PAWS Mauritius has opened a new window on its activities by launching its website last Wednesday at the Municipality of Quatre-Bornes. The organisation sees this website as a ?practical and cheap way to disseminate information?. It invites all the authorities concerned to include a link to its website on their official sites and welcomes sponsors who want to have a link on their websites.

Founded in 1999, the main objective of PAWS was to help wounded and sick animals around the island and re-home abandoned animals. But, as years passed, they realised they would be more efficient in dealing with the root of the problem and reduce the number of animals born. This is why they concentrated their resources ?on sterilising rather than re-homing, and on educating the public on how to take better care of their pets so that they did not become strays?.

Education and communication about the basic needs of an animal are indeed the top priorities of Paws this year. This is probably why it chose to set up its mobile clinic in Jumbo Phoenix car park last Saturday on the occasion of the World Vet Day. The idea was to offer free consultations and advice by the association?s head vet, Dr Sam Naraina Poullé. The latter also held a talk for all young people present interested in starting a veterinary career. Little puppies and kittens could also be adopted.

Thanks to all its sterilisation campaigns throughout the island for the past two years, Paws has sterilised 12,004 dogs and cats in 2006. It hopes to go further in its activities not only because it is a ?heartbreaking sight? but also because this may have a detrimental effect on one of the main pillars of the Mauritian economy: tourism.