AFTER the twin nightmares of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Humane Society of Grand Bahama is appealing for donations, saying the progress it has made in helping to reduce the number of unwanted and abused animals roaming the streets is in jeopardy.

HSGB was founded in 1967 and is the only animal welfare organisation/shelter on Grand Bahama.

In a statement, the shelter said it “has never received any financial support” from the government for the services it provides the community. After Hurricane Dorian damaged the shelter in 2019 and killed more than 100 animals due to heavy flooding, the HSGB was hampered even more after the coronavirus pandemic prohibited the group from holding fundraisers and led to a downturn in donations.

The shelter is now appealing for contributions to sustain its important work, saying no donation is too small.

“In September of 2019, Grand Bahama received a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Dorian which stalled over the island for almost 48 hours. Despite not being in a known flood area, not being included in the official evacuation zone, and never having experienced any flooding in previous storms, the HSGB shelter buildings were inundated with over six feet of flood waters,” shelter officials noted. “One hundred and six dogs and seven cats perished. Six staff members almost lost their lives.

The shelter said almost everything was lost except the buildings themselves. Just as the HSGB had begun the laborious and costly rebuilding process, COVID-19 struck.

HSGB president Joseph Darville said: “Having been brought to our knees just six months earlier by Dorian, one nightmare merged into another.”

The majority of disaster relief assistance the HSGB received post-Dorian came from abroad, the shelter said.

To date, the HSGB said it has received no financial assistance for disaster relief from the government or the Grand Bahama Port Authority. The shelter said the inability to hold normal fundraisers, and the resultant downturn in general donations, and funding cuts from the Grand Bahama Port Authority have been devastating.

It added that much of the funds earmarked for the last of the rebuilding projects (veterinary clinic and cattery) had to be spent on operations.

Over the years, the HSGB said it has assisted homeowners and businesses by taking in thousands of stray, unwanted, abandoned, neglected, and abused animals, and this work resulted in a “noticeable difference in the number of animals roaming the streets.”

The shelter said all the progress made “is now in jeopardy of being reversed” due to funding issues.

The HSGB said the problem affects everyone, adding that neglected, starving animals roaming the streets is a public health hazard and an unwelcome sight for island visitors and potential investors. Due to the economic downturn resulting from Dorian and the pandemic, many pet owners have found themselves unable to feed and provide medical care for their pets. The HSGB said it has been assisting as much as possible because helping pets stay in their homes is preferable to bringing them into the shelter, but said it is an added financial burden.

“Ironically, the very situations that have caused our current economic woes also mean that our services are needed more than ever,” Executive director Elizabeth Burrows said. “We would be most grateful for any assistance to help us keep our doors open. No donation is too small and we appreciate all support, whether it’s $20 or $2,000.”

Naming opportunities are available within the shelter’s new clinic for donations of $1,000 or more.

For additional email, contact info@hs-gb.org or call 242-352-2477 or 242-727-2477.