Nevis Animal Speak is a nonprofit, 501c3
MAIN (869) 469-4674 MOBILE (869) 667-6667
MAIN (869) 469-4674 MOBILE (869) 667-6667
Nevis Animal Speak is a nonprofit, 501c3
MAIN (869) 469-4674 MOBILE (869) 667-6667
MAIN (869) 469-4674 MOBILE (869) 667-6667
Janice Jensen, Founder & Executive Director of Nevis Animal Speak, is an animal welfare education expert with over 30 years of global experience. With a vision to enhance the welfare of the island's dogs and cats and those who care for them, Janice established Nevis Animal Speak, a 501c3 nonprofit that manages under its umbrella, a low-cost veterinary clinic, foster project, education programs for children and adults, retail services, community outreach programs including our new Mobile Vaccine Clinic and more! With an ongoing commitment to spays and neuters for homed and stray dogs and cats, NAS has not increased rates for these surgeries since their inception in 2019! As a destination for volunteer vets and vet techs to give back, and an approved externship site for university vet students, NAS provides and supportive experience to all, whether client and patient, volunteer, donor, or student!
NAS was originally established in 2013 as an animal welfare education program. For years we provided free courses in schools, individualized programs for at-risk youths, therapy dog courses, general pet health education, and support on how to socialize, train, and live with family pets. The more we worked in the community, the more people requested for NAS to establish a dedicated medical facility, as there were few options for medical care for dogs and cats in the country.
With a dramatic increase in stray animals, complicated by the lack of available sterilization (spay/neuter) options, the government of Nevis permitted NAS to open a dedicated small animal vet clinic to begin addressing small animal concerns. With incredible help locally and internationally, today NAS has created a sustainable, and affordable solution for our country with a mission we continue today, “No dog or cat, homed or stray, will go without necessary care.”
Our initial and most unexpected challenge was underestimating how much our services would be needed! In the first 9 months after we opened our charity clinic, NAS examined and treated over 1,000 individual patients in a small 15x12 space and saw an average of 200 appointments per month. While we initially anticipated needing to expand within 5-10 years after opening, less than a year after opening, architectural plans were urgently drawn up seeking to better serve the clients and patients who depended on our care.
The first life saved, the first surgery, the first volunteer vet and vet tech, the first mass spay/neuter project, the first mobile vaccine clinic and so much more… I couldn’t pick! Although there will never be one particular thing that stands out for me, I often reflect on how far we have come so quickly, and the amazing people we work with around the world helping us to maintain the highest level of care in all we do!
It’s all about SEX! People want to know if their pets can still have sex after being spayed and neutered. The answer is YES and we see dogs and cats continuing to enjoy each other’s company even after surgery! Just like forms of human birth control, we do not take away animals’ abilities to have sex, rather we take away the ability to reproduce litters of unwanted and unmanaged puppies and kittens.
The saying, “It takes a village” comes to mind. From the support of our country to our international volunteers, donors, and sponsors, we could not have built or maintained this model of success without the generosity of people who support our mission. Our model of working with medical volunteers (DVM, LVT, RVT etc) allows us to see the increasing patient and client base that we could never manage with our small but dedicated in-house team. NAS has been environmentally and fiscally responsible by reusing and repurposing anything we can to reduce overhead costs, from plastic and paper bags, vitamin and pill bottles, towels and blankets, new and used pet supplies and so much more!
Since our inception in 2019, we have not increased the cost of our spays and neuters which continue to be at or below cost to all! Post-pandemic rates have dramatically increased with products and services and shipping costs, but NAS has continued to work to offset the increases making these necessary and life-saving options available to all.
There are so many ways NAS supports the needs of our resource-constrained country. From our charity vet clinic, foster program, mobile vaccine clinic, and education programs for children and adults, we offer options both locally and internationally to support our mission! The donation page on our website has multiple ways where people can choose to donate to a designation or general support. Whether residing on, or visiting Nevis, we encourage donations of repurposed items such as plastic shopping bags, towels, blankets, prescription and vitamin bottles, new and used pet supplies, and more. Last, but certainly not least, our volunteer vets, vet techs, and international partners help us to manage the needs of our nearly 100 new patients and 200 appointments each month through multiple charitable and sustainable opportunities.
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