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Donations, pledges, and special stories at the HSGB
 It's no secret that the Humane Society is suffering financially -- the downturn in the economy has affected us, too. We have made a number of appeals lately and while the response has not been as great as we hoped, we are very grateful for those who have made donations and pledges. We were especially touched by the recent generous donation made by Lady Jacqueline Laker, who has always been a stalwart supporter and friend to our animals. The donation was made from Sir Freddie Laker's Memorial Fund, in memory of Sir Freddie. Lady Laker has also been a great supporter of our spay/neuter clinics and has rolled up her sleeves more than a few times to help any way she could.
We appreciate deeply the concern and assistance of everyone who has responded. No matter the amount, it all adds up and adds up to more help for our animals.
Cruelty case update: Last Thursday Wenito Bootle was arraigned in the Magistrate's Court, and appeared before Magistrate Helen Jones. He pled not guilty to the charge of animal cruelty (re the matter of Meka, former HSGB shelter dog) and the matter was set over for trial for December 15, 2009. Twenty HSGB staffers were present as were some of our long time volunteers; all sat quietly as the matter was dealt with. We look forward to December 15th. We also appreciate the many letters, phone calls and general support we continue to receive from the public regarding this case.
A few "special" stories about recent arrivals at the HSGB:
 Roland is a teenage puppy, perhaps 5 months old, found wandering Caravel Beach by some good hearted folks and brought in with a severe neck wound. He was in great pain and very fearful. Once sedated we discovered someone had tied a black shoestring around his neck at some point in his early days. As he grew, the shoestring became embedded in his neck, actually cutting into it all the way around up to 3/4". It was badly infected and his whole neck above the cut was swollen. Our ace veterinary technicians were able to remove the shoestring and clean the wound. Roland was hard to work with at first due to his extreme distrust and fear, but in two short weeks and with lots of patient and gentle care, he has come a long way. While still wary, he is learning to trust, and we've actually seen his tail wag a few times. He is learning that life is not so bad, and is starting to play with the other puppies and venture closer to people for a quick pat or a kind word.  Another Good Samaritan called us one morning about some stray kittens she found in her yard. No sign of a mama cat and the kittens were hungry and wailing. She put them in a milk crate and called us to pick them up. They are only about two and a half weeks old; luckily one of our most faithful foster parents could take them in as they need round the clock care for a few weeks. They will be returned to the shelter once they are eating well on their own and old enough for vaccinations; then we hope to find homes for these cute kitties.  Yet another Good Samaritan brought in a puppy we named "Special". She reminds us so much of our Marley from last year. This little 12 lb puppy should weigh twice that. We're not sure what she is but think there is some mastiff or boxer in her ancestry. Despite her physical condition she is very sweet and was really happy to get a nice bath and some good food. She might not have liked the medicine part as much but she tolerated it well. Her eyes show us an old soul in a very young body. We hope to soon see more "puppy spark" in those eyes.  One more issue we'd like to address. We have heard through the grapevine that some folks in the community have been critical of the HSGB for not putting more animals down. They evidently think we are wasting money by trying to save lives. They perhaps did not see our recent ad in the Freeport News wherein we disclosed that over the last eighteen months we have indeed put to sleep 1064 animals, mostly dogs. Every one of those 1064 haunt us.
We would like to remind the public, and our critics especially, that while we are contracted by the Grand Bahama Port Authority to perform "Animal Control" within Freeport proper; we were founded as and we remain a "humane society" with all that implies. Simply put, this means we are mandated to help animals in need. It is very hard to balance that with our obligation to perform Animal Control. If we don't try to save and rehome the animals who are treatable we will have totally failed the mandate and mission set out for HSGB in 1968. They all deserve to live. They did not ask to be here; they are here through no fault of their own. We would welcome any critics to visit us. Please walk a mile in our shoes, help us decide who lives or dies, before you criticize us.
If truly concerned, please donate money to our spay/neuter initiatives. Killing animals does not work as a method of "animal control". This has been proven worldwide. You can never catch them all, and it does not address the owned animals (by far Grand Bahama's biggest problem) who are allowed to roam and breed indiscriminately. Our problem is not wild bush dogs. It is irresponsible pet owners, and irresponsible "breeders". And people who continue to patronize those breeders, thereby keeping them in business. Spay/neuter, education and law enforcement, in that order, are the keys to solving our problem.
Where is the humanity in believing that abandoned, injured or unwanted animals should just all be killed? If we do not care for our most innocent, defenceless creatures what does that say about us as human beings? If you truly disagree with our humane principles, then by all means contact the Bahamas Government. The Ministry of Agriculture is mandated by law to deal with animal problems. They have never had a programme in place on Grand Bahama to do so, and Government has never provided one penny of funding to the HSGB. Contact your Members of Parliament and your local government representatives and express your concerns - please!
Please remember the HSGB did not create this problem. We are doing our best to solve it with very little local private or corporate assistance. The problem will simply not be solved by killing more animals, even if we were prepared to do so. We believe we can solve this problem, effectively and humanely. We have made great progress in doing so; we just need more support to continue. Give us a chance!
Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.
-His Holiness The Dalai Lama
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