Project summary

Cats in Bauchi State often lack access to veterinary services, resulting in preventable diseases, uncontrolled breeding, and zoonotic health risks. The Low-Cost Cat Care Days project aims to improve feline welfare by providing affordable, accessible veterinary care through mobile pop-up clinics and a sterilization voucher scheme.

Over 12 months, monthly mobile clinics will rotate across five LGAs (Bauchi, Toro, Dass, Katagum, Misau), offering services such as rabies vaccination, deworming, flea/tick treatment, minor wound care, and owner education. Sterilization vouchers will be distributed during clinics and redeemable at partner veterinary hospitals within 60 days.

The project expects to treat 2,000 cats, issue 400–600 sterilization vouchers, and educate 1,500+ owners on responsible cat care. It will also establish a follow-up hotline for continued support. By improving cat health, reducing uncontrolled breeding, and promoting responsible ownership, the project will contribute to animal welfare, public health, and the One Health agenda in Bauchi State.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

Project Goals

1. Improve feline health and welfare in Bauchi State by making basic veterinary care accessible and affordable.

2. Reduce uncontrolled breeding of cats through subsidized sterilization.

3. Promote responsible ownership by educating cat owners on proper care, nutrition, and humane handling.

4. Contribute to public health by reducing risks of zoonotic diseases such as rabies.

How We Will Achieve These Goals

• Mobile Pop-Up Clinics: Organize monthly cat care days across five LGAs (Bauchi, Toro, Dass, Katagum, Misau) to deliver preventive care including rabies vaccination, deworming, flea/tick control, and minor treatments.

• Sterilization Voucher Program: Provide 400–600 subsidized vouchers at clinics, redeemable at local veterinary hospitals within 60 days.

• Community Education: Conduct short welfare talks during clinics, reaching 1,500+ owners with guidance on feeding, safe handling, and the benefits of sterilization.

• Follow-Up Support: Operate a hotline/WhatsApp channel for post-care follow-up, questions, and complications.

• Partnerships & Outreach: Collaborate with state veterinary hospitals, private vets, local leaders, and radio stations to mobilize communities and ensure high participation.
  

How will this funding be used?
[See Detailed Budget Here → https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ULFZLsqJvvQ_bo8oBfV_KF0e33bUQvY/view?usp=sharing]

The total funding of $15,000 will be used strategically to deliver the Low-Cost Cat Care Days project across Bauchi State, ensuring that the majority of funds go directly into cat treatment and sterilization while also supporting outreach, logistics, and monitoring.

• Veterinary Supplies & Medicines ($5,000): This includes rabies vaccines (2,000 doses), dewormers, flea/tick treatments, and essential consumables like syringes, gloves, and disinfectants. These supplies will enable preventive care and treatment of at least 2,000 cats during the mobile clinics.

• Sterilization Vouchers ($4,000): A subsidy for 500 spay/neuter surgeries at $8 each, ensuring affordable access for cat owners while reducing uncontrolled breeding and improving long-term welfare.

• Transport & Clinic Setup ($2,000): Covers monthly vehicle hire and fuel for 12 mobile clinics, as well as basic setup equipment such as tents, tables, carriers, and crates for safe and organized operations.

• Personnel Support ($2,000): Modest stipends for veterinarians, assistants, and volunteers, along with meals/refreshments during clinics, ensuring smooth service delivery and commitment from staff.

• Community Outreach & Education ($1,000): Radio announcements, flyers, banners, and 1,500 educational leaflets in Hausa/English to mobilize communities and teach responsible cat ownership.

• Monitoring & Evaluation ($500): Tools for data collection, a mid-term review, and a final evaluation report to measure project impact and ensure accountability.

• Contingency ($500): A 10% allocation reserved for unforeseen needs such as emergency medicines, rescheduled clinics, or equipment replacement.

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

The project will be led by Veterinarians for Animal Welfare (VAW), a nonprofit organization based in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Our team combines veterinary expertise, field experience, and community engagement capacity:

• Project Manager / Principal Investigator (Dr. Sadiq Surajo, DVM, MPH, MBA): Leads overall project implementation, veterinary supervision, and stakeholder engagement.

• Community Liaison Officer (Dr. Abdulrahman Idris Adam): Coordinates mobilization with local councils, religious leaders, and market associations to ensure high participation.

• Data & Monitoring Officer (Jabir Umar) : Responsible for data collection, reporting, and tracking progress against KPIs.

