THE DOG which was dumped at Searles Factory yard last week.
(GP)
with HEATHER-LYNN EVANSON KAREN MILLEN
(left) and Dorin Boyce speaking about the
petition. (FP)
“IT IS TIME to take action for animals in Barbados! Every living creature deserves to have its basic needs met – adequate food, water and shelter. Every animal deserves a life protected from inhumane treatment and suffering. Now is our time to stand together, advocate for animals and make our voices heard. Animal cruelty and neglect often goes unnoticed and when reported, there is no end in sight to their suffering, because of failure by the authorities to act. Animals can feel pain and fear, joy and love, just like humans, but they do not have a voice – LET US BE THAT VOICE. The Barbados PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS ACT – CHAPTER 144A is failing animals by not being enforced to any satisfactory level. Therefore, we request that the ACT 144A in its entirety – sections 1 -19 – be enforced with immediate effect. We are also requesting that the relevant authorities establish a Standard Operating Procedure that will allow the Public to anonymously report animal abuse/neglect to the Police and other Authorised bodies, who will then investigate and take immediate action as deemed necessary – The text of the petition submitted by Action For Animals Barbados (AFAB) and Respect Our Animal Regulations (ROAR) “Some disgusting woman in a silver car pulled into Searles factory road, got out of her car, opened the back door and pulled this little fella out into the field, got back in her car and drove back towards Nature Care roundabout as he sprinted behind the car and eventually could not keep up! He then ran back wandering through traffic with no road sense what so ever into oncoming traffic and in front of massive trucks until he got back to the spot where she dumped him and sat down where I walked up to him and he smiled and let me pat him! I don’t know why someone would do such a thing. From the looks of him we think he’s about one year old and stands about two feet tall. Such a loving dog could never be owned by such an inhumane . . . of the human species!” – The reaction by an eyewitness to the broad daylight dumping of a dog last week.
TWO ANIMAL RIGHTS activists are suggesting that the dog licencing fee be increased and the money gained should be channelled into employing more animal inspectors.
Currently, owners pay $5 to register a dog every year.
The suggestions have come from Karen Millen, a co-founder of K9 Friends and an executive member of Action for Animals Barbados (AFAB) and Dorin Boyce, also an executive member of AFAB, who is the owner of Woodbourne Kennels and an administrator of the social media site/group Respect Our Animal Regulations (ROAR) Barbados. The two groups – AFAB and ROAR – are behind a petition to have the penalties for cruelty to animals increased and enforced.
Millen explained the petition isn’t only asking for offenders to be punished but also makes suggestions.
“Put the dog licencing fee up. Five dollars doesn’t even cover the administrative costs and the cost of the tag. So put that up and make some money to fund more inspectors,” she told HEATHER-LYNN’S HABITAT.
Responsibility
She admitted the increase might prevent some people from licensing their dogs. However, Millen stressed it was about being a responsible owner.
“The thing is, again, it’s about responsibility. So even if it was $20, which isn’t a big fee, but Animal Control [Unit] said if you have your dog neutered, you only have to pay that once for its life. It’s not a yearly fee.”
Millen said dog breeders should also contribute to the fight against animal cruelty.
“The other thing we wanted was breeders should have to pay a big fee. They are making a lot of money. They need to have a big fee paid and then that money needs to be not taken off by the Government for something else. It needs to be channelled into having more inspectors and funding the courts.”
Millen pledged the two organisations’ support and willingness to work with Government.
She said they would like to get the mandate of education into schools and to target children as young as five.
“You can break that cycle [of cruelty] but it will take time and it will take money, which K9 Friends are happy to use some of our funds to enable this.”
Meanwhile Boyce suggested there is a lack of cooperation between Government departments which share responsibility for animals.
THE PETITION which has been started by animal
groups AFAB and ROAR. (HLE)
“They don’t seem to work together and, again, it’s teamwork. You got to be able to get together and formulate,” she stressed, and suggested a special court, dedicated to hearing animal cruelty cases, be established.
The petition is open until July and garnered 700 signatures in its first two weeks.
“We are just hoping we get enough signatures that we can be able to present it,” Boyce said, adding the groups will be presenting it to Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
“I think you have got to go to the head so that she can then delegate. It’s no good going to anyone else . . . .”
