PUHI — More than 600 animals were sterilized in September through the six-day Mobile Animal Sterilization Clinic at Kauai Humane Society, and organizers want to do it again.
This time, they want to sterilize 700, and the bar is being raised on the entire project to reach that goal, with a focus on the feral cat communities in 2018.
“It really was quite a fascinating event, kind of like an assembly line,” said Diann Hartman, KHS board president. “Save the date, we’ll be looking for volunteers. It’s a fun, dynamic few days.”
The Kauai MASH Clinic was brought to the island in partnership between KHS and Animal Balance, a nonprofit that creates management programs for dogs and cats in island communities.
The September MASH clinic was the first on Kauai, and Animal Balance hopes to return in 2018 multiple times — potentially up to four. The first clinic is scheduled for March 13 to 18.
The first two days of the clinic will be dog-focused, with the remaining days focused on cats, and community and feral cats in particular.
Cash is the main barrier for bringing the MASH Clinics back to Kauai, and both Animal Balance and KHS are seeking donations.
“Each partner raises funds to cover the many costs, but as nonprofits we need the community’s help to purchase medical supplies and cover expenses to make at least 700 surgeries per clinic happen,” said a KHS press release sent to TGI.
Animal Balance raises money for the Mainland-to-Kauai transportation and medical supplies and needs to raise $17,500 to make the campaign happen.
“We have all the traps and transfer cages on the island, a team of trained volunteers that are ready to get the job done, accommodations donated and seven veterinarians that have obtained their Hawaii veterinary license,” said Elsa Kohlbus, communications coordinator for Animal Balance.
She continued: “All we need are the supplies.”
Once Animal Balance gets to Kauai, KHS takes on the expenses of on-island transportation, lodging and meals, and some medical supplies.
Hawaii Community Foundation has already stepped up to the plate and supplied a grant to KHS to cover the estimated $18,800 medical-supply bill.
Other expenses for KHS total about $12,000 per clinic — $1,700 for transportation, about $8,500 for meals and lodging, and an estimated $1,700 for securing a larger facility to host the MASH Clinics.
“Animal Balance would like more space than the humane society has, and would like to locate at a neighborhood center or like facility which we have been unable to secure as of yet,” the KHS release said.
It may add tent areas at KHS if necessary.
Animal Balance has six different ways for people to donate on their website. Donations can range from $25 to “Spay it Forward” and cover the cost of one surgery all the way to the “I Wanna Be Sedated” option, which is a $1,400 donation that buys a week’s worth of anesthetic drugs.
Those that take on the $3,500 donation become a “Colony Angel,” and that amount of money will sponsor a day of surgery and help sterilize an entire colony. Perks like a website shoutout and tour of the clinic come with being a “Colony Angel.”
Donate and learn more at www.animalbalance.net/activeprograms/fix-kauai or at kauaihumane.org/donate.
