Charities petition PM for more animal rights enforcement, as abuse cases rise

Reports of animal abuse are on the rise with animal welfare charities complaining that there are no provisions in the animal protection laws to allow them to intervene in the mistreatment of animals, they have told Barbados TODAY.

Founder and Director of Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary, Newcastle St John, Karen Whittaker, said there are animals living in despicable conditions across the island, but organizations such as hers have no power, authority or legal rights to take animals away from harmful environments.

And while the animal protection legislation can be seen as “okay” it is not being enforced to make sure those caught abusing animals can face consequences for their actions, she said.

Whittaker participated in the submission of an official report to the Prime Minister’s Bay Street office, from the Action for Animals Barbados (AFAB) group, a coalition of animal rights charities, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

As AFAB noted an escalating number of unresolved animal abuse cases, Whittaker said it is time that the police act on complaints.

“I get many calls from people all the time who say that they call all of these various places and they have got nothing done,” she said.

The only option animal rights activists have at this time is to use moral suasion to explain to owners how they should treat animals, she explained.

Whittaker said: “It is very difficult that we have no authority whatsoever to be able to take these dogs sometimes when they are clearly in a mess. They are clearly being kept in an inhumane way, they are clearly ill and suffering.

“Many times we have had to take dogs to the vet. Recently, in the last two weeks, a vet has had to euthanize a dog because it was just too ill to do anything, fortunately, on that occasion, the person was prepared to surrender the dog but that is not always the case and that is a very miserable life and a miserable way to die.

“But generally speaking they are not hostile to it. If they want help from us we would take them food, we would take them medical supplies, we will try to advise them and help them, and ultimately if they would let us take the dog if they are unable to look after it then that’s what we do. We take it, we rehabilitate it, we take it to a vet and we find a home.”

AFAB chairman Henry Jordan said the report documents cases of animal abuse through written details and pictures. He said it was unsatisfactory that the Government Animal Control Unit has not been responding to complaints of animal cruelty.

Jordan said: “First of all, there are protocol matters in place already. You have on the statutory books an Animal Cruelty Prevention Act and it doesn’t seem to be giving any great notice. We don’t see enforcement taking place by the police in these matters.

“We don’t see anything happening in this regard from the Animal Control Unit. There are people in this group today that have called the Animal Control Unit in the past and reported cases and nothing has come of it. So what’s the sense of having something on your statutory books and then you don’t get the relevant agencies to act and give the support. This is what we need to have effectively changed immediately.”

At a time when many people are dislocated financially, animal shelters have been receiving more calls from owners inquiring about whether they have room for their pets.

The Ark Animal Welfare Society, The Horse Charity K9 Friends Barbados, RSPCA, and Respecting our Animal Regulations (ROAR) groups are all members of AFAB.

(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)