Spay and Save (SAS)

Our rabies vaccination and neuter campaigns are called Spay And Save campaigns!

• Rabies is a viral disease that is endemic in Kenya.
• It is a painful and fatal disease and is a deadly zoonosis.
• The main vector for the spread of rabies in Kenya is the dog. A bitch in season will attract many male dogs. The fighting-mating that ensues is the main way rabies is spread from one dog to another. The dog with rabies is then a threat to any animals in the area and people (especially children!).

There are two forms of the disease:

• The dumb form- In this case the animal is not aggressive, in fact it may initially be more affectionate. It tends to just sort of stand and stare at nothing in particular and can be non-responsive when called. The lower jaw is slack and as the disease progresses the animal drools because it is unable to swallow
• The furious form- in this case the animal is more aggressive and will attack objects, animals and people. (For example in one case the dog kept ‘attacking” the wheels of any vehicle that went past it on a very busy road.) Again as the disease progresses the inability to swallow becomes apparent as does the slack jaw. Sometimes these animals mutilate themselves by biting their own legs or other parts of their body quite savagely!

The KSPCA is the only organization that will respond to a call to go out and capture and/or euthanize an animal suspected of having rabies.

Re-homing

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