and are next due back to Tonga in April with the aim to do two weekly clinics in Tongatapu every two months for the next year.

To find out more about SPAW or to support this fantastic cause please check out their website at www.spaw.org.nz