http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/ All the lastest news and information from Help the Street Animals of Morocco. en Copyright Help the Street Animals of Morocco 2013 2013-03-23T15:16:34+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/paula-eden-completes-the-eastbourne-half-marathon-2013 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/paula-eden-completes-the-eastbourne-half-marathon-2013#When:15:16:34Z
We would like to say a massive thank you to Paula for giving up her free time to help street animals.

Thank you to all the people that donated- we raised a fantastic £549.60. The money will go towards our next sterilisation and treatment trip in June.

]]> 2013-03-23T15:16:34+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/hsam-supporter-paula-eden-runs-in-aid-of-street-animals-in-morocco http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/hsam-supporter-paula-eden-runs-in-aid-of-street-animals-in-morocco#When:09:46:24Z
We are very pleased to be supporting Paula during her run and wish her all the best! Please see our events page for full details.]]> 2013-02-07T09:46:24+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/hsam-ends-2012-on-a-high http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/hsam-ends-2012-on-a-high#When:22:54:28Z
Volunteers helped an amazing 187 animals, which included spaying 41 and castrating 25 cats. Apart from our 'routine' procedures, other operations kept the veterinary team on their toes!; amputating a dog's leg (see article about Bobette) and unblocking a cat's bladder. Happily, both patients are doing fine!

Here is a lovely little story that will give you an insight into our work and the people of Essaouira...

It's always great meeting up with cats that we have sterilsed during previous trips. During this trip we where fortunate enough to help a beautiful gentle ginger and white boy who is loved by the locals. He had very dirty ears and we had to bring him into the surgery as it was too difficult to hold him securely on the street. He very kindly allowed us to give both of his ears and good clean out ! Volunteers Laura and Joe returned him safely a hour later, the locals cheering his return as he was let out of the cat basket!

So far HSAM has helped 2029 animals in need! We need further support to be able to help more street animals in 2013! Please see our 'How You Can Help' page.

A massive thank you to the people and companies who have donated and of course to the amazing volunteers! X

]]> 2012-12-12T22:54:28+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/bobette-by-shaun-hsam-volunteer-2012 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/bobette-by-shaun-hsam-volunteer-2012#When:22:43:35Z
Kirst, the HSAM vet confirmed that her leg was probably dead, and that it was unlikely that she could feel anything in it by the time we found her.

As we go to Essaouira to mainly sterilise, we were worried that the clinic might not be equipped for the amputation the dog obviously needed. Kirst, with some help from Adnan, the local vet in Essaouira, successfully performed the operation, saving her from what would have been an extremely unpleasant and slow end.

Bobette (as she has been named) now lives with a couple called Valerie and Gerard, who also care for several other dogs with varying degrees of disability meaning life on the streets would be difficult for them.

What makes this story even more beautiful, is that Bobette is probably only about six months old (based on all her pearly white puppy teeth). She is a very young dog who now has her whole life ahead of her living with a great family of dogs and other animals with two great carers. She'll have all the benefits of living in a stable home.

This was my first trip to Essaouira with HSAM and out of all the animals we helped, Bobette really managed to get under my skin. She's someone I'll never, ever forget and I'm so happy that HSAM was there to help her.

Please don't forget HSAM's campaign to get permission to sterilise and treat Essaouira's street dogs. In the future with fewer street dogs, there are less likely to be cases like Bobette's and that's the real aim. Prevention is better than cure every time so please pledge your support for street dogs. Please click on the button ‘Click here to pledge support for street dogs’ which you will find on the home page. You can help HSAM make a difference!



]]> 2012-12-12T22:43:35+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/dog-awareness-day-in-essaouira-a-great-success http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/dog-awareness-day-in-essaouira-a-great-success#When:22:29:46Z
Sterilation and vaccination programmes establish healthy street dog populations. This minimises the opportunity for other dogs (with possible health risks, including Rabies) to populate the area, allowing locals to become familiar with the dogs that live in their town!

The proposal had a very positive response from passers-by and we collected 287 signatures in support of the programme.

