Annual Report
 For the year 2007 

                                                                                                                                                    Ref. N^o. U-13/228/2000
                                                                                                                                                               Date: January 22, 2008     

Introduction 

The year 2007 is when our society HAPS showed the importance of its planned activities particularly vaccination of homeless dogs and spay neuter program for the government and the community. 

The education campaign has also been carried out widely in an organized manner in such a way to reach as millions of people as possible. 

It has been done using different Medias distributed all over the country and through distribution of educational materials and car advertisement.   

 Please browse www.an-group.org/x_haps.htm for general background.

Aims and Objectives

·         To promote the welfare of homeless animals particularly homeless dogs, cats and work animals

·         To protect the highly endangered Ethiopian Wolf from disease and hybridization occurred due to homeless dogs

·         To solve the social and health problems occurred on the community and other animals due to homeless dogs

·         To undertake animal welfare and other required activities in those parts of the country where the problems and suffering of homeless animals are worst and involve the communities themselves in the research for the solutions

·         To create a plat form where, all relevant social actors and stakeholders could be able to discuss the problems of homeless animals and stray dogs

·         To Promote Advocacy work at Local, Zonal, Regional and National levels regarding the protection and welfare of homeless animals

·         To research the problems of animals and try to solve them in as much as possible in collaboration with all stakeholders and social actors

·         To gather, Collate and dispense of information about the problems of homeless animals

·         To establish a mobile animal health post 

Main activities of the year 

-      At the beginning of this year the Addis Ababa Mass Media Agency broadcasted two additional wider coverage TV programs which was recorded and broadcasted at the end of the past year which helped our society to be known and well understood by the higher government officials and the public. 

-      The society managed to attract different international organizations and individuals to come and visit its activity and so that they can forward their assistance in any ways possible.

-      Based on this HAPS is visited by our usual collaborator who visit us every year Mrs Katrina Morison and Mr. Dave Price from Australia, AMSALE GESSESE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION USA, US Ambassador Honorable Donald Yamamoto and by the Blue Cross of India the well known and the pioneer of Animal Birth Control ABC program Dr. Chinny Khricina and his wife Dr. Nidatha Chinny in December 2007 and by many students and residents of Addis Ababa and also international medias such as Associated Press in Addis Ababa and the on point Radio from Boston, Massachusetts.

-      A Meeting with the countries higher officials such as the Deputy Prime Minster honorable Ato Addisu Legese and the Addis Ababa City Mayor honorable Ato Berhanu Deressa within their respective office has also been made by the time the AMSALE GESSESE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, USA made a visit to our society in order to explain about our both organizations goals and objective and to request their assistance in any ways possible.

-      In the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minster, he has appreciated the idea of this foundation while the foundation mentioned that one of its objectives is to broaden the scope of the activities of HAPS in all aspects. In addition he also appreciated that HAPS is doing very well in educating the community about rabies prevention and population control.

-      The Addis Ababa City Mayor also promised to support the activities of HAPS by providing land for the construction of shelter and Clinic in the meeting held at his office, this meeting has also been given attention and broadcasted for the public by the country’s TV and Radio programs.

-      HAPS rescued four cave dogs through its emergency services from a cave called “Gido Washa” in Addis Ababa built some 70 years back by Italian troops during the invade of Italia over Ethiopia. HAPS permanently closed the cave in collaboration with the concerned government officials’ and with the financial support from the AMSALE GESSESSE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION USA for the cave to be no more a dumping ground for unwanted dogs and this has also been broadcasted by the Ethiopian Television and Addis Ababa Mass Media Agency Television to inform and aware the public that it is a very cruel activity not supposed to be done.

-      Our effort to help animals in a very bad situation has also drawn international attention including well known popular singers Maria Daines and Paul Killington and sing for the Ethiopian poor dogs with the title called “one small dog”.

    And also the Best Friends USA published an article about the activities of the society in their news letter to inform their members and the international community to help bring a better situation for the Ethiopian poor animals.

-      HAPS also continued its awareness creation activity as usual by producing about 50,000 educational materials and by using the society’s multipurpose car in public areas such as:-

§     Bus stations

§     Market places

§     Exhibition centers

§    Around schools by the time of entrance and exit of children from school in addition to the wider and repeated media coverage such as TV programs, radio channels and different news papers and managed to reach as millions of people as possible in our education campaign.

