The Gunjur Dog Patrol

The Gunjur Dog Patrol in Gambia is a new charitable venture aimed at creating a healthier and happier dog community in Gunjur through education and preventative treatment.

Why is this needed?

For many years now, we have tried to help animals in our local area through neutering days and vaccination days. Our primary contributor supplying expertise and medical supplies has been The Gambia Horse & Donkey Trust.  What we have seen is that many of the sick animals admitted to GHDT could have been treated in their own homes and if they had been treated earlier they may not have needed vet care. Through education, early treatment and preventative care we aim to have a healthier dog population and reduce suffering.

Gunjur Dog Patrol

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Gunjur Dog Patrol️ 2 weeks ago

Thank you so much to everyone that donate and support Gunjur Dog Patrol. We would not be able to do it without you! Here are our last couple of weeks of products being donated. Thank you to our friends at Gunjur Project for your donation. Thank you Misja Gambia and Agata Ch in Sambujang! And thank you Martina Gantzkow for the sudocrems you donated on your last visit. Thank you!🙏😊🐾

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Gunjur Dog Patrol️ 2 weeks ago

@volgers My front yard transformed into a field hospital. Today is the big day: CASTRATION DAY! A local veterinarian Faizan Siddiqui will be coming to neuter 10 dogs in order to control the population here in Gunjur. 👍 If you have followed my previous posts you know that it is the solution to avoid a lot of suffering in the long run. This is one of the main projects Gunjur Dog Patrol is raising money for and working to neuter as many dogs as possible. Around 9 o'clock the first dog owner stroll in with their four-legged friend and yes, again it is the children taking responsibility for the dogs. We managed to collect about 8 cages and these are placed here and there in the shade on the grounds. The boys sympathize with their dog and reassure the animal that does not understand why it has to go into such a scary thing. Meanwhile, we have already set up tables, towels, prepared drugs, coffee and all the rest. Half an hour later Buba (the driver at Footsteps Eco Lodge, The Gambia) arrives with several more dogs and their owners. Yes, we have to chase them a bit ourselves and some really do live too far to walk. The 4*4 quickly leaves again for another load. Then doctor Faizan Siddiqui arrives, a Pakistani man who runs a mobile practice here in West Gambia and has done this before at Footsteps. The first dogs get their anesthetic injection to start on that soon and make everything go smoothly as possible. This man is good and gives the injection without the dogs noticing. Slowly the restless animals calm down and slowly sink through their legs. Some more dog owners report in and when Buba arrives with the second load we are at 10 dogs. A good number for today 🙂 . When the first dogs are asleep, they are placed one by one on the prepared table and the treatment can begin. The scrotum is carefully disinfected, the balls removed and the knot is tied. That's 50 dogs less to take care of in the future. The Rangers do their best to assist the doctor where they can and I am amazed at the speed at which all of this takes place under the curious eyes of us and the owners present. About 3 hours later it is over and the little patients can wake up peacefully before being transported back home. Everyone is still given proper instructions and leaves our Ecolodge. Thank you to all the donors who really contributed to a better life for the Gambian dogs. Are you concerned about the suffering we see here every day and would you perhaps like to send a small donation to this great project I am working on? Click on the link below and let your (dog's) heart speak. No donation is too small. Every little bit helps and is very welcome here! https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/XRP7NRV43YM6U Thanks and until the next challenge 🙂 My name is Oliver A. de Bie and I am a volunteer at Gunjur Dog Patrol.

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How will we achieve our goal of helping local dogs?

A team of dog rangers will patrol the village and surrounding area on pushbikes to help support the local dog population. Through identifying dogs that need help and their owners we can not only treat the dog but educate their owner to take care of their dog for the rest of their lives.

By building relationships with the local community we can identify those that would benefit from our vaccination clinics and other services. Our Dog Rangers will build trust and relationships nurturing an environment where dog owners feel they can ask for help.

How can you help and support Gunjur Dog Patrol?

We are aiming to start with two Dog Rangers and work up to a team of dedicated and experienced rangers working in the local community. Our one-time purchases such as bicycles, uniforms and start-up medical kits are already in place.

We have a target of reaching £4,000 to start with so that we get going and operate for a minimum of 6 months. Ideally our monthly costs would be met through regular monthly donations. The money will be spent on fair wages for our dog rangers, cost medications, emergency fund and misc running cost which amounts to around £600 per month. 

In memory of our beloved Seven, we are using her Facebook page to document the work our DRs will be doing each week. We think she would definitely be very proud of what we are trying to achieve. Please Join and share our FB Page here!

Gunjur Dog Patrol objectives!

• Visit, treat and monitor the health of local dogs in their homes/compounds. 
• Educate and advise local dog owners on the care of their dogs.
• Focus on helping young people (aged 6-14) to learn about their dogs and how to treat them.
• Deliver health care services such as vaccination and neutering clinics and respond to local needs.
• Provide a first point of contact for people concerned about their dog welfare and assist with access to veterinary care when required.
• Work closely with other organisations and individuals that share similar aims to Gunjur Dog Patrol.

Services we will offer

• Our Gunjur Dog Rangers will provide mobile first aid for dogs, visiting and treating dogs in the local community. 
• Provide treatment and advice on health issues such as mango worms, ticks & fleas, ear infections, minor cuts etc. 
• Regular neutering and vaccination clinics.
• Emergency contact for animals in need in the greater Gunjur area.
• Opportunities for young people to learn about their dogs and how to care for them via a variety of different clubs and activities. 
• Provide financial assistance for dogs/animals who need transport to receive emergency veterinary care (as funding allows)

Let’s look at a case study – Ear Mites/FlyStrike

Flystrike is usually caused by mites living in the inner ear and the dog trying to scratch the itch causes bleeding which then attracts flies which lay their eggs in the wound and subsequently lead to a maggot infestation. With some quick and easy treatment to eradicate the mites and stop the itching, along with some cream to aid in the healing process the ears will recover with minimal help.

Prevention is better than cure!

Instead of waiting until the problem has become so bad that it needs the attention of a qualified vet. Our mobile dog rangers (DRs) can identify a sick animal, find its owner and begin the process of treatment and education on how to prevent such a situation from occurring again.

Local people love their dogs, it is simply a lack of funds and knowledge that brings about unnecessary pain and distress for the animals. For a small amount of money, GDP can begin the process of ensuring our four-legged friends get the care they need when they need it.

If our DRs identify an animal which needs more care than we can provide, we will, of course, endeavour to take it to the professionals at GHDT, hopefully in some small way we can prevent the need for that from ever happening in the first place.