5 Aug 2015
Ceva Awards for Animal Welfare
Job Title
Veterinary nurses are among volunteers at the Kota Kinabalu dog pound.
This year has been a challenging, but exciting, time for International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA).
It was named charity team of the year at the Ceva Awards for Animal Welfare in April for its work to help the street dogs of Borneo, while founder Nicky Stevens was among 30 people nationwide to win a British Citizen Award in July.
About a year ago, IAPWA took over the running of a dog pound in Kota Kinabalu, where there are estimated to be at least 10,000 stray dogs.
Since then it has raised more than £133,000 to support its work and, helped by its volunteer vets and VNs, provided veterinary care to more than 1,100 dogs, neutering in excess of 1,000 and rehoming more than 250. It is now hoping to expand the pound and open a veterinary clinic.
Miss Stevens told VN Times: “Extending the dog pound, which will cost £8,500, will mean we can double the number of dogs we can treat, which will make such a difference.
“We’re also hoping to take over rental of a building early next year and open a veterinary clinic, which would care for stray cats and dogs. It’s exciting for everyone connected with IAPWA.”
The biggest challenge facing the charity is funding and IAPWA has been working hard to raise awareness of its work.
Last month it ran a dining challenge in which it asked people to hold dinner parties or lunches to raise funds, and it has an ongoing JustGiving page for its dog pound expansion project.
“Our biggest ongoing battle is trying to make sure we get funding going forward,” Miss Stevens said. “We’re always keen to find organisations and individuals that might want to help us.”
Miss Stevens said it had received wonderful support from the Malaysian authorities, with local people proving to be extremely receptive to its work.
“Lots of the dogs we have rehomed have gone to government workers,” she said.
She set up IAPWA after visiting Kota Kinabalu in 2009. The sight of so many dogs suffering on the streets of the city made a deep impression on her and on her return to the UK she made a commitment to do everything she could to help create a better future for them.
It has replaced the previously used methods of canine population control with a humane alternative, which involves neutering the stray dogs and providing any additional veterinary treatment required.
It works to engage with and educate the local community about responsible pet ownership and wants to develop an education programme to include an animal assisted therapy element for special needs children. In the long term, it aims to also develop projects within other countries.
IAPWA is always looking for veterinary nurses to support its work, either by fund-raising in the UK or by volunteering in Borneo. To donate to the dog pound expansion project, visit http://bit.ly/1FroY11
For more details on IAPWA, visit www.iapwa.org and for details to volunteer, email [email protected]
