This past Saturday, January 17, the American Samoa Humane Society  hosted a group of doctors and volunteers from a world-wide organization known as “Animal Balance”.

Assisted by local Humane Society president Clifton Harty and members Kim Keyser, Kelly Dixon, and Cheryl Morales-Polataivao, over 30 dogs and cats were spayed and neutered in a few short hours in a free clinic conducted in Tafuna at the Department of Agriculture's veterinary site.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture, Pita Gurr, has been very supportive of Humane Society efforts over the years, and this was no exception. Aided by the local ‘paravets’ and the territory’s sole veterinarian, Dr. Leo Leituala, the visitors from Animal Balance were very pleased with the turnout, and all of the hard work and support from the local authorities.

Said Gurr of the event, “I'm very grateful for the efforts of the Humane Society in behalf of our small animal population. It is because of their concern for our “companion animals” that they helped to make this possible.” Gurr also noted the department “paravets” did an outstanding job.

“Animal Balance” founder Emma Clifford, in her first trip to American Samoa, was on hand as well, helping to watch over the animals as they were sedated and treated, and dispensing good advice to concerned pet owners.

Interviewed by Samoa News after the successful clinic, Clifford, a native of England, described how she came to found the organization, and elaborated upon the role which her group plays in the humane treatment of animals, as well as the preservation and protection of fragile ecosystems.

She explained that in 2003, she had been working in San Francisco for “WildAid”, an organization whose work included protecting the habitat of the remote Galapagos Islands.

In her work, she discovered that cats and dogs of the Galapagos were killing the native species, and their numbers were increasing “exponentially” due to the fact they had a huge food source. Inward migration from Ecuador and elsewhere had also increased, bringing ever more cats and dogs (the Galapagos are a protectorate of Ecuador).

The indigenous animal species were seriously threatened by the exploding cat and dog population, who were over-runing villages.

Clifford felt something must be done, so she gathered funds to fly to the Galapagos to hold a feasibility study, and inspect the situation first-hand. While there, she made contact with local authorities such as the people at the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park Service.

Armed with her research and new contacts, she came home to California, and embarked upon vigorous fundraising so that she could return to the Galapagos and confront the problem.

Her plan was to conduct humane sterilization of mass numbers of dogs and cats, utilizing Army-styled “MASH” units, which were mobile and could be set up anywhere — in the villages, along the beaches, just “anywhere necessary” to accomplish the goal.

She wrote a series of grant proposals, going to worldwide foundations such as the Galapagos Conservancy, and the Edith Goode Foundation, which are set up to support international animal welfare using “sustainable” programs.

(Clifford defined sustainable programs as “those programs which were able to be carried on locally when the NGO -the Non Governmental Organization -- such as Animal Balance pulls out.”)

Raising over $10,000 for medicine and supplies, she returned to the Galapagos with 34 volunteer veterinarians, technicians and helpers, who all paid their own way to conduct four weeks of animal care.

They sterilized cats and dogs free of charge, conducted vet to vet training, visited the local elementary and high schools as guest speakers, and were able to teach students how to care for, and be safe around small animals.

Four weeks later, she returned to San Francisco, where she was able to report that their campaign accomplished a major feat -- the sterilization of 96% of the cats and dogs of the Galapagos.

In the words of Galapagos resident, Richard Wollocombe, filmmaker and BBC cameraman for series such as “Blue Planet”, “the price of losing the Galapagos [was] too high to contemplate.” Wollocombe currently serves as a board member on Animal Balance board of advisors.

Using the same successful model, Animal Balance turned to the Dominican Republic, where the dog population was a huge problem, along with large numbers of people too impoverished to care for their animals.

Clifford wound up moving to the Dominican Republic, which she found both “challenging and beautiful.” In her words, it is a “study in contrast” — a developing country with great divisions between rich and poor. She noted that the people would be living in shacks, but still have satellite TV.

How did Animal Balance come to visit the territory of American Samoa?

The (independent) Samoa Animal Protection Society found Animal Balance on the internet, sent Clifford an email, and through another veterinarian who had been to the territory before, Dr. Bryron Maas, contact was made with Cheryl Morales, then president of the A.S. Humane Society.

Since Clifford was planning to do an assessment visit in Upolu, she asked about visiting Tutuila as well. It was her plan to utilize Animal Balance resources to help both Samoas at the same time.

Along with Dr. Maas, and Dr. Larry Richmond, a retired veterinarian from Anapolis, Maryland, Clifford came to visit American Samoa and independent Samoa this past week, culminating in the clinic conducted on Saturday, which she called an “assessment visit.”

Dr. Richmond, who works with the national SPCA, animal shelters and numerous animal rescue groups, stated he has been overwhelmed with the support of the local people, and has never before experienced anything like it.

Clifford plans to work in collaboration with both Samoas, targeting the end of Summer 2009 as the time for a return visit, along with about 25 doctors, technicians and volunteers to assist in restoring an “animal balance” to the territory.

Of her visit here, Clifford stated, “The hospitality here has been incredible. We have not ever received this kind of reception anywhere, and look forward to the return trip.”

Animal Balance can be found on the internet at www.animalbalance.org