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SPANA celebrates 100 years of helping animals
Kate Hosali founded the charity with her daughter after seeing the poor condition of donkeys and other working animals in North Africa.

Kate and Nina Hosali founded the charity in 1923.

The animal-welfare charity SPANA is today (2 October) celebrating 100 years since it was founded to help working animals abroad.

British mother and daughter Kate and Nina Hosali were inspired to found the charity in the early 1920s, after travelling as tourists through North Africa. Although they enjoyed the sites of the rural farms and the busy markets, they were shocked by the poor condition of the donkeys and other working animals.

The animals were often malnourished, made to carry excessive loads, and had no access to professional veterinary care.

On their return to the UK, Kate and Nina founded the Society for the Protection of Animals in North Africa on 2 October 1923. Kate returned to North Africa, treating wounded animals and educating owners about animal welfare. Nina stayed in London to co-ordinate the charity’s activities.

During the 1980s and 1990s the charity expanded out of North Africa to cover more countries around the world, becoming the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, although still maintaining the name SPANA.

SPANA is currently working in 23 countries to treat working animals and educate people about animal weflare, last year providing care to 306,412 animals. Recently, it has helped hundreds of animals injured by the earthquake which struck Morocco on 8 September.

Linda Edwards, chief executive of SPANA, said: “The world has changed so much since Kate and Nina began the work that we continue to this day. But what hasn’t changed is our determination to build a better future for working animals.
 
“The need for SPANA’s work is greater today than ever. The welfare of working animals is under severe threat from major global challenges such as climate change, increased political and economic instability, and rising global poverty.
 
“As we celebrate 100 years of SPANA’s critical work, we are looking to the future and are focused on delivering a true and lasting transformation to the lives of working animals across the world.”

 

Image (C) SPANA

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VMG president joins House of Lords

News Story 1
 Miles Russell, president of the Veterinary Management Group (VMG), has been elected to the House of Lords as a crossbench hereditary peer.

He will join Lord Trees as a representative of the veterinary sector in the second chamber of the UK parliament.

Lord Russell said: "Those of us working in the animal health and veterinary sectors are only too aware of the importance of the work we do and the challenges we face.

"I will use my platform in the House of Lords to increase understanding of our sectors and to promote positive change." 

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In response, the Animal and Plant Health Agency has extended the TCZ. Investigations into the spread of the disease are ongoing.

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Bluetongue is a notifiable disease and suspected cases must be reported immediately on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales. In Scotland, possible cases should be reported to the local field services office.