Sometimes no matter how hard you work, circumstances beyond your control come to a head, and conspire to derail all your efforts. This is what is happening right now at the HSGB.
Two years ago, our field spay/neuter programme was stopped.
Those who stopped it never provided an alternative solution or offered their help; they just killed it with no apparent thought to the plight of innocent animals on Grand Bahama. Our letters, emails and public pleas for answers were ignored.
Still, we soldiered on; thanks to HSGB Medical Director Dr. Dawn Gibbs, and local private veterinarian Dr. Chante Wildgoose, we have been able to do hundreds of sterilizations within Freeport, thanks to the budget for same provided by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, which pays for spay/neuter for low income pet owners.
There is a limit to this budget and it does not include sterilizations for animals outside the Port area. Therefore, the problem in those areas has continued to grow out of control.
For those new to our situation; it’s always important to note that the HSGB is a non profit private organization, with no Government funding or support, and that we are the only animal welfare organization/shelter on Grand Bahama.
Two years ago, the HSGB faced literal financial ruin. Having tried to do too much for too many, and serve the entire island for too long, we were forced to severely curtail our services and slash our operating costs. We did this, successfully, and several months ago we were on stable financial footing for the first time in years.
Then came the news from Nassau last November – euthanasia solution was no longer available from the one and only Bahamas pharmaceutical supplier that has ever carried it. The Nassau supplier could no longer obtain the solution from the U.K., and had to start the tedious and laborious process of getting approval to have it imported from the U.S. We are not able to import it ourselves, nor can anyone send it to us as it’s a highly controlled substance.
Puppies with mange from Lewis Yard.We have never enjoyed putting animals to death; however with a 10% local adoption rate it has been part of our reality for too long. Our foreign rescue partners have helped tremendously and in fact in 2012 our euthanasia rate was 49% compared to 71% in 2011.
We have had to severely curtail our field services since November. Even so, we still must respond to emergencies, and if people bring animals to the shelter we dare not turn them away for fear of them being dumped elsewhere. We are literally bursting at the seams. We must hold onto our little bit of euthanasia solution for true medical suffering emergencies as the supplier in Nassau still has no idea when they will be able to import the drug.
To compound this problem even further; now two other drugs (not controlled) are in short supply due to manufacturing issues. Doxycycline, a common antibiotic used in veterinary practice to treat ehrlichia (tick fever which is all too common here), is on short supply and we are lucky to receive enough to treat 10 dogs in a month right now, and at a 200% increased cost.
Immiticide is no longer available to us either, which is the drug used to treat heartworm. We currently have eight dogs who are committed to by foreign rescues, but they need to be treated first…and we can’t do that. We also can’t justify putting them down unless they begin to suffer, thanks to the lack of euthanasia solution.
We are very worried that the day is coming soon that we are completely out of euthanasia solution, and a suffering animal comes in. What are we to do then?
Our Operation Puppylift has been hugely successful. In 2012 a record 455 animals were saved by our foreign rescue partners. This project also costs money and our goal all along has been to reduce the number of animals in need of rescue through spay/neuter and education. That is not happening thanks to all the above.
Our foreign rescue partners first got involved with us mainly due to the hard work they saw us pursuing regarding spay/neuter. They are having a hard time understanding why any such project would be prohibited, when the need is obviously so great.
We desperately need help from our supporters in two ways right now:
1. Money. Our food and medicine bills are skyrocketing thanks to our increased number of animals. Our carefully planned and reasonable budget for 2013 is already out of control.
2. Foster homes for puppies! It’s the best gift you could ever give a homeless puppy or litter of pups, to get them out of the shelter environment and give them more personalized attention. All our pups are spoken for by rescues so you don’t have to worry “your” pups will be put down. We need good fosters all the time, but never more than now. Please call Tip at 352-2477, 727-2477 or email info@hs-gb.org if you would like to become a foster parent!
3. Support for our comprehensive, concentrated spay/neuter programme to resume – letters of support would be welcomed – please keep them polite, respectful, and on point! Email to info@hs-gb.org and we will get them to the appropriate parties:
Please address them to Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister; V. Alfred Gray, Minister of Agriculture; and Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Deputy Prime Minister.
By Tip Burrows/HSGB
