This is a guide to taking your dog from Uganda to the UK, based on the personal experience of Adelaine Williams, an expat resident in Uganda. Much of this information will be relevant to international pet shipping to other countries but do check with the relevant authorities first. Addy’s dog’s name is Prince, making his full name ‘Prince Williams.’
As regular Diary of a Muzungu readers will know, Uganda has made me a big fan of dogs. I’d often wondered whether I would one day take my recycled street dog Baldrick to the UK from Uganda. Tragically, he had an accident, just around the time Addy emailed me this guide. I feel very sad that Balders and I will never make this journey together, but such is life. Like Prince, Baldrick was a rescue dog from the Uganda Society of the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals USPCA.
DISCLAIMER: this post was published in 2013 so we can’t guarantee all info is still uptodate. However, I do add small updates in the comments section.
Coming to Uganda gave me the chance to have my first dog, Baldrick, my partner in crime in many of my blog stories. Here are some of my favourite moments. More map ideas can be viewed on the Uganda Photo Souvenir Map Facebook page
Coming to Uganda gave me the chance to have my first dog, Baldrick, my partner in crime in many of my blog stories. Here are some of my favourite moments. More map ideas can be viewed on the Uganda photo souvenir map Facebook page
Addy kindly agreed that I could add her experience to Diary of a Muzungu as I know many people, particularly expats in Uganda, will find her experience invaluable. My dog trainer friend Ronald Kyobe of A to Z Mobile Dog Training Unit, Kampala is another great source of advice on anything to do with dogs in Uganda.
Addy writes:
My way is not the only way. A lot of my decisions were based on cost, not ease. Please note that details on taking pets to the UK from Uganda should be verified according to UK law on the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website. It should be noted that law and policy have changed frequently over the past year. CHECK THESE DETAILS!!! As such the author is not liable for any misinformation given in this guide.
Taking your dog to the UK. Prince Williams waiting to check in at Entebbe Airport, Uganda
Taking your dog to the UK. Prince Williams waiting to check in at Entebbe Airport, Uganda
How to take your dog from Uganda to the UK
Start the process early:
I found that it took many months to organise taking Prince back to the UK
Insert a microchip:
The vet should be able to tell you which type of microchip is best.
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recommend (but this is not compulsory): ISO (International Standards Organisation) Standard microchips meeting specifications 11784 or Annex A of ISO Standard 11785 are used.
Register the microchip:
Register your microchip on the PETtrac UK Microchip Database www.pettrac.co.uk/owners. You also have to pay for this process. They will send you a certificate in the post. You will need to get this sent to you in Uganda. I managed to do this when I was in the UK for a visit. I’m not sure if it’s a legal requirement to certify the microship but I found the certificate was regularly checked on my journey home.
Vaccinate your dog against Rabies:
The dog should be vaccinated against Rabies after the microchip is inserted.
Make sure you keep the dogs vaccination records. Note: if just one of the vaccinations is given a day late, that may cause a problem.
I used a combination of Dr Alex ex-USPCA (tel +256 772433054) and Dr Berna from the veterinary clinic in Mutungo. I would recommend them both.
Wait at least 21 days:
After the micro-chipped dog has completed its first Rabies vaccination course, you need to wait at least 21 days before you and your dog can fly. Dogs are not allowed to fly until after this period. Ideally wait for one month.
Take your dog to the vet for a blood test:
After a minimum of 21 days, you can take the dog to the vets for a blood test to demonstrate that the dog’s Rabies vaccination has sufficiently taken. The vet will take a blood sample and send this off to South Africa for analysis.
Pay for the blood test:
The testing lab in South Africa will send you an email to say that they have received the blood sample. They should give you a reference number. When you receive this you must pay the lab in South Africa the required fees via bank transfer. Do not lose this reference number.
Rabies serum neutralising antibody test report – your dog will not be able to travel without this certificate. Carry it with you.
Rabies serum neutralising antibody test report – your dog will not be able to travel without this certificate. Carry it with you.
Your dog will not be able to travel without this certificate. Carry it with you in hand luggage during the flight.
Prepare for the flight:
If you are flying with your dog there are certain things you will need, or I would recommend (especially if you are going to take the route to the UK I took, which involved a ferry transfer:
An IATA approved pet carrier. (This is essential. You won’t be allowed to travel without it).
Two water bowls that attach to the door of the carrier (Essential. You won’t be allowed to travel without these) .
A blanket that the dog is familiar with (to reassure your dog when it is in the carrier).
Special fleece travel blanket. (If the dog goes to the toilet in the carrier, the urine seeps through to the bottom but the top stays dry so the dog is not sitting in urine during the flight).
Dog treats.
Muzzle (The flight may cause even friendly dogs to be in a bad mood).
A short lead / and or a lead that attaches to your waist (really handy in Amsterdam airport!)
Harness (Prince is huge – this helped me keep control of him in the airport).
Ice cubes for drinking water. (Put them in a bowl at Entebbe airport. They are less likely to spill than water).
Marker pen. (I wrote my contacts direct onto the carrier).
