One Voice fight for dogs in Congo

The socio-economic situation of local communities and the equilibrium of ecosystems have been the collateral but are very real victims for decades of armed conflicts. Since 2000, we have worked with Bantu for the animals on the spot. During the intensification of the armed conflict, he had to resort to taking refuge in Uganda. We helped him bring his wife and children to him and they survived. He is a very committed man of exemplary courage, with whom we have forged strong relationships, mutual aid and combat. He is both our anchor and our relay there.

Humans around the Virunga National Park survive only through hunting, accompanied by sick and contagious dogs. In such circumstances, health considerations are secondary and all pay a heavy price for this ignorance. One Voice, in partnership with Bantu, is working together to help humans and animals alleviate this health problem that is adding to the pre-existing political and humanitarian crisis.

One of the consequences of these extreme situations for the populations, is that the dogs participating in these hunts are sometimes wounded, or contract various parasitosis (verminousness and dermatoses), following tick bites. At least three out of four dogs are carriers, and suffer terribly from these untreated conditions. Populations, unaware of the resulting health consequences, often abandon or simply let wounded or sick dogs wander, which encourages their contagion and spread to vulnerable people with whom they come into contact with, but also to other domesticated animals and wild animals nearby. In particular, cases of rabies have been reported, which means an assured death for all affected people.

One Voice financially supports the anti-rabies vaccination campaign in the area around Bantu Virunga Park in Congo (which also sterilizes and castrates stray animals), and has participated in the purchase of many veterinary products to combat ticks and sores on pets. It is urgent to act very quickly, to avoid that the authorities decide, as too often in the world, to slaughter animals instead of treating them!