We have shared a few stories lately which demonstrate the changes we have seen regarding the understanding of animal welfare issues since the inception of our education programs. The KeMaHa group, a group of three teenagers, has profoundly impressed the Darwin Animal Doctors team down in the Galapagos Islands, and so, we thought we’d share their story with you…
Keyla, Mayela, and Haelly formed the “KeMaHa” group, with the focus to better the lives of all animals. They aim to improve the understanding of different aspects of animal treatment in their community, and set make sure to exceptional examples themselves. One of the group’s focuses is to support the Darwin Animal Doctors in raising awareness over the importance of sterilizing your pets, and the girls are well known for starting this conversation with local residents. However, they don’t stop there. If an owner tells the group that they would sterilize their pet but don’t have the time to make it to the clinic, the girls will go to the owner’s house, pick their pet up and bring them to the clinic themselves, just making it in time for their first class at school. At the end of the day, they will come back to the clinic, pick up the animal and bring it home for the owner, sterilized and deparasited.
Furthermore, the KeMaHa group actively educate the public on the cruelty of cutting ears and tails and push their local community to adopt pets instead of buying from a local (illegal) breeder. The girls also try to teach their community about the importance of exercise for dogs, and set a wonderful example in doing so themselves – taking groups of dogs to the highlands to play and get the exercise they need.
KeMaHa also offer a dog walking and dog grooming service in order to raise a little money which they put away to save up for their big dream. Unlike most children of their age, the girls are not saving for a new phone or other popular item… The group hope that one day, no dog or cat on the island will have to live on the streets or without a home, and, therefore, intend to open a shelter/re-homing organisation in order to achieve that aim. For now, the girls still take in the street animals that they can, finding a good adoptive home for each and every one of them.
To see a change like this in the community warms the hearts of the whole team at Darwin Animal Doctors. To the Kemaha group, true leadership like yours is inspirational and gives us all hope to keep doing what we do. Keep it up KeMaHa!