Doggy bags.
A bottle of water.
Plastic ties (in case of lost screws on the carrier).
Taking a dog from Uganda to UK. How to measure your dog for a pet carrier. Courtesy of http://www.animalinstinct.co.uk
Taking a dog from Uganda to UK. How to measure your dog for a pet carrier. Courtesy of http://www.animalinstinct.co.uk
Getting the right dog carrier was probably the hardest task for me, especially as Prince is a giant sized dog. Some of the vets in Uganda occasionally import carriers but the giant sized ones are hard to find. Allow plenty of time for this. Incoming shipments aren’t regular and the carriers are taken fast. I have heard Belgium Airways sometimes sells them.
I imported a secondhand dog carrier from the UK because I couldn’t guarantee finding one in Uganda in time. I paid £100 for it plus delivery to Uganda.
There are not many companies who will allow individuals to ship personal goods by air freight. I could not find anyone at Heathrow that would charge a reasonable amount. In the end I used a company based at Birmingham International airport called Aramex (UK) International Courier Lt, tel +44 121 782 2882.
The carrier flew on Emirates. I took the carrier unwrapped to the cargo shipping office so they could check what I was sending. I filled out forms at the first office, then paid at Aramex’s office. It is possible to send from the first office but that would have cost me nearly £400. By using Aramex, I only paid £180.
You need to keep and have the airway bill to collect the carrier. In Entebbe, it took nine hours to collect the carrier due to paperwork and checks. You have to pay an agent to help you. This should cost about 250,000 ugx. (Note: some agents tried to charge me three times this amount).
I mistakenly decided to wait for the cargo myself. I had no idea it would take nine hours and kept being told it was nearly done. Instead I would suggest you just pay extra for an agent to clear the goods and deliver it to you. I would recommend using this agent Deo: 077262770. He has a van which helps if delivering giant size dog carriers.
Book (yours and) your dog’s flights:
From what I understand, British Airways can take you and your dog direct to the UK, but your dog must fly as cargo as the UK has an embargo on dogs from Africa. I was told that BA would cost nearly £2000. Also, if Prince flew as cargo, I would have to pay an agent to receive him on the UK side. Not sure how true this is as different people have told me different things, but it was clear that BA would be a more expensive option so I decided not to take this route.
Instead I chose to fly Prince with KLM, one of the few companies that still allow your dog to travel as baggage. However, because of the embargo, they will only fly your dog as far as Amsterdam.
KLM charged me $200 to take Prince as baggage, although at the airport the check-in staff tried to charge me $400. I refused and only paid $200.
The KLM office in Kampala will help you book your dog on a flight and send you a confirmation email.Note: arrange this early as there is a limit on how many animals can travel on one flight.
Get your dog’s export papers and third country vet certificate:
Once you have confirmed your dog’s place on the flight and about three weeks before you fly (after you have received the Rabies certificate) return to the vet and ask them to arrange export papers.
You should receive an EU third country vet certificate and a Ugandan inter-state movement permit.
Last check-up at the vet:
A day or two before you fly, your dog must have a last minute check-up and deworming and flea treatment. The vet will write you a health exam certificate.
Taking your dog to the UK from Uganda. Dog health exam certificate, Uganda
Taking your dog to the UK from Uganda. Dog health exam certificate, Uganda
NOTE: I was forced to stay an extra day in Amsterdam because the vet did not add the last check details to the third party certificate. There is a box for worming etc – shown in pink, above . This must be completed with the date, time AND vet’s stamp!
IMPORTANT: Do not put any marks or notes on the document yourself. I did, and nearly was not let into the UK because of it.
I was worried about how I would get the huge carrier and Prince to check-in. (Yes, you actually have to go to the check-in desk!)
I spoke to the security man nicely and they allowed me to drive right up to the departures door (usually you have to park and walk up stairs). When I arrived, I had Prince on the lead and the carrier was collapsed down. An assistant came to help me. (I ended up paying him 10,000 ugx on the condition that he stayed with me until after the dog was checked in).
I walked through with Prince and the assistant helped me to pass the carrier and luggage through the scanner.
Because of the dog, I was allowed in slightly earlier than the other customers (about 2 ½ hours before the flight). I went to the check-in desk and handed over my and my dog’s papers. They brought photocopies and stickers for the carrier.
Prince in his dog carrier at Entebbe Airport, Uganda
Prince in dog carrier at Entebbe Airport, Uganda
Prince had to be put inside the carrier and weighed (the assistant helped me to do this!) It was only at this point that I constructed the carrier.
Once my dog was weighed, the assistant left me. I made sure Prince had water, treats, blanket and toys. I stayed at check-in with him for about 45 minutes, until ground crew came to collect him.
Note: feed your dog on the morning of the flight only. It’s not nice for the dog if he has to go to the loo in the carrier. I made sure my dog was fed as soon as he got off the plane.
Reuniting with your dog in Amsterdam:
The dog will be brought straight to the baggage area after your flight. Prince was there waiting for me with a member of ground crew as soon as I arrived. There were no further checks or anything to declare.
