IN a bid to control the population of stray dogs in Suva, a team of veterinarians from Charles Sturt University in Australia (CSU) is in the country conducting free spaying and neutering of dogs.
This free clinic was made possible through Suva City Council in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture — Animal Health & Production Division, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Vatuwaqa.
Lecturer at the Charles Sturt University Veterinary School Dr Julie Ramsay said the visit provided a good platform for the Australian veterinary students to test their surgical skills.
“This is the third time we are visiting the country. We have been coming since 2015. We have got 18 veterinary students, three veterinary surgeons and vets from SPCA helping us,” she said.
“The main purpose of coming to the country is to bring our Australian students and make them understand Fijian culture, conditions and appreciate what happens in Fiji.
“We find this a good opportunity for our students to open their eyes, and contribute to stray dog population in Suva and improve on their surgical skills under conditions they normally wouldn’t be operating under.”
According to Dr Ramsay, about 60 dogs have been screened over the two days.
“The clinic started on Tuesday and we are hoping to do another 60-70 dog screenings in the next two days,” she said.
“The response from the dog owners has been phenomenal, but unfortunately we have to turn people away. The students raised the money for the drugs and we have to cater for a certain number.”
Dr Ramsay said dogs in the country were generally in good condition with some having the tendency of having a lot of flees and internal parasites.
She said there was a need to control the number of dog birthrates in the country.
The clinic will conclude tomorrow.
It is being held at the Ministry of Agriculture — Animal Health & Production Division Station at Toa St, Vatuwaqa, from 9am to 3pm daily.
