Ghana SPCA: Humane Ed Field Trips & Community Vet Clinics
Field Trips are a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ghana's students, who would otherwise never get a chance to learn about animal care and welfare!
Ghana SPCA also sponsors free vet clinics in poor communities with a high number of domestic animals.
On September 12, 2020, after several months of covid-19 lock down and restrictions against large gatherings, the Ghana SPCA emerged stronger than ever! Still with covid-19 safeguards in place, GSPCA, in collaboration with the Ga East Vet Clinic, vaccinated 113 dogs and 6 cats against rabies. This community clinic took place in an area called Dome-Konca in the Ga East District of the Greater Accra region. This is one of the community projects that the GSPCA is embarking on for -at the least- the rest of the year. GSPCA is focusing on holding rabies clinics in poor communities with high numbers of domestic animals.
Watch a video of the September 12 rabies clinic in Dome-Konka, Ga East District, Accra:
In November 2019, Ghana SPCA took a group of Humane Ed students from Trust Academy to the Accra Polo Club, where the deputy stable manager, Moses Ampofo Kwasi, explained to them about grooming and other horse care (diet, exercise, and being gentle and kind), and stable management (pictures below). Students love these trips to the Accra Polo Club, where they get firsthand experience with horses and learn so much about them!
A trip to LEMLA Vet Services (clinic, grooming, boarding facilities, and pet supply shop) is one of GSPCA's most popular field trips. In this video, the Zebra Kindness Club from Trust Academy visits LEMLA.
On Saturday, 18 May 2019, Ghana SPCA took a group of students from Trust Academy on a field trip to LEMLA Veterinary Services. Pupils toured most departments of the facility-the consulting rooms, the surgery theater, pet hostel (short and long term kenneling) for small and large dogs, the grooming room, and the pet shop. We believe this will help bring about change in the attitude of pupils towards animals. For most of them, this is their first time visiting a vet hospital and seeing a surgical theater for animals and most of all observing washing and grooming of dogs. We thank management of the facility for this privilege and hope to be back. GSPCA organized and led the field trip, which was funded by Animal-Kind International. (click on a photo to see full size)
Watch a video of the field trip to the LEMLA Veterinary Clinic (above)-we're sure some of these students will decide to become vets, vet techs, and animal welfare advocates!
In October, GSPCA took students from 3 schools on a field trip to the Livestock & Poultry Research and Education Center, LIPREC at the University of Accra. 40 students from North Legon School Complex, Amrahia, and Kwabenya went on the field trip, funded by Animal-Kind International.
On 6 April 2019, GSPCA's Kindness Clubs of Amrahia Basic School and North Legon School Complex took an educational visit to the La Veterinary Hospital. The trip was supported by Animal-Kind International donors. The students were guided by Mr Abbay, a vet technician, they took a facility tour, traveling through the pharmacy, surgical theater, the treatment room, and the isolation unit. And finally, they had an opportunity to interact with a turtle. After overcoming the initial fear, most of the students began to feel bold and touched the turtle. This is how we inspire compassion for animals in children! (video of the educational visit and pictures below)
On 22 March 2019, pupils from Kwabenya Atomic Basic 5 went on a field trip to the veterinary clinic of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC). A police officer, Chief Inspector Michael Broni, spoke to the pupils and told them that it's a crime to be an irresponsible pet owner. Dr Maxwel gave pupils an overview of what is involved in becoming a veterinarian and told them about some basic veterinary procedures. Dr. Maxwel pledged to make a special arrangement during the students' next visit so they could see pets undergoing treatments. He believes this will convince some of them to choose to become a vet (see pictures from field trip below).
Field Trip to Accra Polo Club (pictures below): On November 10, 2018 GSPCA hosted a field trip for 40 Humane Ed students from North Legon School Complex to the Accra Polo Club. The students enjoyed learning about horses and horse care. Musah, the assistant stable manager, allowed the students to wash the horses and to get comfortable with the horses by touching them. They saw how horses are groomed and how to care for their hooves. And they met the mini-horse, Puny. Thank you to Animal-Kind International for funding for this field trip.
Field Trip to Accra Polo Club (pictures below): On November 3, 2018, GSPCA took 43 students and two teachers from Kwabenya Atomic Basic 5 on an AKI-funded field trip to the Accra Polo Club, the 1st time the GSPCA led a field trip there. The assistant stable manager, Musah, showed the students around the grounds of the Polo club and demonstrated grooming, washing, feeding, and hoof care. The students were given a chance to groom a horse. Cecile Norgah, a Senegalese native, took time to interact with the students and talked about humane handling of horses. She explained that owning a horse is expensive and once you take on the responsibility of ownership, you need to sacrifice and do all in your power to make the horse feel comfortable and safe. When Cecile mentioned the price of a horse the students were shocked and they related it to the price of a luxury car! The GSPCA thanks stable manager James Afoakwa and his assistant Musah, and the managers of the Polo Club, Eric and Sammy, who made the visit possible, and Animal-Kind International for funding the field trip.
Field Trip to La Vet Clinic. Early in 2017, Ghana SPCA took Humane Ed students to La Vet Clinic, where they were given a tour of the facility and had a chance to see vets working on cats and dogs. Forty-five students from Amrahia, Trust Academy, and Kwabenya Junior High School, 5 teachers, and GSPCA's David and Aluizah participated in the field trip. For many of the students, it was their 1st chance to meet a small animal vet and learn about vet care for cats and dogs. (pictures below)
Above: Field Trip to the Livestock & Poultry Research Centre, November & December 2017
LIPREC was established in 1954 as a unit of the University of Ghana to conduct research into poultry and livestock rearing. On 25 November and 2 December 2017, the GSPCA's David and Aluizah took 150 pupils and 10 teachers from 5 schools All 5 schools also participate in GSPCA's Humane Ed Program:
· North Legon School Complex
· Trust Academy
· Amrahia Adma Basic
· Kwabenya M/A 5
· Kwabenya 3 & 4 JHS
The students learn about humane animal care and husbandry and about career opportunities, such as animal healthcare worker, paravet, and livestock vet.
Above: Field Trip LIPREC, March 2018
On March 24, 2018 GSPCA took 125 students from Trust Academy, Amrahia AdMA, and St. Dominic to visit LIPREC. GSPCA hired 3 buses, provided refreshments for the students and the 4 teachers who accompanied the students, and provided a small ($15) stipend for the teachers (since this trip was on Saturday and separate from their teaching responsibilities). GSPCA's Humane Ed Specialist, Aluizah, led the field trip.
Above: Field Trip to Village Pets and Gardens, November 2016
In early November 2016, the GSPCA took 2 school groups of about 20 students each from Amrahia and Trust Academy, to the Village Pets and Gardens Center in Dzorwulu, a suburb of Accra, Ghana. They saw tropical fish and birds, and had a chance to hold a small white furry dog--for many of these students, it was the 1st time they held a dog! They learned about good care of pets and about careers in pet care.
Above: Field Trip to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, December 2016
In December 2016, Humane Education students visited Ghana's famous Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary in Ho, Volta Region, Ghana, where they had the chance to see Mona monkeys. Staff from the sanctuary gave a presentation to the students and led them through the forest. The students learned that it's taboo for anyone to hurt the monkeys. They fed bananas to the monkeys, and learned about forest vegetation.