LPBH – The Organisation
Education is a very big part of LPBH’s community program. We place particular emphasis on educating residents on the importance of healthy human-animal relationships. These relationships are crucial in building stable, functional communities as it serves as a tool to reduce violent crime. Further to this, it also contributes positively towards the mental health of residents as it alleviates depression – something which is often caused and/or exacerbated by poverty.
LPBH board members and volunteers do bi-weekly outreaches in three areas that consist of primary medical treatment (i.e. treatment which do not require tertiary medical care), deworming, dipping and providing food for animals. LPBH volunteers go from door to door to ensure that each companion animal receives a general check-up; a dip against parasites; and to engage with residents on the importance of animal care. We also distribute animal food to assist in alleviating the financial burden of purchasing animal food when the residents themselves struggle to survive.
Should animals require tertiary medical treatment, vaccination and/or sterilization, they are transported by our team to veterinary clinics for care. We also avail ourselves for emergencies in the period between outreaches.
All services provided by the organisation are free of charge, which means that residents do not have any added financial burden to be concerned about. Simply because someone is poor does not mean they are not capable about loving or caring for companion animals.
LPBH – The Human Element
The fact that poorer areas do not have easy access to care for non-human residents is a throw-back of the apartheid era. Currently there is no other recourse for animals in the areas we serve other than LPBH. Veterinary care is expensive and facilities which provide these services are not easily accessible and LPBH fills that gap. The organization is completely reliant on public funding to subsidize its work (veterinary care, food, vaccinations, sterilizations, etc.) as all services provided are free of charge to the community. With an average household income of R1500.00 per month, paying R175 on average for one bag of cheap 25kg food for an animal, could mean the difference between a family going to bed hungry or going to bed fed. We assume financial responsibility for the animals in the community and in doing so, assists families in keeping monthly expenditure for animals to a minimum. The money saved is thus allocated to human needs. The service we provide also prevents zoonotic diseases spreading within the community.
LPBH – The Animal Element
One of our major expenditures are costs associated with veterinary care. There are no animal welfare clinics in the areas we serve and thus any tertiary care is reliant on private clinics. LPBH partnered up with Evander Veterinary Clinic which generously offers our organisation welfare rates for any and all treatment. Further to the veterinary expenditure, items such as primary medicine (deworming tablets, dipping and in the field treatments) are key to animal and human health. There is a continuous need for sterilization, vaccination and food.
Goals and Objectives
The organisation’s main objectives are to:
- To minimize the conflict between human and non-humans (with specific focus on domestic animals) through education; assisted feeding and animal care programs
- Develop, publicise and advocate constructive methods to assist owners in providing adequate care for their animals.
- Develop, publicise and advocate ways for humans and non-humans (with specific focus on domestic animals) to co-exist harmoniously in their community.
- Develop a working partnership with authorities for the enforcement and improvement of the current animal protection law.
- Raise funds to further these objectives and to sustain the organisation and its future objectives.
The organisation’s secondary objectives are to:
- Establish permanent, full-time clinics in each area to provide easily accessible veterinary care
- Expansion of our operations beyond the current communities we serve
- Develop management plans for community empowerment by focusing on the importance of human-animal relationships
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