Hoping to continue the national and local spay and neuter momentum, a small group of citizens and residents has formed near Gregory Town with the goal of fixing at least 50 dogs and cats in that part of the island.
With a date to be set in late January/early February 2014, numerous fundraising events are planned to cover the transport costs and specially discounted fees of the veterinarians involved in the Spay and Neuter clinic. This is in order to make it FREE for local pet owners and encourage as much participation as possible.
The group includes local business owners Petagay Hollinsed-Hartman, Ann Glucksmann, her brother Tom, his wife Liz and expatriates Mark and Susan Hay and many other volunteers. They hope that two yard sales, a silent auction, private donations and help from the PetPals group will cover expenses. A donation jar is stationed at the Laughing Lizard Café and local businesses are encouraged to do the same. Travel crates and traps are also needed to capture and transport feral or stray animals. If you have any you can lend, please contact Tom or Petagay on the numbers below.
Fixing your pet is a good step towards a healthy, happy companion. It can also help reduce our island’s unwanted stray population and feral cats that take a toll on local birds and wildlife, and cause trouble in settlements. Spaying and neutering animals is far more effective and humane than poisoning!
“It is vitally important to spay and neuter your pets to stop the huge problem we have with strays and unwanted animals,” said reEarth director Sam Duncombe, who participated in Nassau’s ‘Operation Potcake’ earlier this year. “They often suffer from illness and starvation. It is our moral obligation to help those who cannot speak. The government should also put a moratorium on any breeding until we have this situation under control.”
Volunteers on the days of surgery will be busy rounding up strays, so if you own an animal that you would like fixing, for FREE, please bring it to the surgery site, the earlier the better. This would be a great help. The date and location is still to be determined, so stay tuned for further information, or check out the “Gregory Town Spay & Neuter 2014” page on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1bDx2IP). Volunteers will be needed on the days of surgery to help round up dogs and cats, and also to assist with administration of pre- and post-op animals.
The group is asking for donation of items to be sold at the yard sales and silent auction. Contact Tom Glucksmann on 335-0349 to donate items for the 7th December yard sale, or Petagay Hollinsed-Hartman on 470-6992 for the sale on 18th January and the silent auction.
Please help make this a successful annual event.
Photo Caption: They call me potcake! ‘Red’ or ‘Redgirl’ is a poster child for fixing your pet. After st … se a few litters she is now happy, healthy and non-breeding living the life in Eleuthera
