Inside Out Project -

Give them a taste of freedom

Synopsis

The problem

We, at Grahamstown SPCA, have many strays and surrenders, dogs who spend their time in our small kennels with a floor area about the size of a large door and only a narrow view of the world. The influx of dogs far exceeds the rate of adoptions but we want to improve our friend’s quality of life while they wait with us.

Our Society is in a small town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and unemployment is seventy percent or more and our society receives no government funding and depends entirely upon donations

The plan

We will use funds donated to buy poles, fencing wire, cement, stone, sand and other requirements as well as pay for labour. We will put small doors into the back of the kennels and construct fences for runs which will fan out into open land.

It’s a simple idea but it will mean so much to those we care for and our dogs will be able to exercise, feel the sun and rain, socialise, see a much wider and more natural world and importantly sit and smell the breeze. Bliss!

This (below) shows the back of one block of kennels where we will build the exercise area and cut dog doors into the walls of the kennels so that the dogs can go directly out.

The background details about us

Our SPCA is in a small town named Makhanda (previously Grahamstown) in South Africa where things can be challenging; we are in a long drought (we receive water every second day) have a dysfunctional municipality, failing infrastructure and an unemployment rate of over seventy percent. Our Society operates in this environment and also helps animals in rural areas far beyond the town’s borders. Most of our clients are severely economically disadvantaged and the Society does not receive any funding from national or local government. It is an officially registered Non Profit Organisation with number 035-579

With the many problems facing the town our kennels are always very full and the number of adoptions has slowed right down although we hope it will pick up. While each block of eight to ten kennels has a small concrete, walled, exercise yard (not a lot of fun) about eight paces by five it is just not enough. It is simply not possible to give most dogs the time they need in those yards meaning that the dogs spend most, if not all of their time, in a kennel the area of a large front door with a small sleeping area at the back. Their view of the world comes through a space one pace wide. And it is mostly of walls and buildings. This is presently their life but we want to give them something better as they wait for their adoption.

We know we can do this by making runs for them at the back of their kennels. One part of the project will mean re locating and re building the donkey shelter a hundred metres or so away. With phase 1 we can put up fencing leading from the back of one or hopefully, two of the kennel blocks to form runs We plan to use a fan shape which means that the end furthest away from the kennels will be wider than the kennels themselves giving a greater area and a bigger view over open land. We may also have to relocate one of the donkey shelters and having this exploratory phase will help us to better understand the many challenges of the larger project including the reactions of the dogs and it is for this phase which we hope to raise these funds.

Please be kind enough to make a donation by hitting the button - it will make a real difference. Thank you

Information concerning the oganisation receiving funds ;

Grahamstown SPCA

Old Bay Road

Makhanda

South Africa

Tel +27 046 6223233

Fb https://www.facebook.com/SPCA-Grahamstown-13982357...

Non Profit Organisation number (NPO number) 035-579.

First National Bank

SPCA Grahamstown

Account no: 52324242793

Grahamstown, branch code: 210717

South Africa

Financial standing.- audit available on request

The overall project plan

Phase 1. Estimate of cost - R 20 000 (980 UK pounds,1 300 US dollars) If this is done less expensively (for example if some donations are made of materials), any funds left will be used for further work on this project.

Below shows how the exercise areas will consist of two large exercise runs for each kennel block.