Sanctuary overwhelmed as pet abandonment surges

Ocean Acres Animal Sanctuary has warned of a growing crisis in Barbados, with record numbers of abandoned dogs forcing the charity to operate far beyond capacity and renew calls for responsible pet ownership.

Karen Whittaker, who runs the sanctuary for both cats and dogs, said the facility, which is designed to accommodate about 80 dogs, is currently housing more than double that number. “All the shelters on the island are full, so there are no other options,” she said.

The sanctuary’s overcrowding leaves staff with two difficult options, neither of which they want to choose.

“We’re always squeezing more dogs into spaces than they realistically can go. It’s never going to work well, because we don’t want them to start fighting. We don’t want them to be in situations they shouldn’t be in, and so we feel responsible for that,” Whittaker explained.

“We’re under so much pressure to take dogs that owners want to surrender. We can’t win.”

Many pets are abandoned because owners fail to plan for the long-term responsibilities of pet ownership, Whittaker said. “People don’t always think ahead about what will happen in the future. If you get a pet, that pet is yours.

Depending on its age, if it’s a puppy, that’s with you for 10 or 15 years. It’s not optional. It’s your responsibility.”

She cited situations that might force owners to temporarily give up their pets: “If you’re sick, if you have to go to the hospital, or if you have to move house, you need to think about what you would do. You can’t just get a pet and say, ‘Oh, I’ll work it out as I go along.’ There isn’t anybody else to give it to.”

Other reasons pets are surrendered, she explained, include frequent relocations, new jobs, busy schedules, allergies or pets ageing. “Unfortunately, what seems to happen is, if we don’t step in and say, ‘Okay, we’ll take the dogs,’ people will take matters into their own hands.” Whittaker called these actions socially irresponsible. “That then becomes a nuisance to other people, to other pets, and to other homes.”

For owners who genuinely have no options, Whittaker emphasised they must take their pets to a veterinarian to be humanely euthanised. “I know that is not easy, but that is what you’re taking on when you get a pet. The easy, weak thing to do is just let them go and make it somebody else’s problem. But what do they think we’re going to do if we’re full and all other shelters are full? We’ll have to take them to the vet and have them put to sleep.”

Whittaker also warned against breeding pets, citing overpopulation as one of the main reasons shelters are overcrowded. “It’s the biggest reason shelters are full. A female dog in her lifetime can be responsible for tens of thousands of descendants because she has puppies, her puppies have puppies, and it creates a huge pyramid,” she explained.

The sanctuary has been inundated with calls from owners seeking to surrender puppies, many of which do not survive due to disease, starvation or poor conditions. “We only get called about the ones that survive. If you think about how many die unnecessary deaths, from worms, parvovirus, starvation, all sorts of things, it’s heartbreaking,” Whittaker said.

To manage the overwhelming number of animals, Ocean Acres has sent hundreds of dogs to Canada. “We don’t want to send dogs to Canada. We want them to have homes in the country where they were born. But there aren’t enough homes. So far this year, we’ve sent 250 dogs,” she said.

The process of sending dogs abroad comes with significant costs. “We have to pay for vetting, buy kennels that cost around $600 each, and pay $30 per dog for an export certificate. Sometimes we’re fortunate, and Air Canada will waive the shipping cost, but that only happens about half the time,” Whittaker explained.

She also revealed the sanctuary’s monthly operating costs.

“On average, it costs between $70 000 and $80 000 a month just to care for the animals in a normal month when nothing bad has happened,” she said.

Because of limited public support and resources, Whittaker said the sanctuary struggles to cover expenses and provide for the animals. She urged the government to treat pet overpopulation as both a social and public health issue. Whittaker wants the public educated on responsible petownership, including the importance of spaying and neutering to prevent overpopulation.

“People need to understand that adopting a pet is a serious, long-term commitment. You are responsible for that animal for its entire life. It’s not something you can take lightly,” she said.

With shelters across Barbados full and the number of abandoned animals rising, urgent action is needed to prevent unnecessary suffering and ensure pets have safe, loving homes, Whittaker said.

louriannegraham@barbadostoday.bb