By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Animal rescue organisations in the US have come to the aid of The Humane Society of Grand Bahama after it had to deal with an influx of homeless dogs and cats since Hurricane Dorian, a situation made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halo No-kill Rescue, of Sebastian, Florida, was able to take 51 dogs and 18 cats from the HSGB in Freeport, as well an additional 18 dogs at the Bahamas Humane Society in Nassau, to the US via a private charter flight sponsored by GreaterGood.org.

Many of the rescued animals were young, about seven to 10 months of age, however some adult dogs were also taken. 

Tip Burrows, executive director of HSGB, is grateful for the international rescue assistance provided to the shelter, which is “struggling” financially due to the economic woes here on the island caused by Dorian and the coronavirus.

There are still another 50 dogs and puppies, and 24 cats and kittens, with more coming in daily, she reported.

“Without the international help since Dorian, we probably would have to close our doors,” she said. “The majority of the help we received after the storm was from abroad, and as you probably know we get no assistance from the government whatsoever, despite the fact that there has been money in the government budget for us in the last four years, but we have yet to see those funds.”

According to Ms Burrows, HSGB has been working with Halo Rescue for several years, especially since Hurricane Dorian, and also with GreaterGood.org, Wings of Rescue, and IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).

She said: “Our local (animal) adoption has never been that great, and since the storm, it’s been even fewer, and more dogs have been coming in due to the storm effects and now due to the COVID-19.

“So, now with things relaxed a bit, Wings of Rescue has been able to come in and get these dogs, and our partner at Halo was able to take 51 dogs, and 18 cats and kittens.”

Ms Burrows stressed that it is important for pet owners to spay and neuter their animals to control the animal population.

Unfortunately, she noted that their spay/neutering funding has been cut, limiting the number of free surgeries that can be performed. 

“We are hoping that (the cut in funding) is temporary, but we don’t know yet. All the spay and neutering we are doing is at our own expense unless people can afford to pay, and a lot of people can’t afford to pay and so we are doing a lot of free surgeries, but we are really having to limit it because we are struggling financially just like everyone,” she explained.

“When the economy is bad people can’t afford to properly care for their pets, they can’t afford to make donations or help with fundraisers. And at the same time, there are more animals in need than ever. So, the irony is that while our funding has been greatly diminished and cut, the need for our services is greater than ever.”

The HSGB, which suffered significant flood damage during Dorian, has rebuilt its main office and has acquired a mobile clinic to provide veterinary services.

Ms Burrows said plans of constructing a separate building for a clinic and to replace its cattery have been put hold as a result of the economic effects of the pandemic.

“We are much better off than last September, but we still have a ways to go, and it is sort of uncertain how that is going to happen,” she said.

Ms Burrows is urging people, as well as animal breeders, to do their part to help control the stray and unwanted animal population.

“So much of this can be prevented if more people would spay and neuter their pets. If people are breeding intentionally, we are asking them to give it a rest for a little while. We are getting adult animals in as well, and to prevent them from being born in the first place is much better than having them overwhelm the shelters and rescues in The Bahamas,” she said.