We are asking our supporters to sign the pledge for a sterilisation/vaccination/release scheme. The names collected will be forwarded to Dr Chouhbi, Head of the Veterinary Service of the National Security Office. Please click on the button on the home page to pledge your support.
]]> 2012-12-12T22:29:46+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/hsam-fundraiser-6-10-12-a-great-success http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/hsam-fundraiser-6-10-12-a-great-success#When:20:05:48Z
Thankyou to the following businesses:

Barcombe Nurseries
Choccywocckydoodah
Ecologicool
Henry Butlers wine cellar
Lush
Redwood Foods
Scent Florists
Zoing Image
]]> 2012-10-10T20:05:48+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/catching-up-with-an-old-friend http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/catching-up-with-an-old-friend#When:18:36:45Z 2012-08-22T18:36:45+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/9th-neutering-and-treatment-trip-july-2012 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/9th-neutering-and-treatment-trip-july-2012#When:20:24:53Z A massive thank you to the volunteers and our supporters. ]]> 2012-07-13T20:24:53+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/article-as-seen-in-your-cat-magazine-july-2012-issue-mentions-hsams-work-by http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/article-as-seen-in-your-cat-magazine-july-2012-issue-mentions-hsams-work-by#When:10:22:24Z
As soon as he got a home of his own, he rebelled and adopted his fi rst cat. His love of cats and photography grew together as he won various photography competitions with images of his cats — one soon turned into three!

Wanting to learn more about his feline friends and the subject of much of his photography, he attended a talk with behaviourist Vicky Halls where she suggested that many cats are thought of as children, teddy bears or fashion accessories, but not cats.

“I found myself wondering what cats were like ‘in the wild’ but soon discovered that domestic cats just don’t live in the wild,” says Dennis. “The fi shing port of Essaouira in Morocco is home to one of the largest populations of stray cats on the planet — I fi gured if I was going to fi nd cats at their wildest, ones that weren’t treated as children or teddy bears, it’d be there. And so I went!”

Essauoira is said to boast the highest population of cats in North Africa but, here, while they are loved and stroked, the cats are seldom owned.

“The cats are almost all strays. In all my time in Morocco, I saw just one pet cat, complete with collar and heart-shaped pendant,” says Dennis. “I think it belonged to an ex-pat who’s taken up residence there. The idea of an owned pet doesn’t really exist out there: the locals have a lot of affection for cats, but don’t own them. It’s a bit like the relationship that people have with ducks or other birds in this country.

“Cats thrive in Morocco, particularly in Essaouira where they benefi t from the constant food supply that comes from the fi shing boats. Tourism helps them too: tourists themselves are an easy-touch for tidbits from restaurant tables, while leather bag and carpet shops provide a limitless supply of soft things to sleep on!”

Unlike this country, there’s not a lot of veterinary care available for Morocco’s strays. “Cat life, in that respect, is hard and fast,” says Dennis. “Although there are some volunteer initiatives, such as Help the Street Animals of Morocco (http://www.hsam.org.uk) who go out twice a year and work with local vets to carry out neutering programmes and provide medical attention to the cats they find.”

Despite the lack of veterinary care, the stray cats of Essaouira really are loved. “On my last afternoon in the town, I found a very lively grey tabby kitten who scampered up and down me as soon as I sat down next to him,” remembers Dennis. “A young woman stopped in front of me with her daughter. The little girl crouched beside me and played with the kitten. We did this in silence for a minute or two. As the girl got up to leave, she threw her arms around me and planted the biggest kiss on my cheek. I put my camera away, knowing that was as good an ending to my trip as I could hope for,
and made my way back to England.”

This trip resulted in Dennis’ ‘Take Me To The Kittens!’ photography exhibition, which took place in Hull earlier this year, with all proceeds going to the Hull branch of the RSPCA, where he got his three cats. Dennis has also put together a photobook entitled ‘Take Me To The Kittens!’ Buy the book or fine art prints from http://www.TakeMeToTheKittens.com
http://www.yourcat.co.uk


]]> 2012-07-12T10:22:24+00:00 http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/vntimes-publish-article http://www.hsam.org.uk/news/article/vntimes-publish-article#When:13:34:48Z 2012-03-23T13:34:48+00:00