Animal Balance Joined Forces with H.S.I to Help the Animals of Haiti

In May 2011, while I was presenting at the Humane Society International (H.S.I.) Conference on organizing field clinics, I was asked by H.S.I. Haiti Director, Chris Broughton, to go to Port au Prince to assess their newly formed clinic and provide any advice to help the clinic run more smoothly and efficiently.  Carla Naden, who is an Animal Balance volunteer and animal handling specialist, accompanied me.

Haiti is still struggling to recover from the earthquake, which was 2 years ago. People, even now, continue to live in tent cities and line up for water. It is hard to imagine how the people are surviving. Multinational companies are exploiting the Haitian people for cheap labor. In the Port au Prince area there are no trees and few bushes, just mostly rubble and plastic garbage. We were only there 4 days; we were shocked into silence most of the time.

However, H.S.I. have done an outstanding job creating an animal clinic site on the outskirts of Port au Prince. They have collaborated with a Christian Missionary organization to convert an old motel into volunteer housing and an animal clinic. The space is excellent, it is painted with trees, animals and rainbows and  is very well equipped. It is a place where you would be happy to take your animals.

We held a 2 day clinic and reserved the third day for post op checks and for discussing protocols and clinic flow. We sterilized 33 dogs.  I worked with Jean Claude Cesaire, the Clinic Coordinator, to explain how to capture critical clinic information using registration forms, protocols and maintain the flow of animals. Carla worked with the animal pick up team to conduct a training on safe animal handling.

The Haitian Veterinarians had all trained in Cuba and were well educated in the practice of spaying and neutering, however as supplies are short in Haiti and people cannot afford to have their animals sterilized, they have not had much practice at the surgeries. Thanks to H.S.I. the clinic's services were free to the community and they funded all the medicines and supplies needed. This was their second clinic and their first clinic without a foreign veterinarian present. They did a fabulous job and all 33 dogs did well. 

Cesaire and Chris then came with us to the Dominican Republic and worked on the Animal Balance campaign in Rio San Juan. Cesaire has now returned to Haiti and this week he is holding his third sterilization campaign in Haiti. Cesaire is a great leader and is very compassionate. The animals are in good hands.

My next blog will be about the Dominican Republic campaign!

Emma Clifford
Founder and Director
www.animalbalance.org