-      The one year Addis Ababa Community for Animals project prepared to be implemented in the Bole Sub-City area in which its operational agreement has been signed with the concerned government bodies in July 2006 has been implemented in this year.

-      In this program 393 homeless dogs have been given treatment and services provided by the society’s clinic and shelter among these 180 adopted by a family,9 given an emergency treatment and 204 released to the place where originally caught

Back

, in this activity the Addis Ababa clinical year volunteer student has been participated whenever necessary in addition to the permanent vet and volunteer members of the society.

-  Besides the effort to extend the project after its phase-out the society saves about 58 dogs from a difficult situation and successfully adopted to a family.

-      The society also managed to send its representatives to the dog Population Management workshop organized by World Society for the Protection of Animals /WSPA/ in Windhoek, Namibia and got a valuable experience which can really help to strengthen the society’s future activity

-      In the other way the president of the society made a trip to USA with the invitation of the AGMF by accompanying the four cave dogs which are adopted to USA and to attain the fund raising event organized on the arrival of the dogs.

-      Concerning these cave dogs the ANIMAL PEOPLE USA Newspaper and other Medias in USA such as Deborah Wrigley, KTRK TV, ABC affiliate, Channel 11 KHOU, Channel 39 KHTV, Channel 17 HMS TV, Channel 26 (Fox news), KPFT 90.1 FM (Pacifica) (Janice Blue), KTRH 740.AM  (Lana Hughes) ,Go Vegan Radio Bob Linden and also covered in the major newspaper, by Barbara Karkabi of the Houston Chronicle has given coverage in our stay with the dogs in USA which can help our society get international attention.

-      During this visit the society’s Cofounders, the president and Vice president has been given a Gandhi Peace award from the society of peace in recognition of exemplary service in promoting peace, Compassion and Ahimsa for all living beings.

-      At the same time the president of HAPS has received an honorary Citizen of the City of Houston and Good will Ambassador Award from the Mayor of Houston for his unselfish devotion and sacrifices made to set up this society and by considering all the difficult hurdles passed in the process.

-      Following this most of the country’s Medias such as Radio, TV, private and government newspapers has given repeated coverage concerning these special awards and on the success achieved this has also helped us aware the community about our animal welfare activity and its importance.

Importance 

All the activities mentioned above are very important in promoting animal welfare and humane treatment of animals in our country by drawing national and international attention towards different problems of animals. 

It is also important to replace the cruel activity used as a means of population and disease control. 

Improvement in animal welfare 

Most people’s attitude towards animals is changed due to the information they get from what is written on HAPS car, different Medias at different times and from the informational campaign done using the mega phone fixed on the car and the educational materials distributed and also from the phone calls. 

And therefore people knows about HAPS and its objectives and call to HAPS office whenever they seek information for their pet and they come across any suffering dog from wound or other sickness on their way. 

It is understood by most of the community that spay neuter and vaccinate is the best solution to control population and protect spread of disease such as rabies. 

The promise and the supporting letter received from the Addis Ababa Urban Agriculture Department who is directly concerned government body to stand beside us by visiting our activity in different times.   

Successes 

It is being managed to change the attitude of the people through the intensive educational campaign and media coverage and able to show the importance of spay neuter and vaccinate homeless dogs to control population and prevent disease. 

It is also managed to attract international attention to the problems of animals in our country by tirelessly working through the difficult situation. 

Challenges 

Even though the necessary preconditions to work from the concerned government body’s side were fulfilled lack of necessary support were the major constraints.  

The one year project which already lasts in August, 2007 which we used to show the local community and the government that spay neuter is the best alternative to control the population of homeless dogs and vaccination to control disease instead of using the dangerous poison in addition to the educational campaign to create awareness among the community using all the Medias in the country apart from the educational materials and the society’s car.

This project, though it managed to convince the community and the government it was not fully implemented due to lack of necessary support even if we work very hard to solve the complicated problems of animals in our country.

Our effort to extend the project by securing the necessary support is not also successful due to the pressure  arise from our strong opposition against the dog shooting in the Bale Mountains.

For further information: http://www.haps-eth.org.et/History.htm

Signed

Efrem Legese
President

Special thanks