Once we arrived in Amsterdam, there were no more checks. I just walked my dog out of the airport
How to get from Amsterdam airport to the ferry in the Hook of Holland:
I was not lucky enough to have someone meet me with a car at Amsterdam. I thought I would have to leave the carrier at the airport. (It’s about 1m high and 1.2 m long so I couldn’t manage the carrier, my luggage and Prince). It would have cost me more to ship it home than to buy another one new.
I thought about donating it. The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals was willing to come and collect it. You can email them to discuss it. In the end, a good Samaritan saw me struggling and actually offered to help me send it home for free, but you can’t rely on that happening. I was just lucky.
After collecting my luggage, I left the airport, gave Prince food and we had a bit of a walk about. I then purchased tickets for the train to the Hook of Holland so we could catch the ferry to the UK.
It was quite tricky getting Prince and luggage on the train. I had everything in a backpack and the short leash and harness helped a lot. Lots of kind people helped me.
Addy with Prince on station platform
You have to change trains once but we just walked to an opposite platform so it wasn’t too hard. Prince seemed bewildered but everything went ok.
I think technically dogs are meant to wear a muzzle on the train in the Netherlands; this is why you need one. Mine didn’t wear a muzzle though and no one complained.
Note: there are two Hook of Holland stops – depart at the first one.
Getting onto the ferry for the UK:
I had booked my tickets in advance with Stena Line who allow dogs on with walk on passengers as they have kennels on-board. You must book in advance but I suggest you pay the extra and book flexible tickets.
I had trouble with my paperwork as the time and date of worming were not stamped on the third party certificate. At this point I nearly cried! However the Stena staff were used to this happening (although maybe not for dogs from Uganda). They directed me to a dog-friendly hotel and booked us a vet, so it was lucky I had booked flexible tickets.
The hotel has a special dog friendly room, which cost 75 Euros, with a garden. Prince loved it and it’s just a few minutes walk from the train station and Stena office. The vet is just a few doors down from the hotel. Although I didn’t plan a stopover I would strongly suggest one. In hindsight it was a good thing that Prince and I were delayed as it gave us time to take a breather. Hook of Holland is a lovely place and there are nice walks for you and your dog along the beach and in the woods.
Prince checks out the ferry. How to take your dog to the UK from Uganda – a guide based on personal experience
On the ferry – and home!
Once you have checked-in, go to a supervisor who will scan your dog’s microchip and check your papers. If all is ok, you are given a green pass and can walk your dog onto the ferry.
On the ferry, go to the service desk who will give you a passcode for the kennels and escort you there. The kennels are nice and, unlike the plane, you can visit your dog during the journey. The ferry is great and has cinema, restaurants etc.
When we docked in the UK, we just walked off the ferry. No more checks were needed (although apparently sometimes they do have an extra check upon arrival).
I had a friend pick me up from the ferry terminal and we were home!!!!
Addy writes:
Prince is loving the UK and I’m loving having him here. He’s such a kind and loving pet, I actually think to some extent he knows how lucky he’s been. Plus he’s a celebrity in the local park as he looks like no other local dog and has a cool story. Bringing my dog home to the UK from Uganda was hard work but 100% worth it.
The Muzungu says:
Are you thinking of taking your dog to the UK or overseas? If you’ve been through this process, do you have any comments to add?
I love this time of day, walking with the dogs before the sun goes down.
A pair of African Grey parrots fly overhead, squawking all the way to their roost in the big tree behind us. The Hadada Ibis congregate on the highest roof, cackling as I approach with De Boys – Baldrick and Percy – who bounce through the long (tick-infested!) grass, delighted to be free from the compound.
There’s a disgusting smell – trust the dogs to find the rotting corpse of a dog, only recognisable by its canines. Looks like someone’s dumped it here, as it’s half concealed (I bet someone had a nasty shock when they opened that sack!)
As we walk across the football pitch someone shouts out “Muzungu! Can we eat your dog for our dinner?”
It’s OK, he’s just fooling around in front of his mates. I grin back at them.
As we turn the corner back to the house, a Woodland Kingfisher darts through the air, picking insects. How relieved am I to see him!*
Who needs an alarm clock in Africa? My love-hate relationship with the Woodland Kingfisher was put to the test recently
What appear to be flying ants and dragonflies whirl around in the evening’s pink sky. A Sooty Falcon flies overhead. A second one follows. I turn around 360 degrees, necked craned, and count seven of them!
(According to Stevenson & Fanshawe’s Birds of East Africa, this group of Sooty Falcons are migrating on their passage to South Africa for winter. They’re often associated with storm fronts and termite emergences. Another tick on my bird list!)
Sooty Falcons pass over Uganda, passing south for the winter. Photo courtesy of http://www.arkive.org
After this morning’s heavy rains – across Kampala, everyone was stuck indoors and hours late for work – the ground has been heating up all day. The baked murram is now steaming and, from barely visible slits in the dirt track, scores of ants bubble up from the ground beneath my feet.
