Mayhew International in Kabul, Afghanistan

Close to completely eradicating rabies

The Mayhew International team has faced many challenges over the last two years. Due to Covid-19, staff had to stay at home when the Taliban reached Kabul. As if that wasn’t enough, the winter brought heavy snowfall. Despite all of this, the team has been able to make phenomenal progress in the past year.

Over 11,000 dogs have been vaccinated since May 2021. And there have been no confirmed cases of rabies! This is a really promising sign that the programme is getting close to its target of completely eradicating rabies from the region. It means an end to the suffering of thousands of dogs — both from catching rabies, and from culling.

Creating better relationships between humans and dogs

What’s even more brilliant about Mayhew, is that the charity aims to educate people about animal welfare and what dogs need to be healthy and happy. Many school engagement programmes had to be put on hold because of lockdowns, but the team were still able to reach 1,719 people through talks in neighbourhoods where complaints about stray dogs are common. They educate people to better understand our four-legged friends and improve relationships between those who talk and those who woof.

Mayhew International in Georgia

Building a successful vaccination and neutering programme

The team’s goal in Georgia is to have a successful vaccination and neutering programme. Our €199,015 donation has supported:

• the training of new vets

• the purchase of much-needed equipment

• infrastructure development

The team in Georgia have upgraded their facilities and started the search for new premises for a dedicated clinic in Tbisili. The team is growing — with two new graduate vets being trained to support the neutering programme and another assistant vet set to join the team soon. A growing team means more dogs can be vaccinated and neutered 💜

Since October 2021, over 360 dogs have been neutered and 340 have been vaccinated. Regular dog surveys are now being conducted to help the Mayhew team gather long-term data that’ll monitor progress and ensure they’re reaching the areas most in need.

And it’s not just the local dogs that are feeling the benefits. The charity has recently started a cat welfare programme which has already enabled the sterilisation of 23 cats in the Rustavi region. New capture, treat and release programmes are being developed, along with community support projects to help as many strays as possible.

Dharamshala Animal Rescue in India

One of the most recent projects the Edgard & Cooper Foundation has started supporting is Dharamshala Animal Rescue (DAR) who run a sterilisation and vaccination programme in rural parts of northern India.

Their latest accomplishments have put a big smile on our faces. The team has just finished up an intense three-week programme with Worldwide Veterinary Services. During this programme, six veterinarians were trained in best practices for field surgery, anaesthetics, antibiotics, pain management, and more. Also, three vet assistants were trained and given certification.

The staff worked overtime to make sure that all of the 206 dogs caught, sterilized, vaccinated and released were happy, fed and calm during their stay.

We are — as always — in absolute awe of the incredible work these organisations and people do every day to improve the welfare of our furry friends in areas where veterinary care isn’t readily available. We’re so proud that we’re able to support these important projects through the Edgard & Cooper Foundation. And it all starts with you, our wonderful, loyal customers. So a big thank you from us.