The American Fondouk provides the residents of Fez, Medina a full-service animal hospital, treating thousands of animals annually. But the economic health of the community rides, quite literally, on the backs of its working animals, and often on the Fondouk’s programs. In a country where there is just one doctor for every 2,000 humans, it is tempting to view veterinary care as a luxury. Three-quarters of a century later, modern-day Morocco is a developing nation, but many of its people are still poor. Since the beginning, the MSPCA has overseen both the endowment and the operations of the Fondouk, taking the unique mission of the Fondouk to heart and making it an important part of their own international humane animal outreach. Years later, Sydney’s grandson, Bob Coleman, would take the helm as today’s Fondouk president. Coleman served as the first and second presidents of the Fondouk, bringing aid to thousands of desperate animals in Morocco. Francis Rowley, then President of the MSPCA, and Sydney Coleman, a prominent New York animal activist, to build a refuge for the animals of Morocco. With this donation, some hard work, and the help of a few dedicated friends, the American Fondouk was established. Bishop contributed $8,000 in memory of her mother as seed money to build a refuge for these animals.
The animals needed good veterinary care, improved husbandry and nutrition, and humane handling – both for their own sake and for the sake of the families who depended on their labor. As in any country dependent on subsistence agriculture, Morocco’s draft and pack animals were worked hard by owners who were often poor and uneducated. At the time, there were 40,000 pack animals living in and around Fez. The American Fondouk was founded in 1927 at the behest of Amy Bend Bishop, an American traveler who was distressed by the poor conditions of the many working animals in Fez Medina.
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