The long lacy winged ants quickly flutter into action and spiral skyward like sycamore seeds. This unexpected spectacle makes me catch my breath. As dusk settles, they pour out of the earth, upwards and away, a non-stop chain of swirling activity.
Two Woodland Kingfishers rest on their electric perch above the blossoming Bougainvillea. (Simpson wants me to hack the bush back – now it’s looking beautiful!)
After a a few minutes the earth is still and the last ants float skywards to join the huge dragonflies, buzzing around above us. The sound of insects fills my ears as we make our way back home. Is this what it’s like to have tinnitus?
Back in the compound, as I tell what I’ve witnessed, Simpson asks “so did you eat them?” We talk about the enswa, the White Termites that the Muganda find so delicious! Brenda’s eyes light up when I tell her the termites were right outside our house. Oh me, oh my, next time we’re going out there with a blanket to cover the hole and we’ll beat the ground until we fill it!
Let’s hope enswa taste better than the muzungu’s first taste of grasshoppers (nsenene)
I frequently curse him but last week I thought I’d lost him – and I was worried.
With the rains, the occasional giant cockroach has been appearing in the house in the middle of the night. I’m not quite the coward I once was and occasionally I manage to deal with them on my own. (Makes me feel very grown up!)
Our friendship was sealed when I discovered my housemate Simpson’s not afraid of cockroaches! My hero!
One particular night I’d zapped one with Doom. It’s a poisonous spray and I only use it as a last resort: aim Doom at insect, close eyes and spray. I’m sure they’ve got more than eight legs – I can’t bear to look at them. They wriggle and squirm – even the next morning the damn thing’s legs will still be kicking. Answer: get the broom and sweep it out of the house right away.
The next morning I’m sitting at my desk enjoying the view as the Kingfisher lands on the washing line just a few feet from my window.
It’s such a beautiful bird. But what’s that in its big red beak? An enormous cockroach! God it looks disgusting. And I panic, realising it’s probably the poisoned cockroach I’ve swept out the back door a few hours earlier…
I watch the Kingfisher struggling to swallow the big leggy insect – will it too succumb to Doom … ?
There then followed two days of silent mornings: “Please come back and wake me up every morning, please don’t let me have poisoned you” I plead.
And so Mr Kingfisher is back! I can’t be anything but happy and relieved now when I see and hear him (even at 5.30 am!)
“Don’t console yourself Charlotte – it’s a different bird that’s assumed his territory,” Julia chides me.
So what interesting wildlife have you seen during the rainy season?
As one of the shiny new fighter jets flies over my house, no doubt practising for this Tuesday’s independence day fly-past, I’m mulling over the week-end papers, full of stories about Uganda@50 and what the last 50 years of independence have meant to Uganda. Is the country better or worse off as an independent nation? What does the future hold? Will the celebrations be hijacked by anti-government protesters? Will there be tears before bedtime?
So, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of independence, I thought I’d share with you my top 50 reasons why I Love Uganda.
I Love Uganda! ’tis true
1. Airtime. Everywhere you go, every shop, bar or street corner can sell you mobile phone credit, for as little as 200 Uganda shillings (a few cents or pennies).
2. Boda boda. There are 100,000 of these motorbike taxis in Kampala. Huge fun but use with extreme caution. Don’t expect them to hang around if you have an accident. Read How to ride a boda boda.
Boda bodas Uganda
3. Birds, birds birds. I LOVE BIRDS! And Uganda has over 1000 species: pretty, beautiful, stunning, huge, noisy, elegant, comical, graceful, they’re all here.
Great Blue Turaco, Sunbird Hill. Kibale Forest edge. PHOTO Charlotte Beauvoisin
4. Bus Journeys. Hmmm am I crazy? Frankly, any bus journey could be your last but one of my favourite memories is taking a bus from Kasese down to Butogota. 10,000 shillings for a free Safari as we drove down through Maramagambo Forest sighting elephants. Ahh.
5. Cappuccino. I love Ugandan coffee, just don’t serve me Star coffee powder!
8. Dogs – ‘the boys’ Baldrick and Percy. These recycled street dogs light up my day. Always happy to see me, following me around until I give them what they want – food and a chance to escape the compound and chase a goat.
Baldrick Superdog came First in the Dog with the Waggiest Tail competition at the USPCA dog show
9. Driving in Kampala. Yes the traffic is a nightmare, yes the potholes wreck your car, but there’s something quite liberating about driving through this city at times. Careering over the wrong side of the road to dodge potholes can be fun, let’s be honest!
Diary of a Muzungu with Idi Amin’s car Lubiri Palace Kampala
Bull elephant feeding along the Kazinga Channel. Can you spot the hippo hiding in front of him?
12. Food menus. Guaranteed entertainment. A menu is simply a guide to what may possibly be available at one given point in time. It does not reflect what is actually in the kitchen.
