14/11/2024
Introducing our next nominee for our Golden Star Award 2024.
To vote for Dr Mohammadzai like and share this photo and tell us why you think he deserves to be this year's Golden Star.
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Nominator's quote: "Dr Mohammadzai, Dr Mo as he is know at Mayhew, is the epitome of of our organisation, dedicated to helping animals and improving life for both animals and people where he leads projects.
Having qualified as a vet in Kabul in the 1990s he came to UK shortly afterwards. He was determined to work with animals and found Mayhew in London where he started volunteering. After several years he was employed as Vet Assistant at Mayhew and worked tirelessly at our London Charitable Community clinic caring for animals and serving the public through our free preventative health clinics. He was determined to continue to help animals in his home country, Afghanistan and became a channel of communication between UK animal welfare organisations and Kabul authorities to rescue the animals in Kabul Zoo at the beginning of the 2000s. Having
re-established relations with Kabul University Vet Faculty,Mayhew started their international programmes and he travelled to Kabul to provide vet training in small animal health and welfare for the University. Seeing the number of roaming dogs in Kabul, which had escalated after years of conflict and concerned by the number of rabies cases, Dr Mo advised the authorities on how to
address the issues. For years the Kabul authorities had culled thousands of dogs using strychnine poisoning but this had not stopped rabies cases or managed the population. Dr Mo was determined
to find a solution. He planned and delivered the first comprehensive dog population survey in Kabul in 2015 and from this survey he devised a strategy to work to eliminate dog-mediated rabies in Kabul and manage the dog population humanely. After much negotiation, Dr Mo convinced Kabul Municipality to stop culling and start a mass canine rabies vaccination programme, which started in August 2017. He has directed and managed a team of local Afghan vets and support staff
to vaccinate more than 120 000 dogs across 22 districts of Kabul since then. Since 2021 they have been no confirmed reported cases of rabies in dogs or humans. Working to keep Kabul protected, as
there is evidence of rabies outside of Kabul city and in neighbouring provinces, Dr Mo devised a plan to create a 20km buffer zone around Kabul city limits, counting the dogs in this area and now delivering a mass canine rabies vaccination programme to create aprotective ring around Kabul so that the rabies virus does not come into the city. In 2019 Dr Mo introduced a TNR programme for the city, with his team neutering on average 10 000 dogs/year. Under his direction, the team have just passed the milestone of 50 000 dogs neutered in Kabul. Annual dog surveys have been carried
out and 70% of the dog population in the 16 central districts of Kabul has now been neutered. From the Kabul vet clinic, Dr Mo has provided training in small animal reproductive surgery to hundreds of Kabul vets and vet students and helped to delivered a Community Engagement programme for the people of Kabul,raising awareness about rabies, dog bite prevention and how to behave
around the roaming dogs in the city, reaching more than 10 000 people since 2018.
Dr Mo lead the Mayhew Afghanistan team through regime change and remained resolute to continue caring for the dogs of Kabul as long as it was safe to do so.
Beyond Afghanistan, Dr Mo has delivered vet training and advised on clinic design, set up and flow for other NGOs and charities in resource limited countries such as Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria, Georgia, Romania, Russia and India.
Dr Mo is a hugely gifted vet, animal welfare ambassador and programme manager, and a very humble, genuine, caring person. What he has done for animals wherever he has worked but particularly for the dogs in Kabul and for the veterinary profession there is outstanding
and he very much deserves the accolade of a Golden Star Vet Award."
A word from Dr Mo: "Being nominated for an award recognising my efforts in helping animals and people fills me
with a deep sense of pride and gratitude. It’s a validation of the hard work, dedication,
and passion I’ve poured into this mission, often without expecting anything in return. To be acknowledged in this way is both humbling and inspiring.
From the start, my goal has always been simple: to make a difference in the lives of animals and humans alike. This nomination, though, serves as a reminder that others see and value this impact too.
It’s a recognition not just of me, but of the communities, organisations and individuals who have supported this cause alongside me. Without the volunteers, donors, and advocates who believe in this work, none of this would have been possible.
Most of all, this nomination motivates me to keep going. There’s still so much work to be done, so many animals to save, and so many people who need help. This acknowledgement gives me the energy and encouragement to continue fighting for those who don’t have a voice. It’s an honour that I will cherish, and it pushes me to make an even greater difference moving forward"
Voting closes on the 14th of November- be sure to vote for your animal hero before then!
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