Animals

Animal matters Kim Aranha A sad state of affairs

Wanton destruction, anger, malicious intent, infantile behaviour, or desperation?

The break-in at the shelter at the Bahamas Humane Society was a horrible wake-up call about what is happening in our country after close to 20 months of pandemic conditions.

Everybody is frustrated, and so many people are out of work, broke, despondent, and we have the holidays coming up. The holidays traditionally spurn a rash of break-ins and purse-snatching in Nassau, so that has compounded what is already a very difficult situation.

Why would anybody want to steal from a hard-working charity that spends their days trying to make the Bahamas a better place for animals and humans alike?

Much of the work we do benefits humans just as much as it benefits the animals. This is an argument that I have with people who refuse to understand what I am getting at. It is not terribly difficult to understand: if your neighbourhood is plagued with unruly stray dogs and the Bahamas Humane Society helps you by taking the strays to the shelter to find homes, or speaking to the owner of said animals, helping with fences, giving advice, and with the assistance of BAARK getting the animals spayed or neutered, this action makes your neighbourhood a better place to live. The animals benefit from our care and attention but so do the humans.

Tourists do not enjoy seeing mangy, starving dogs and cats struggling to survive on our streets, we do our best to help these animals return to their original glory and find good homes for them. Sure, that benefits the animal we pick up, but it also benefits the image of our nation and benefits all 300,000 plus inhabitants of this country because it enhances our image in the eyes of the tourists, who we are trying very hard to beckon to our shores.

So, what were these robbers thinking? Did they even pause to think? Who were they? Did they know that

PET OF THE WEEK

PHOTO/LINDA GILL-ARANHA

Loving Lucy

By The Bahamas Humane Society

Lucy’s young and eager to please! “Don’t forget to get my good side!” It was hard to snap a pic, she was so pleased to have company. Lucy’s about four months old, and ready and eager to have a home to call her own. She’s smart and willing to learn. She’s pretty good with other pups and doesn’t seem to mind cats. Do you have a place for Lucy? If so, contact the Bahamas Humane Society at 3235138 for more information. Lucy looks forward to meeting you!

• BHS Raffle 2021 tickets are now available! The drawing is on December 29, and the grand prize is $10,000 worth of groceries from Super Value. Tickets are $5 each or a book of 21 for $100. Available at the BHS or Fox Hill Nursery.

the Bahamas Humane Society is a charity almost totally generated from private sector donations?

Do you suppose they knew, or even cared, that most of our hard-working employees are the sole breadwinners for their families during the pandemic? Our employees are fine, hard-working, Bahamians, who have exhausting jobs, both physically and mentally, but who would never stoop so low as to expect something for nothing. They are for the most part, young, dedicated and kind people, and have been rewarded by a slap in the face by these people who chose to break and enter our premises, and then cause incredible destruction. Hours of cleaning up, thousands of dollars to payout. Whatever for? They got away with very little, but they caused damage and destruction totalling thousands.

I have tried very hard indeed to have compassion for these people, I have battled with myself to feel sorry for them, and to understand what must have pushed them to commit such actions. Were they hungry? Were they down to their last dollar? Or were they people who felt a form of entitlement to break in anywhere they please to take, plunder and run away laughing at the poor fools left behind to clean up the mess.

I fear that they probably fit into the latter category. I fear they enjoyed destroying and stealing what they could lay their hands on.

I am greatly relieved that no human or animal was injured and that everyone is safe and accounted for. We at the shelter are very thankful for that.

We continue to clean up, and sort through the mess. Contractors are preparing quotes for the repairs to the damage, new windows and doors, new camera system…money that should be used to save the sick and the suffering animals.

One thing I must say is that the response from the public, the kindness and caring, the outpouring of support and love has been unbelievable, and has made it bearable. It is wonderful to know that we are appreciated and loved. There are times that we feel that if we do one thing wrong but three hundred right, we only ever hear about the mistake we may have made. That can be unbelievably disheartening. In the past few days, the public outrage and support has made a huge difference to us all, and for that I wish to thank every single one of you who has stepped up and indicated the desire to assist in the clean-up, everyone who has written words of support, everybody who has made a donation. You are all stars in our eyes, and we would be unable to continue without your love and support.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts…we love you all.

For further information on how you can help the shelter, please contact the author at: berryislandgirl@gmail.com

INSIDE the Humane Society after the break-in.