13. Fruit and vegetables. Huge, fresh, tasty and cheap.
14. Gorillas. I enjoyed the trek through the rainforest as much as meeting Bwindi’s Gentle Giants.
15. Grasshoppers taste greasy and smoky (best dry fried in chilli I’m told).
The muzungu’s first taste of grasshoppers
16. Greetings! I love the time and care Ugandans take to greet each other properly.
17. The Grey Crowned Crane – previously known as the Crested Crane – is Uganda’s iconic national symbol. The Crested Crane may well be extinct in Uganda within just 20 years, if degradation of the wetlands is not stopped. NatureUganda is leading the campaign to Save the Crane.
The Grey Crowned Crane – commonly known as theCrested Crane – is Uganda’s national bird. PHOTO Andy Gooch
19. Jinja, Source of the Nile, interesting colonial architecture, a market that is less congested than Kampala’s – and location for some memorable weekends at Nile River Camp.
20. Kampala Hash House Harriers have taken me to every bar, club – and slum! – across Kampala. The ‘drinking club with a running problem’ meets every Monday night.
21. Kibale Forest is where my friend Julia calls home, ideally at the top of a tree!
22. Lake Victoria. The world’s second largest freshwater lake – and the largest on the African continent – is where we taught our dogs to swim. Even as my feet crunched onto the tiny snails on the lake bed, I seem to have so far avoided Bilharzia! Can dogs catch it too?
A fisherman passes the beach at Munyonyo, Lake Victoria
23. Lions. Breathtaking – and a lot bigger in real life!
25. Mount Elgon. An unexpected wilderness experience, we climbed through seven habitats in four days and passed only two other groups of people. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I climb Margherita in the Rwenzori’s? One day maybe, but not without getting a LOT fitter first …
26. Muchomo roasted meat. No ‘gizzards’ (entrails) for me. I’m an occasional “chicken on a stick” woman.
27. Mighty Murchison Falls. Isn’t it annoying when you’ve heard the hype about a place then feel disappointed when you get there? GUARANTEE: I promise you won’t be disappointed when you reach the top of the Falls! Read Stirring up magic at the Devil’s Cauldron, Murchison Falls.
Top of Murchison Falls – above the Devil’s Cauldron. PHOTO Allan Ssenyonga
28. Music booming out from the church on Sunday morning can drive you to distraction. I love Ugandan music – but I have no idea what I’m singing along to! 😂
29. Namuwongo. Once maligned as a no-go area of Kampala (I found out after living there for a year), I love Namuwongo. Squashed between the industrial area and smarter Muyenga, it’s where I first fell in love with Uganda.
30. Owino market has everything you could ever want to buy, but it’s hard work.
31. Power cuts can drive you crazy. But the romance of candlelight has its moments!
32. River Nile. “Bring it on!” I screamed on my first Grade 5 white water rafting expedition. Second time around, I invited a friend to take my place; third time rafting, and I bailed out as the biggest rapids approached! Feeling nervous, learning to trust your guide, screaming with laughter as you successfully (or not!) negotiate the rapids, you’ll certainly never forget a day on the Nile.
33. Rolex or ‘rolled eggs’ – an omelette rolled up in a chapati – is my favourite street food. Bigger than a snack, although no self respecting Ugandan could possibly call a rolex a meal (since that should be served on a plate at a table). Rolex taste best at midnight in Kabalagala on the way home from a bar 😄
#TrevorNoahVisitsUganda or did he? Trveor Noah gets his rolex fix (allegedly) in Wandegeya, Kampala
34. Safari. Every Safari is different. To say that you have “done X Park” when you visited for a day or two just doesn’t make sense. I can’t get enough game drives!
Nubian (formerly) Rothschild’s Giraffe, Murchison Falls National Park
35. Sense of humour. Ugandans can charm the pants off you. Difficult situations tend to be dealt with humour (so refreshing after living in London where people quickly resort to shouting and swearing).
36. Simpson. My ‘Ugandan brother‘ has been with me through thick and thin (in fact he became very thin when he was a student, going without food so he could afford the fare to university). He’s my hero! I have a front seat at his graduation. I’m so proud of him.
37. Smoking. Oh yes. Cigarettes are cheap and we spend most of our time outside. No stuffy rules to worry us!
38. Snakes. Would I like to find one in my shower? No, but they do fascinate me.
39. Sunrise and Sunset. A reason to get up early – and later, a reason to have a drink in your hand 🍹
42. Uganda Conservation Foundation. Anti-poaching and human wildlife conflict – a.k.a. anything to do with elephants – is the mission of UCF, whom I volunteered with for nearly three years.
43. Uganda Museum. Dusty and under resourced, the Museum is still a gem. I’ve fallen for its charms.
The Uganda Museum contains historical and cultural artefacts – and even the country’s first printing press!
