MASH is back - The Garden Island

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Kauai Humane Society volunteer Gay Lay, right, is laid out in her St. Patrick’s Day bling, Tuesday while she briefs volunteer Cathy Brucker on procedures in the recovery station of the MASH clinic set up at the Kauai Humane Society.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Animal Balance’s Becky Ward checks in with Alyssa Peyatt of Honolulu at the registration table, the starting point of the MASH clinic that includes preparation, procedure, and recovery stations.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Animal Balance volunteer Becky Wade checks with Alyssa Peyatt of Honolulu for medications for one of the procedure stations, Tuesday at the MASH clinic set up at the Kauai Humane Society.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Animal Balance volunteers Tiffany Sullivan, Becky Wade and Rachel Baird prepare an animal for procedure, Tuesday at the MASH clinic set up at the Kauai Humane Society.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Animal Balance volunteer Alyssa Peyatt of Honolulu draws medication for a patient while Meredith Hippert and Jen Camili ready for a new patient, Tuesday at the MASH clinic set up at the Kauai Humane Society.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Animal Balance volunteer Alyssa Peyatt processes paperwork while Becky Wade approaches for paperwork on a new procedure, Tuesday at the MASH clinic set up at the Kauai Humane Society.

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

Animal Balance’s Meredith Hippert holds a dog while Jen Camili goes through the pre-procedure examination, Tuesday at the MASH clinic set up at the Kauai Humane Society.

PUHI — When Kauai Humane Society volunteer Gay Lay heard Animal Balance was coming back to the island for another Mobile Animal Sterilization Hospital (MASH) Clinic, she was thrilled.

In fact, she was the first volunteer on board Tuesday for the opening of the six-day MASH Clinic at KHS.

“I volunteered the whole week last time and I saw what they did,” Lay said as she monitored dogs in recovery. “They’re compassionate, good people. I’m happy to help out.”

Animal Balance brought the first MASH Clinic to Kauai in September 2017, and more than 600 animals were sterilized at no charge in the six-day campaign.

It was the first of the clinic and was a training exercise for the community, said Emma Clifford, founder and executive director of Animal Balance.

“The model is we come in and train and encourage local organizations to come up with what works for them within the MASH Clinic model,” Clifford said. “The goal is to create sustainable programs.”

This time around, Animal Balance brought enough medical supplies to sterilize 500 animals, with more dogs on the list than in the last clinic.

This MASH Clinic also offers microchipping and sterilization for free, but owners have to pay for a county license this time around — a cost of $18 for dogs and $12 for cats.

“Last time we absorbed the license costs, but it adds up,” Lee said. “Everyone gets licensed, so we’re working with KCCP (to pay for the licenses) for community cats.”

Halfway through day one, volunteers and staff members with Animal Balance and with KHS noticed differences between the current clinic and the September MASH Clinic.

“It’s going more smoothly the second time around,” said Meredith Hippert, director of operations for Animal Balance. “The community is more prepared and KHS is more prepared.”

KHS Laura Lee, development director, said she’s noticed a difference as well.

“We’ve made it more efficient,” she said, “and with appointments and reservations we were able to prefill all of the surgeries (for dogs).”

The first three days of the MASH Clinic, through Thursday, are reserved for dog sterilization and the last three days are reserved for cat sterilization.

Anyone wishing to drop off a cat Friday through Sunday should do so at 8 a.m. at the KHS Puhi facility.

“There is no limit and it’s just open, no reservations,” Lee said.

The staff from Molokai Humane Society is on island helping with the MASH Clinic as well, which Hippert said has been a highlight of the clinic.

“They’re targeting and trapping cats in Lihue. They trapped around 20 of them last night,” he said.

Kauai Community Cat Project (KCCP) and the Kauai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KSPCA) are also lending helping hands.

Trapping is targeted in Lihue because that’s where most of the community cats, or feral cats are.

The goal for trapping and sterilizing community cats is to lower the euthanasia rate at KHS, Clifford said, and sterilizing the animals helps with population control.

Animal Balance cut the number of veterinarian technicians in half, to two people, for this MASH Clinic and moved the clinic outside into a tented area in the back KHS parking lot – instead of using the KHS facility.

“So KHS is able to continue operations while we’re here,” Clifford said. “The goal is next time around to have the clinic off-site, out in the community so people don’t have to drive as far.”

Organizers are hoping that next MASH Clinic will be a two-week event in September 2018 and fundraising is already underway.

Bringing the MASH Clinic to Kauai has been a community effort, with people and business from all walks of life donating to the cause. Many local and national organizations donated food, money, or provided deals on equipment.

“It takes a lot to do these. A lot of work on every level,” Clifford said. “We have volunteers who have taken time off work and paid for their own flights. It takes finding vegan food and ways to reduce the garbage we create because we’re working holistically. It’s all connected.”

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Jessica Else, environmental reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com

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