Schools should have been opened since September, but due to the current health crisis in the country schools are closed for time indefinite. Lot of these children are also traumatized as a result of the disease. Some of them lost either parents or both. They witnessed lot of sad events- seeing their parents been taken away to the treatment center and never returned.

We decided to fill in the gap and create psycho-pedagogical activities for the children along with some educational activities including Dog bite prevention. We conduct study classes for them. Organize outdoor activities including soccer games, story telling, Ebola awareness and dramas. We also gave them football to keep them busy and preventive materials to be used when they are together playing.

We are hoping to distribute used clothes and footwear to some of the children that lost their parents.
Extend our sincere thanks to the kids. They are in the fight with us.

This free outreach veterinary service was conducted to improve the relationship between dogs and their owners. The program made dog owners to values their dogs. Due to the presently unprecedented health crisis our country is faced, ban has been placed on bush meat posing another threat for domestic animals including dogs- “Man Best Friend“.  We organized the program to strengthening a cordial relationship between dogs and their owners. It was a successful program with dog owners appreciating the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society for undertaking this initiative. The program also encourage people to care for their dogs including the living condition and health.

This free outreach veterinary service was conducted to improve the relationship between dogs and their owners. The program made dog owners to values their dogs. Due to the presently unprecedented health crisis our country is faced, ban has been placed on bush meat posing another threat for domestic animals including dogs- “Man Best Friend“.  We organized the program to strengthening a cordial relationship between dogs and their owners. It was a successful program with dog owners appreciating the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society for undertaking this initiative. The program also encourage people to care for their dogs including the living condition and health.

The issue of rabies still remains a serious and neglected concern in Liberia, a country without easy accessibility to anti-human rabies vaccine or rabies vaccine for dogs. Very little is known about this neglected and deadly disease in Liberia. The people of Liberia keep dogs for several reasons- for hunting, securities, pets, and income. When there is an outbreak of rabies in any community, killing of dogs has been the common and only method used to eradicate the spread of the disease. Dogs are killed randomly and eaten by organized groups. LAWCS has done lot of education in discouraging people from eating dog meat and changes are taking place gradually.

Every year, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society with support from Doggone Safe Canada organizes educational activities with school children and community members educating them about rabies and dog bite prevention.
In the heat of the currently serious health crisis Liberia is faced with in fighting another deadly disease, Ebola that continues to take the lives of many innocent people, LAWCS in partnership with Doggone Safe Canada conducted educational programs from September 1 to 30, 2014. These sessions educated children and their parents about rabies, dog bite prevention and responsible pet ownership. All of these activities were geared toward protecting children and their parents from dog bites, and improving the relationship between dogs and their owners. When people are educated about rabies, they can become prepared to address any outbreak without killing all the dogs in the communities. They will also start to care for their dogs and to improve the health and living conditions.

LAWCS` volunteers visited 35 communities with the world rabies day celebration program and educated 2653 parents and 3972 children. A total of 6,625 people were reached and inspired with the rabies and dog bite education activities.

We are grateful to the family of Doggone Safe, most especially Joan C. Orr for the financial support given to LAWCS which made the program a successful one.

Thanks,

Morris Darbo
Program Coordinator
Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society

The people of Lofa County, Liberia and LAWCS’ volunteers are very happy and want to extend thanks and appreciation to all those who donated or donating toward the fight against this deadly disease in our country. LAWCS’ volunteers are very much happy that through your donations they are also contributing to the fight against Ebola in Liberia by volunteering their times and services to reach to remote communities neglected due to lack of roads or deplorable road condition. LAWCS believes that educating people to prevent the spread of the virus and providing them with those essential preventive materials is key and will greatly help in saving lots of lives in the country.

Click here to donate so that this education can continue in areas where other aid organizations are not able to go.

Today was another joyful day for the people LAWCS’ volunteers met across a big river with no road leading there. The staff took the risk to cross the river with the bikes using local made canoe to reach three communities where there has been no awareness or the distribution of other essential preventive materials like buckets, soap and clora. LAWCS was the first organization to meet these communities since the outbreak of the disease in the country. The people including their children were very happy for this life saving gesture and extended their thanks to all those who donated their money to help them. The team created awareness with 563 people- women: 197; men: 162; children: 204. 18 buckets, soap and clora were distributed to the three towns.

These people drink directly from the river. They don’t have well in their towns.

We want to tell all of our sympathizers, friends and supporters that your donations are making tremendous impact in reaching communities that are truly in need and we still want you to please join us in asking other friends to help. There are still lots of communities that need our help.

Please join us in saving lots of lives in Liberia. We can only do this with your support.

We also want to extend a big thank you to the family of Doggone Safe, most especially Joan Orr for your tireless efforts in raising funds to empower LAWCS to reach to remote communities at this bitter time in our history to provide these essential preventive materials and awareness.

We purchased 45 buckets, clora and soap today and distributed 36 buckets, clora and soap.

The reception from the communities is very great. The people are so appreciative that LAWCS is reaching them with the education and donation.The road condition is challenging and deplorable.The team visited three remote communities today and distributed buckets, clora and soap. They provided awareness education for 264 people: Children were 115 and Adults were 149. It was a successful day for LAWCS.

The people were very happy for the education and donation.

DURATION: March 3, to May 23, 2014

SPONSOR: Doggone Safe Canada

DATE OF SUBMISSION: May 26, 2014

NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES: 13,949

Doggone Safe Canada is a strong partner to the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society. Through materials and monetary support from Doggone Safe Canada, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society has a sustainable dog bite prevention program established in 10 schools and an outreach program in additional 11 schools.

Dog bite prevention education is cardinal in rebuilding a country- Liberia where nearly 85% of the population lives below USD 1 dollar per day and the means of accessing anti- human rabies vaccine is nearly impossible. Dogs are part of the family circle but suffer as the result of rabies and the dog meat trade. When there is an outbreak of rabies, killing has been the only easy method used to wipe out the disease. This method failed to eliminate or reduce the spread of the deadly and neglected disease. In partnership with Doggone Safe Canada, the Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society introduced the dog bite prevention program in various communities and schools in Lofa County, Liberia targeting mainly children- the main victims of dog bite. The program is making an impressive improvement in the fight against the spread of rabies and the killing of dogs as the mean of curtailing the spread of rabies. Today, as the result of LAWCS intervention, dog bite incidence are drastically reduced in the communities where LAWCS is working and people continue to live happily with their dogs. Read More…