• Veterinary Team (3 veterinarians (Dr. Anas Abdullahi Shittu, Dr. Haddasah Ibrahim, Dr. Ibrahim Isa Lago) + assistants (Abdullahi Musa, Mustapha Bello, Hauwa'u Sule, Aishatu Surajo, Buhari Muhammad): Provide clinical care, vaccinations, sterilization, and welfare education.

• Field Coordinator (Dr. Christopher Danladi) & Volunteers (5): Handle logistics, safe animal handling, and community outreach.

• Driver/Logistics Assistant (1): Manages clinic transport, equipment, and supplies.

What’s Your Track Record on Similar Projects?

Although VAW is a young organization (established in 2023), our team has already demonstrated impact through successful animal welfare interventions in Bauchi State:

• Rabies Prevention: Vaccinated over 5,000 dogs against rabies, reducing risks to both animals and humans.

• Livestock Welfare: Conducted training for livestock marketers on humane handling and transport.

• Wildlife & Conservation: Delivered workshops for ranchers at Yankari Game Reserve on conservation and animal welfare practices.

• Community Engagement: Worked with schools, local leaders, and market associations to raise awareness of the “Five Freedoms” of animal welfare.

These projects demonstrate our ability to mobilize communities, deliver veterinary services at scale, and integrate welfare education into public health and conservation initiatives. The Low-Cost Cat Care Days project builds on this foundation by expanding our scope to underserved companion animals.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

Most Likely Causes of Failure

1. Low Community Participation: If owners do not bring their cats to the clinics, services will be underutilized. This may be due to lack of awareness, cultural barriers, or misconceptions about sterilization.

2. Insufficient Veterinary Supplies or Staffing: Delays in procuring vaccines/medicines, or shortages of trained vets, could limit the number of cats treated.

3. Voucher Non-Redemption: Owners may fail to redeem sterilization vouchers due to transport challenges, competing priorities, or reluctance.

4. Funding or Logistical Delays: Unexpected costs (e.g., transport price hikes, fuel scarcity) could disrupt monthly clinics.

5. Resistance to Behavior Change: Cultural beliefs that discourage sterilization or prioritize livestock over companion animals may reduce adoption of welfare practices.

Likely Outcomes if the Project Fails

• Continued Overpopulation of Cats: Without effective sterilization, breeding will persist, leading to more stray and neglected cats.

• Poor Animal Welfare: Cats will remain vulnerable to parasites, untreated wounds, and preventable diseases.

• Public Health Risks: Rabies and other zoonotic diseases will remain a threat to communities.

• Erosion of Trust: Communities may lose confidence in animal welfare programs, making future interventions harder to implement.

• Missed Opportunity for One Health Impact: The link between human, animal, and environmental health will remain under-addressed in Bauchi State.

How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?

In the past 12 months, Veterinarians for Animal Welfare (VAW) has not received direct financial support from external donors (0 USD raised). However, the organization has successfully implemented impactful animal welfare initiatives in Bauchi State through:

• Volunteer contributions: Veterinary professionals and students have donated their time and expertise.

• In-kind support: Community leaders, livestock marketers, and conservation partners have provided venues, mobilization, and logistical assistance.

• Self-funding by members: Core team members have contributed personal resources to carry out small-scale projects.

This demonstrates our team’s commitment, resourcefulness, and ability to deliver results even without formal funding. With donor support, VAW will be able to expand and scale these efforts to achieve measurable, sustainable impact.

Minimum vs. Full Funding

The total budget required to fully implement the Low-Cost Cat Care Days project is $15,000. However, we have structured the project so that impact can still be achieved with a minimum funding level of $5,000.

• With Minimum Funding ($5,000):

  • Treat approximately 600 cats with rabies vaccination, deworming, and parasite control.

  • Distribute 150 sterilization vouchers for spay/neuter at partner clinics.

  • Conduct 3 mobile cat care clinics in high-need locations within Bauchi State.

  • Reach around 400 owners with welfare education sessions.

• With Full Funding ($15,000):

  • Treat at least 2,000 cats across five LGAs with preventive veterinary care.

  • Distribute 500 sterilization vouchers, significantly reducing cat overpopulation.

  • Conduct 12 monthly mobile clinics, ensuring continuous coverage throughout the year.

  • Educate 1,500+ owners on responsible cat ownership and welfare.

  • Establish a dedicated follow-up hotline/WhatsApp for long-term owner support.

  • Carry out comprehensive monitoring and evaluation to document impact and share lessons learned.