44. Uganda souvenir photo map. This fun project keeps my creative heart thumping.
Map of Uganda courtesy of Andrew Roberts – I personalise these maps with your favourite photos to make “your own map of Uganda” – here’s just one of the many I have made
45. Uganda Waragi is a triple distilled ‘war gin.’ Handbag size bottles available ladies 😉
46. Uglish. Otherwise known as Ugandan English, this language gives us – expats and Ugandans alike – endless laughs. I tried to keep a straight face when Janero told me he had “pregnanted his girlfriend.” To read more funny examples, check out the superb Uglish Facebook page
49. Weather. Even when it rains, the sun comes out a few minutes later.
50. Writing Diary of a Muzungu has kept me distracted (when Ugandan TV couldn’t) and kept me sane (kind of!) when life hasn’t gone to plan. Thank you so much to everyone who reads this. You make the late nights and the missed week-ends all worthwhile.
50 reasons why I love Uganda – and I could have found more! So tell me what would be in your top 50 things you love about Uganda?
– I know my Ugandan friends will scream MATOKE! (steamed green banana – compulsory eating for many!)
Marabou Storks along the railway line in Kampala. Photo Achilles Byaruhanga, www.NatureUganda.org
The air is damp and heavy, the air is cool and last week’s fine, dusty marram earth is compacted beneath our feet. Limbs have been torn off the Pawpaw tree the other side of the compound wall and a single giant leaf, over four metres long, has been torn off the Palm tree. It lies there on the grass looking pathetic, no longer the majestic bough waving in the breeze.
It’s rained hard for the last two days. It’s a blessed relief for us all, although Baldrick’s been curled up in a tight ball on the doormat; he lives outside and the cold has got into his bones. He thinks nothing of stretching out in the sun in the heat of the day for hours: my Ugandan dog.
I decide to take advantage of the cool morning to go for a long walk and we take the short route down the path onto the railway line. It’s a sea of mud and empty cavera carrier bags. Water runs freely and collects in greenish grey puddles suffocated with plastic rubbish. The ducks are caked in mud and oil and the giant Marabou Storks peer down at us from atop the rubbish dumps.
I pick my way up and down the smooth marram pathway that winds its way between the makeshift shacks and public latrines. Here, all life happens out in the open, either side of the path: women deep fry cassava in big open woks just a foot from the main path. Children sit on dirty wooden benches next to open charcoal stoves, surrounded by plastic basins of washing-up, giant beaten aluminium pots of beans and converted oil drums brewing god knows what.
A man wants me to buy smoked dried fish.
“Salina ssente” I say – “I don’t have any money” – unwilling to open my bag in an area I don’t know and glad I won’t have to buy these fish that are covered in flies.
Two women hold a large piece of tripe over a bucket, one of them sawing it into two pieces. Muddy ‘Irish’ potatoes spill out of a sack onto the piles of black shiny charcoal.
To see a muzungu down in the slum must be quite unusual and I don’t hear the same number of greetings I get elsewhere. When I do speak, I’m aware many people don’t speak Luganda; many are refugees from northern Uganda or even further afield, South Sudan.
Wherever they’re from, the children still speak as one of course: “muzungu-how-are-you?” comes the chorus.
This is one of many walks that have taken me through the slum. It’s as fascinating as it is grim.
Morning walks with Baldrick used to be so fun and easy.
Percy the puppy is now the same size – but with a brain the size of a pea. It’s not just that he’s a puppy, I’m sure he’s a bit dim.
Percy! Hell he’s cute! My puppy Percy – recycled Ugandan street dog
Half kangaroo / half dog, Percy bounces up towards me every time I see him. I love his enthusiasm but his boundless energy wears me out. This nervous little puppy watches my every move, unlike Balders, who would happily let strangers climb over him as they enter the house. He would hardly lift his head.
That’s all changed now of course.
With the appearance of a rival, Baldrick feels the need to assert himself on a regular basis. Top Dog is now a good guard dog too – he’s finally earning his keep! Luckily he has a dignified bark (not like that annoying thing in the compound opposite that barks in the middle of the night, every night).
I can trust Baldrick. I know that if he chases a chicken or a goat, he will stop short of trying to kill it. He does a U-turn right at the last second, with a cheeky look on his face, as the goat or chicken leaps / squawks into the air. With Percy, it’s a different matter; you can tell that ‘mouth on legs’ won’t stop running; the needle-sharp teeth will do their damage. (Lord knows he gets through anything we leave lying around the compound: last week he ate my lovely tyre cover! Last night he chewed a big hole in the brand new dog blanket!)
Baldrick and Percy – now known as “the bookends” – enjoy the long grass
I have a problem with my hands, so the last thing I want on my relaxing morning walk is to have them pulled out of their sockets by an overexcited puppy straining at the leash.
As we turn a corner close to Lake Victoria, we see a herd of long-horned Ankole cattle slowly walking towards us, accompanied by a motley bunch of yapping dogs, teeth barred. Baldrick is off the lead, jumping and playing. Everybody’s a new friend to this cool dog.
But as the cattle and dogs come closer, I realise there’s no way we’re going to pass the herd without a fight, so I back off. (Caesar Milan would not approve; I’ve given off the wrong message, giving up my space to the approaching dogs) but Percy whines and fusses and yanks hard on the leash. It feel like my fingers are being cut off by the cheesewire-like thread of the nylon leash. (I’ve taken to buying the cheapest leashes I can; Percy’s sliced through four already).
