An organisation, which is wiping out rabies town by town in Tanzania, is to name its new centre after a dog who survived a horrific machete attack and was given a new lease of life in East Renfrewshire.
Street dog Gongo had his leg cut off and his face smashed in during the brutal incident in the African country in 2016.
After sustaining his injuries, he was taken to Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue, where a series of anti-rabies vaccination and sterilisation campaigns, funded by Giffnock charity Four Steps to Freedom (FSTF), have taken place.
The brave pooch was then saved by local vets who had no choice but to amputate the rest of his back leg up to the hip.
“One of our friends made the phone call (after seeing what had happened to Gongo) and my colleague went down there, but he had crawled into the bush," explained animal lover Phyllis Hutchison who founded FSTF in March 2015, formerly known as Friends of Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue.
“It was 24 hours before he located him and by that time the leg was really badly infected, so it’s a miracle he didn't bleed out because (my colleague) actually followed the blood trail.”
Gongo’s mouth was also badly damaged in the attack, affecting his ability to eat.
Unable to bear the thought of his suffering, Phyllis arranged to have the dog brought back to Scotland where another vet operated at no cost to repair his jaw.
Thankfully the brave pet has since made a full recovery and, now eight years old, is a thriving member of Phyllis’ pack of dogs, which also includes her two 15-year-old rescues.
Furthermore, much to everyone’s amazement Gongo, whose name means ‘crutch’ in Swahili, still “absolutely loves people”.
“He gravitates to people all the time to say hi and nobody can pass him without saying hi,” said Phyllis. “The forgiveness is there. The love is there, and so nothing has put him off people."
For Phyllis and the charity, Gongo’s story is "an important one" which "highlights both the fear and reality of rabies in Tanzania, that leads to a fear of dogs and often immense suffering - for both animals and humans".
"He is exactly the story of what innocent animals are subjected to in Tanzania through fear of rabies. He didn't have rabies. He was an innocent victim," she added.
Every year, 1,500 people, mostly children under 15, die from the disease in the country, after being bitten by infected dogs.
Phyllis' charity is therefore driven by a dual mission of ending animal cruelty and saving the lives of children.
She started FSTF after visiting Meserani, Tanzania, and witnessing dogs, brutalised and left to die in the streets following an ‘anti-rabies cull’.
Following this traumatising experience, she also discovered the human impact - the pain of a family torn apart by the death of their daughter after a fatal dog bite.
“The disease is 99% fatal but 100% preventable,” she explained. “People will say to me, why don't they vaccinate the humans, but that doesn't eliminate the problem.
“You need to eliminate its source. If you have a healthy dog population, you don't have rabies.”
The charity has now vaccinated in excess of 75,000 dogs, while a letter from the Tanzanian Government some time back confirmed they had eradicated rabies in 21 communities.
It gets its name from the four steps of vaccinating, preventing, protecting and sustaining the charity carries out to tackle the problem.
This includes systematic vaccination campaigns, as well as sterilisation campaigns to control the dog population humanely.
The charity also educates local children about the humane treatment of animals, explaining the risk of rabies and how to avoid it.
Furthermore it trains local vets in small animal surgery skills, something not currently taught in Tanzania, which empowers people to keep the dog populations under control.
“It's about being respectful of the local people and empowering them to take care of their own business and that is our approach and that's exactly what we're trying to do because we don't want to be there forever,” said Phyllis.
The charity is now bidding “to save more lives faster” by building and equipping The Gongo Centre.
The first veterinary and education centre of its kind in the Arusha region, it will provide clean, purpose-built veterinary facilities and surgery rooms, education facilities and volunteer accommodation.
This will allow FSTF to relocate and expand the vital work undertaken by Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue including vaccinating 20,000 animals and spaying and neutering 4,000 animals per year.
It will also allow them to educate 1,000 local children per year and train 24 local vets per year.
Work to build ‘The Gongo Centre’ has already begun, but fundraising to reach the £300,000 target to completely build and equip the centre is still needed.
To make progress towards this goal they are hosting a charity event on Saturday, September 9 from 7pm to 11pm at the 121st Glasgow Scout Hall in Aidans Brae, Clarkston.
This “unforgettable” evening will feature live music, raffle prizes and two vet guest speakers who will share inspiring stories of animal welfare and the charity's work in Tanzania.
There will also be food, an auction of artwork and “unique” experiences, a kids’ magic show and a disco.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here