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Mdzananda Animal Clinic, which has been servicing the community of Khayelitsha for more than 20 years, faces an uncertain future due to financial constraints.
The clinic, in Makhaya, works on enhancing the well-being of animals and their human companions by providing low cost veterinary care services and education to the community.
Among other things, the clinic provides consultations, a hospital, a theatre, education and mobile clinics, stray adoptions, an ambulance, a vet shop and school education programmes.
But that could soon come to an end if the clinic fails to get the necessary support.
Susan Wishart said their main funder had pulled out, forcing them to seek alternative funding.
“Our main funder told us four years ago that they will be extracting their funds because they were experiencing financial challenges,” said Wishart.
She said they offered services which other clinics in the area did not offer.
Wishart said if they do not get help, they will have no choice but to cut back on their services.
“We have a proper animal hospital, we are not an animal shelter.
If we close down, a huge service will no longer be available for the community.”
Wishart said in addition to people visiting the clinic, they also go to people’s homes, and conduct education in schools.
“I do not want to think of the animals that would suffer,” she said.
Wishart said out of the 20 people working at the clinic, 18 are from the community. She said it would be sad for those people to lose their jobs.
Wishart said they are doing everything they can to raise funds.
“Compared to private vets we only charge R100 for our services.
And we also started a poor member campaign where people can sign up and donate whatever they can and we are looking at 3000 people to sign up,” she added.