We backtrack a few feet, I call Baldrick over and we stand aside while the herd and pack of four overprotective dogs carry on down the path behind us.
View of Lake Victoria from Bukasa, a few kilometres south of Kampala City
The dogs of Bukasa are out in full force today. There’s another one watching us at the end of a narrow road. I’m not turning back now though. He’s a handsome devil, a Doberman with beautifully shaped ears, erect and alert as he sees us approach. He stakes his claim in the middle of the dirt road.
Two workmen watch us and call out to the dog, beckoning him to go back inside the building site. He doesn’t want to listen but eventually disappears from view.
Me and the boys walk by, Baldrick minding his own business, Percy whining again. As we turn the corner, I hear the tell-tale patter of a dog running up behind us, and three men shouting:
“Kivu!”
“Kivu!”
“Kivu!”
The Doberman pulls up short at the boundary of his territory and I turn to wave the workmen a relieved thank you. Phew!
Dogs have been a big part of my life in Uganda. Here are some of my favourite stories:
Within just one day, Percy the rescue puppy has snapped two leads, (something that Baldrick hasn’t ever attempted in two years); he has chewed and destroyed the doormat, eaten several banana leaves and the lower leaves of the avocado tree!
Is it the first time Percy has encountered all these things? He waved his Get Out of Jail Free card yesterday and left confinement at the USPCA in Mbuya. (Or is his behaviour simply that of a little Fokker?) I guess he’s teething and trying out his new teeth.
He’s very happily trotting around the compound after Baldrick, who has been giving him the cold shoulder most of the day.
It was sad to split the two surviving puppies, but I can’t have three dogs. (I told Ronald to keep reminding me of this!) I thought it best to leave the pretty one behind because she’ll have more chance of attracting a new owner.
Percy was immediately submissive and affectionate to me so should be an easy first puppy for me – I hope!
Percy and Ronald Kyobe, great friend and owner A to Z Mobile Dog Training Unit Kampala
Ronald bundled Percy up and put him in the car as we left the USPCA. He didn’t make a sound, although it did take Ronald a few minutes to yank him out from underneath the passenger seat when we got home!
Baldrick inspects the new arrival
The new arrival was wedged under the car seat hiding!
The first thing Ronald did was put Percy on the lead and drag him round to the outside tap for a good shampoo (he did whiff). No sooner was Percy clean and glossy then he lay down in a big puddle of course. I think he enjoyed the warm water, although it must seem very strange to him: the smell of the shampoo and all the different sounds out in the big wide world. I wonder what he thought of the loud Sunday afternoon drumming from the slum by our house?
A nice clean puppy! Don’t you love those white socks?
Percy glugged down his bread and milk in seconds, giving me shifty looks, daring me to take it, racing against the clock. I guess that’s a hangover from life at the USPCA – there were 83 hopeful dogs in there yesterday! They’ve done a fantastic job with him.
Two months ago, Ronald and I delivered Percy and his brother and sister to Dr Alex the USPCA vet. The puppies had severe mange, anaemia, allergy to fleabites and had to be quarantined. One died. They were rolls of skins on bare bones; their transformation is incredible. Unfortunately, there are few facilities or money for neutering animals, hence this situation is very common.
I often look in drainage channels for puppies as my first dog Baldrick was a rescue too. I thought I found one puppy – one closer inspection, there were THREE!
Ronald picks the puppies out of the drainage channel in Namuwongo
Percy and brother – ‘fresh’ (and stinking) from the drainage ditch, where they had been abandoned
Sunday morning, Baldrick seemed off his food. I had to call him over and point his nose into his breakfast.
Percy, on the other hand, has no problem eating! He spent his first night in the warmth of the garage. He squeals and whines a bit if you close the door on him, but soon shuts up.
I tied him up under a tree after breakfast, so he can start getting to use the toilet area. Within minutes I could hear him run round the back of the house. While Paul mended the yellow and black lead, I tied Percy up using the purple one. Just one minute later, I hear the sound of the chain again as little puppy bounds round the back of the house with a second snapped lead!
I just stood staring at him for couple of minutes, I couldn’t believe this tiny puppy had broken free. Incredible – those teeth again. I gave up at that point – well, I rang Dog Trainer Extraordinaire Ronald Kyobe. He suggested a chain and luckily for me, he came round to sort Percy out.
There was incredibly loud squealing and yelping earlier, I ran outside to see Baldrick standing over Percy, leaning on him. Not sure exactly what happened, whether it was just heavy-handed play or amateur dramatics.
Getting the dogs to bond – Baldrick and Percy eat their first meal together
Later this evening, general whining turned into incredible yelping and I steamed outside to see Percy had wrapped himself tightly around the tree (the toilet training post), had one paw stuck between trunk and metal chain, and was half strangled. For a second, I thought he’d choked to death!
I ran out of patience, locked him in the garage and can now hear plaintive howling! I wonder if Paul – in the room right next to the garage – will get any sleep tonight?!
A parrot just flew overhead, its unmistakeable call heralding fun.
