Dr. Johnson, thank you for your wise words. I also agree with B_T_D_ that you and your group need to explain the nuances of this issue which, sadly, are missed by most people who are only tangentially involved.

Like you, B_T_D_, I am a donor, not a veterinary professional, nor an activist.

B_T_D_, as a transplant to this country, I think it is understandable that, as more and more Bahamian vets qualify, that they want to be responsible for veterinary medicine in their country.

If you are Bahamian, would you want foreigners to come in to do your job?
On top of that, is it not insulting to have non-professionals [i.e. animal lovers like myself] dictating what should be done in the realm of animal welfare to the veterinarians. If I were a veterinarian, I would be rather put out.

While there must be co-operation, it should be up to the vets to invite their foreign colleagues in as it is deemed necessary.

Imagine if activists started inviting foreign dentists, physicians, lawyers and architects into The Bahamas to practice their professions?
Quite simply, it is not their role!

Actually, B_T_D members of some of the organizations you named are also members of Operation Potcake.

Actually, B_T_U_, when you understand the situation Dr. Bizzell is not contradicting himself…

2,000 [in a couple of weeks] once a year is less than 3,000 per year. And, 3,000 per year can be sustained.

I do not know how many vets there are in Nassau, but if each of them did 700 per year, like Palmdale Veterinary Clinic, that number would far exceed 3,000.

Rory, you are so right!

Dr. Lawrence you are correct. Though I do not know you, as a participant in animal welfare projects, I have noticed that it is only when foreigners come in that there is recognition of what is being done in the animal world.

I do know Dr. Bizzell, and I know how much he has done through his clinic and Proud Paws, in New Providence and in the Family Islands over the past forty odd years.

They always say that you are not a prophet in your own land, but it is a pity when those with only spotty knowledge of a situation have the loudest voices.

The lack of understanding of animal welfare in The Bahamas has come as a great shock to me. I have made several posts tonight because I am a lay person who is interested in animal welfare in The Bahamas.

I am not originally from this country but, having made it my home, and being an animal lover, I have taken time to learn about the issues. I have donated to several spay/neuter projects, including Operation Potcake and Proud Paws, and know that it is as a result of donations such as mine that these so-called "FREE" projects can take place.

Surgery costs money, even when the medical professionals charge nothing for their time or expertise. Just because people who bring the animals in do not have to pay does not mean that the surgeries are not being paid for.

People have to be educated that there is no such thing as a free spay or neuter. Someone is paying, even if it is not visible. Maybe there should be a rule that all donations made within The Bahamas be used to pay for the cost of surgeries done by Bahamian vets, and any foreign vets coming in should not be allowed to raise money in The Bahamas.

Can you imagine a Bahamian vet going into the United States and raising money there and then being allowed to perform spays and neuters?

Unfortunately, I think that people are reacting without thinking things through. We need a public forum where wise, unemotional people from both sides of the issue can discuss this subject and educate the uninformed.

I have donated to several spay/neuter projects in The Bahamas including Operation Potcake and Proud Paws. Unfortunately most people do not think long and hard enough to realise that, even when veterinarians - whether local or foreign - donate their time and expertise, surgical materials still have to be paid for. This is where we, the donors, come in. Yes, the spays and neuters may be performed for no cost to the people bringing them in, but the materials are paid for either by the vets, or by donations. In my experience the average 'at cost' surgery in The Bahamas is $50. Also, there are added difficulties in living offshore. My experience has been that everything costs more in The Bahamas EXCEPT veterinary medicine. I am always happy to donate to spay/neuter projects but I am becoming dismayed by the number of people who actually believe that these projects are free.

Actually, he is not telling lies. I have donated to several spay/neuter projects in The Bahamas including Operation Potcake and Proud Paws. Unfortunately most people do not think long and hard enough to realise that, even when veterinarians - whether local or foreign - donate their time and expertise, surgical materials still have to be paid for. This is where we, the donors, come in. Yes, the spays and neuters may be performed for no cost to the people bringing them in, but the materials are paid for either by the vets, or by donations. In my experience the average 'at cost' surgery in The Bahamas is $50. Also, there are added difficulties in living offshore. My experience has been that everything costs more in The Bahamas EXCEPT veterinary medicine. I am always happy to donate to spay/neuter projects but I am becoming dismayed by the number of people who actually believe that these projects are free.