200 dogs, 30 cats being flown from Barbados for new homes in Canada

Barbados is running out of room for abandoned dogs and cats.

This was the common cry related on Saturday by animal advocates who manage shelters across the island, as they gathered at the Grantley Adams International Airport, preparing for 200 dogs and 30 cats to depart the island for new homes in Canada.

The animals came from Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary, the Barbados RSPCA, The Ark and Woodbourne Kennel.

The initiative called The Barbados Ruffugee Project, is a collaboration between the Barbadian non-profit Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary and the Canadian charitable organisation Eastern Ontario Potcake Rescue (EOPR).

Volunteer with Ocean Acres, Anna Clarke, also said that the sanctuary is saturated with additional kennels having to be built to house the scores of dogs and cats being rescued every day.

In fact Clarke, who indicated that Barbados has run out of space to keep abandoned animals, noted that animal abuse has escalated during the past year.

“We are simply out of room. We are bursting at the seams and we had to find a way. All of these dogs and cats are leaving here today and going into foster homes, they are not going into sanctuaries. I understand that there is a long waiting list in Canada for rescue dogs and we don’t have that here.

“We are out of room, we are out of help, and moving these 200 dogs and cats to Canada is going to allow us this afternoon to go and bring in all the ones that are waiting either in foster homes or in dire situations where we need to go and get them out,” Clarke said.

Clarke said the chartered flight to transport the animals costs $202 000 Canadian dollars, which was raised through generous donations of many people.

Founder of Ocean Acres Karen Whittaker, the driving force behind the project to get the animals to Canada, said it was in February when she saw the dire need to get some the animals at shelters off the island because of limited space.

Clinic Manager and Director of the RSPCA, Charmaine Hatcher, said the lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19 last year and earlier this year, has led to people being able to access RSPCA’s facilities to adopt the animals. Hatcher also explained that due to the pandemic, and people experiencing financial issues that have made it difficult for them to care for their pets, the RSPCA has noticed that some households are taking as many as seven dogs and ten cats to the facilities.

“So any given day, we were sort of taking in excess of 20 dogs per day. Now all these dogs are coming in fit and well, we do not put animals to sleep like that, you have to give them a chance. But then the turnover to it is that because of the COVID shutdown no one was permitted on the premises, we were basically on lockdown and it put a halt to all adoptions,” Hatcher said.

The Director said the RSPCA is now overwhelmed with 175 dogs and puppies and over 140 cats and kittens.

“So our shelter is absolutely swamped. There are only 35 of our animals leaving here today, but that 35 is a big weight off of us. It allows us now to move other shelter animals from kennels that are just packed.

“I mean we have four or five dogs in a kennel which is ridiculous, but what are we to do with them. We don’t turn people away, which unfortunately I think they have realized this. So we just smile at them and take in another animal and another,” Hatcher said.

“When we started, to lots of people that was included it seemed like a mammoth task, but in just a few months we have done it and I think that actually shows how much people care about the dogs and cats of Barbados,” Whittaker said.

High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados Lilian Chatterjee, who praised the initiative, reporting that there is shortage of dogs and cats to be adopted in Canada, gave the assurance the animals that left the island will be going to homes where they would be welcomed and well-taken care of. (AH)