Partners in Community Development Fiji
Mission Statement
The mission of the SPCA Fiji Islands is to promote and safeguard the welfare of the animals of Fiji. We are tasked to do this through: I. Provision of affordable veterinary services II. Community education and outreach III. Strengthening and enforcing animal welfare legislation IV. Reducing the stray cat and dog populations V. Managing and continually upgrading SPCA Shelter conditions
About This Cause
SPCA Fiji Islands is a 65 year old non profit organisation and, until recently, has been the sole source of veterinary care to the surrounding urban centres of Suva and beyond. Veterinary care is strongly focused on general health and well-being, and neuter. Within the last 10 – 15 years there has been a growing interest and request for more in depth veterinary care. SPCA consists of a low-cost veterinary clinic (with two consult rooms, a treatment room and surgery), an animal shelter (temporary shelter for stray animals with aim of treatment, neuter and rehoming/adoption), rescue services for neglected or abused animals, and a veterinary outreach programme named CLAW (Communities Learning for Animal Welfare). ● In 2020, the clinic treated 5,460 patients and cared for 715 cats and dogs through the year. ● The goals of the outreach programme to reduce the animal overpopulation problem and provide access to veterinary care in communities within the Deuba-Suva-Nausori corridor of the Central Division of Fiji. ● SPCA prioritises community education, promoting knowledge of responsible pet ownership and requirements for animal health and public safety. We use TV, Radio, Newspapers and Social Media platforms to promote our message to the general population and produce a quarterly Newsletter for our Members and Supporters. The shelter takes in and cares for up to 150 animals at any one time and the SPCA cares for many more stray and neglected animals through our Community Partnership and fostering programmes. We rehome and adopt out around 200 cats and dogs annually. SPCA Fiji Island’s policy is to not euthanise healthy animals wherever possible. There is a growing dog population issue across Fiji with incidences reported of packs of dogs in farming communities as well as observed stray/roaming dogs in Suva’s residential and industrial areas. SPCA takes in over 35 animals on average per month recorded as “strays”. Many others are turned away due to shelter capacity and are looked after by a growing informal network of community carers. SPCA is currently completing a dog population survey in targeted areas in Suva with the aim of establishing baseline data and developing further understanding of the underlying issues in animal population management. Fijians tend to either keep dogs or cats as companion animals or as “guard dogs”. Animals that “visit” households are often fed but no responsibility of ownership is taken. Understanding of animal welfare and owner responsibility is limited, although this is changing slowly with the help of social media and a stronger emphasis on owner education by SPCA’s veterinary team. There is limited responsibility placed on owners to neuter their pets and keep them confined to their compounds. While laws exist, they are seldom enforced although trapping programmes are occasionally conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and municipal councils. Fiji remains rabies free. Parvovirus is a common killer of young puppies. Other illnesses such as leptospirosis are also prevalent in some areas in the country. Paraquat was recently banned in Fiji but remains in rural areas and often poisons animals. SPCA has initiated a trap-neuter-release programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Suva City Council and with private community partners. Some government funding has been secured to assist with the programme. The programme is limited by the lack of qualified and registered vets in Fiji, however, veterinary interns (recent graduates from the Fiji vet science programme) conduct desexing surgeries under the guidance of SPCA’s one registered veterinarian. SPCA is currently recruiting a second vet. SPCA’s objectives, at their simplest, are to educate and motivate pet owners to take preventative approaches to animal management – deworm, desex, vaccinate. There are only 2 other veterinary clinics in Suva with very limited capacity. We further aim to provide the best possible veterinary care and diagnostics to owned pets and needy street animals, within the limitations of our resources (human and financial). SPCA hopes to eventually convince the urban communities to adopt principles of leash laws, pooper scooper, high fees for breeding animals; and more, along with continuing education, upgrade laws and discourage events such as poisoning campaigns.