Welttierschutzgesellschaft e.v, a registered German animal welfare charitable organisation,
in partnership with the Department of Livestock Services regional office in
West Coast Region, on Thursday held a daylong open animal health and welfare
clinic.
Held
at the livestock services department in Brikama, the objective of the clinic
was to equip students of the University of The Gambia (UTG) on clinical
diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases.
Dr
Kebba Daffeh, a consultant for WTG Vets United, and an animal welfare lecturer
at the UTG, said the clinic was also an important practical component of the
animal welfare course at UTG.
The
daylong clinic provided free clinical treatment for visiting animals, mainly
equines and ruminants.
He
said by providing free access to quality treatment for animals, the clinic has
also contributed to reducing animal diseases and enhancing livestock production
and productivity, which ultimately positively impacts on farmers’ lives and
livelihood.
According
to Dr Daffeh, the donkey owners who brought their animals for treatment at the
clinic said their entire livelihood revolves around their donkeys, and that
poor health and welfare of the animal negatively affects their livelihood.
The
donkey owners expressed deep satisfaction for the services that were rendered,
he said.
The
animal welfare course at the UTG is being supported by the Vets United
programme of WTG. The course is expected
to contribute to addressing the current capacity gaps in animal welfare in The
Gambia.
The
UTG lecturer said the majority of the current group of students who registered
for the animal welfare course are field staff of the Department of Livestock
Services.
These
people, he said, will go back to their stations in the country after graduation
to contribute to the improvement of the animal welfare situation in The Gambia.
Daffeh
said the animal welfare course approach is premised on education being the most
crucial and sustainable tool to create a world in which animals are treated
with respect and understanding.
The
sponsor of the course, WTG, has a mission to improve the veterinary standards
in developing countries through local veterinary training.
The
organisation has a strategic partnership with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust
to sustainably improve animal welfare in The Gambia, through education and
capacity building.