It’s a misty morning but you can tell it’s going to be a bright day. As we walk up Muyenga Hill, a glimpse of Lake Victoria in the distance never fails to lift my spirits.
It seems my favourite ‘worst’ road is being improved. This steep marram road was incredibly difficult to navigate, especially after the rain, even in a 4 x 4. I saw a matatu minibus taxi stuck here once, marooned for the night, forcing the passengers to disembark in the pitch darkness into a churned up sea of red clay.
I love cutting across this clear open patch of ground between the houses. A few large mango and jackfruit trees remain and the open stretch of land is cultivated with maize and cassava. Kampala is one enormous construction site so it won’t be long before the crops here give way to a new building.
“Baldrick loves his walks!” exclaimed Ronald last week.
Baldrick looking into one of the pools in Bukasa quarry, Muyenga
Baldrick and Percy on a rock ledge overlooking a pool in Bukasa quarry, Muyenga
Baldrick is excitedly sniffing the area. Any moment now he’ll run across the field.
‘Poison release training’ with Ronald seems to be working well – in the compound. Out here the training continues. Twice I had to shout at him “DROP IT!” There’s still plenty of sniffing going on. (I wonder what a bloodhound looks like? I think to myself as I watch Baldrick run with his nose skimming the ground).
As we walk back down the hill, we pass a man standing in front of his house, handsome and bare-chested, a traditional African kanga wrapped around his waist, a little baby in each arm. He smiles and points out ‘mbwa’ – the dog – to his children.
A sight for sore eyes! I amble home with a smile on my face.
Found as a pup drowning in a ditch, Baldrick Superdog came First in the Dog with the Waggiest Tail competition at this year’s USPCA Dog Show and third overall on the day! Check out the photos here.
Baldrick Superdog came First in the Dog with the Waggiest Tail competition at the USPCA dog show
Hilarious.
The Dog Show was a fundraising day for the USPCA, held at the Kabira Country Club, a very smart hotel in Kampala and not somewhere this volunteer can normally afford to go. So, not only does this dog have his heights set high, he’s opening doors for me too!
He’s a proper mongrel or “indigenous mix” in vet-speak.
Update on dog poisoning
It turns out that the five dogs who died last month were poisoned by posho (maize) porridge that they’d been eating every day. Tests reveal the posho had a fungus in it, fatal to dogs. Posho is a staple for many Ugandans; it’s a cheap bland stodge. The infected posho gave the dogs liver damage. Apparently it doesn’t affect humans, not that I’m ever likely to get a liking for posho. Ugh.
This week my UCF colleague Patrick and I drove round Kampala to ‘reinvigorate the membership’ (visiting our corporate supporters), now we have our newsletter to hand out and bundles of Xmas cards to sell. I’m in my comfort zone now and have sold 600 Xmas cards this week. It feels great to bring some cash into the organisation. There’ll be more challenges ahead in the office in the New Year but I’m happy to near the end of the year on a positive note.
If you’d like to help me support UCF please click on the Justgiving link. It’s why I’m in Uganda after all. I’m incredibly lucky to have this experience, although it’s not always easy.
On our Kampala errands, there was a scary moment when I entered the British High Commission on Kira Road. Like a spaceship that’s landed on a foreign planet, this building – the security in particular – seem so terribly incongruous here in Kampala.
High point of the day was bumping into a handsome Ugandan friend of mine. He’s bending over backwards to do me all kinds of favours. Swoon. What else can a girl ask for?
Now I’m getting excited about my trip to see a great friend of mine Holly in South Africa, the Rainbow Nation. This time next week, touch down Johannesburg! Three weeks of sun, wine and the sea. Bliss!
It’s the rainy season here in Uganda (the radio forecast “a cold 23 degrees in Kampala”), wine is very expensive (but I’m getting used to the Tetrapak of Spanish plonk!) and the only seafood is frozen (and way out of the price range of a VSO volunteer’s allowance)… so those are all reasons why I can’t wait to go to South Africa and blowing most of my savings to get there.
Delighted to say I’m hoping to earn next year’s travel expenses via Lonely Planet now I’ve been accepted as one of their regular bloggers. Rock on!
But before that – tomorrow – I have to run my first 10 km race.
The main event is the Kampala Marathon and we’re all sponsored by MTN, the main mobile phone provider, also sponsor of the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa. The World Cup is going to be HUGE for Africa. Ugandans are crazy about football, Premier League in particular. Men line the streets of Namuwongo outside bars and restaurants, 10 people deep when a game is on, glued to the TV screen. (No question of anyone buying a drink though!)
Everyone has a favourite team and Ugandans know the players as intimately as we do in the UK. Ugandans actually talk about the football though, not the WAGs, the haircuts and the sponsorship deals …
I’m in Uganda courtesy of VSO who recruit, train and support 1500 volunteers a year in developing countries. We are teachers, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, speech therapists, marketing and business development professionals, IT trainers and a whole lot more. Our remit is to ‘share skills,’ building an organisation’s capacity to develop and be sustainable when we return home.
