What misconceptions do people have regarding the ownership and treatment of pets in Africa?
The misconception is that poor people treat their animals poorly. That’s usually not the case. The poor people of Africa love their pets the same as people all over the world, but many of them live in an environment with very few resources. Their generosity is frequently inspiring. Often, what little they have, they share. The cupboard may be bare but the dog dish is full. The reality is that too many people, in Africa and around the world, survive on very little. They have little access to the veterinary care, to the medicine, to the food, to the basic infrastructure to care for an animal that people in the United States take for granted. Additionally, many of the pet owners we work with are dealing, simultaneously, with other problems: AIDS, poverty, job loss, eviction. We do our best to meet those needs. Out of all the animals you have helped in the past 10 years, what instance has been the most profound to you? The rescue of Alphie, a young chimpanzee. He had been smuggled into Sou
