Rabies Clinic

CAUTION- Dog lovers may want to skip ths one.

Today we did a rabies clinic in the village.

For a couple years I and some others have tried and failed to make an organized effort between veterinary officials, myself, the city council, and the people to get the dog problem under control.

And there is a problem.  Large groups of dogs roam around the village and the people are very afraid of them.  Many evenings we have counted 12 or 15 in a group and been kept up by the fighting and howling throughout the night.  Once when sitting in the house I heard Rachel scream the real scream (parents know what I mean) and I came racing outside to see 3 dogs closing in on her at full speed.  I arrived just in time to kick a lunging dog away and it remains a terrible memory to me.

While we were away this holiday another girl was not so lucky and ended up in the hospital for 4 days.  This prompted an uncoordinated response.  The local government began shooting dogs in mass.  One problem was they were not very selective and I heard more than one sad story about a pet I had spayed or neutered that was no longer around.  About 200 dogs were killed in those few days and one person injured by a stray shot.

Now I am back and everyone is intested in vaccinating dogs though.  So I made a plan with the vet officer to do a vaccination clinic of which part one was today.

We started at 8 hours.  Gradually people started coming and by 9 we had vaccinated about 15 dogs but the vet officers were not around to write certficates.  People waited, the crowd grew and then Doc showed up and began to take care of the paperwork.  Once he was there to give the vaccines I was free to start some surgeries.  I do spays and neuters on the tailgate of the truck on the village and it draws quite a crowd and I love the sense of accomplishment surgery gives me.

About 25 more vaccines in and 2 or 3 surgeries a gunshot rings out somewhere nearby.  By now I have about 30 people and half as many dogs around the truck, some asleep, some drunk with anesthesia and some just hanging around to see what’s going on.

“Guess they decided to shoot some more dogs today?” I ask no one in particular.  But it seems I am the only one who noticed.  But a few minutes later I hear a group of excited chilren and look up from my spay to see a man in a military uniform shoot a dog about 50 feet in front of me.  It is quickly over but as the report of the rifle rings in my ears I have the odd thought of how ironic it would be if I were accidentally shot by this man as I stood here doing dog surgeries.

No one else is really that interested or seems to think this is a wierd day.

So, when in Rome, I keep my head down and keep working.  All throughout the morning I spay and neuter and we vaccinate as periodic shots ring out from all around us.  I hear no complaints of any vaccinated dogs being shot and so I hope it is only the strays being removed.

By the end of the day we had vaccinated 64 dogs and done 13 surgeries before running out of anesthesia.  We go back tomorrow for another round and hope to do more.

I’m sorry for a story that may upset some people.  Understand the dogs are a large problem here and rabies is as well.  Groups of dogs have been known to kill small children, livestock, and even attack adults at times.  I just recently saw a calf that was attacked and then began neurologc symptoms and drooling a week later before it died.  I can only suspect rabies from the head and neck bite wounds.

People love their pets, but many more dogs are wilder canine versions here.  It was just a crazy weird day for me and I think maybe a good one to write about?  Here’s hoping so anyway.

And a thank you to each of you that read this far and support the work here and are part of protecting people from rabies and even trying to improve the lives of the canine family members who don’t have it that easy here either.

Surgery on the tailgate.

Post-op dog in ambulance going home.

Veterinary officer vaccinating for rabies. 

Office/recovery ward.

Refugee Life Snapshot

This is just some bits about things going on in and around our lives that I want to share as told to and believed by me:


I know a man.  He lived in his country with his family since the time he was born until he could not anymore.

He was a driver for his government.  When a war broke out his government fled and he was captured.  He could drive for the rebels or not live.

So he drove for the rebels and one day an accident happened.  Seven rebel officers in his vehicle were killed.  The driver for such an incident would be shot on the spot so he ran.

But he could not run to his government or he would be executed for driving for the enemy.

So he runs to another country to be safe.

No time to get papers in order he is captured with his family by police and placed in jail.

He and his wife are suspected of child trafficking and his children are taken away.

He spends almost 2 years in prison.  His wife in a separate facility.  God sends people to take care of their children and they are able to stay in contact.

The govenrment decides they are innocent and tries to send them back to their country.  But there they will be killed by either side?  God sends people to fight for them to stay as refugees and they are saved from returning.

Now in a refugee camp there are new challenges.  No electricity, no running water, build your own house, grow your own crops if you know how.

Camp officials protect you.  Provide passes if you want to leave for up to 30 days.  Donated supplies from the outside can be sold for more than the value of helping a refugee though.  You can go to another country like Canada or Sweden very fast if you have enough money to put your name up high on the list.  Maybe someone has stolen your story and identity and gone already to another country and you are lost to the system of the world.  If you complain that can be kept track of too.  You won’t complain so much if you fear losing more.

But he is joyful.  His family is alive and together.  God has provided all his needs.  He prays God will improve their situation but he doesn’t complain.  Just tells stories.  He does not try to elicit compassion.  He does not say his life is unfair.  He does not answer all my questions all the way about what they have been through.  Just admits it was hard.

Anyway, it is enough.  Enough to make me see how much I have been given.  How much is required of me that I am often unwilling to give.  Enough to make me feel the weight of my selfishness and yet also experience the enormous joy in giving to and loving others.

I hope and pray for each of us to see what God is calling us to and to be brave and wise enough to follow Him there.

“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for a I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33