Our partner organization, Hope Sanctuary, in Barbados provides a beautiful sanctuary for 180-200 cats and dogs, most of them needing significant rehabilitation, some of them will never be considered adoptable and will live their lives at The Hope, where they will be provided with the closest thing to a loving home as possible. Here are some of their stories.
Dixie's owner left Barbados and left Dixie (above-after recovery and below-when finally rescued) behind. Luckily, the neighbor was watching and became worried when she realized no one was feeding Dixie and she was losing weight. So the neighbor contacted the owner, who claimed that the dog was being fed daily by his cousin--this obviously wasn't true. The owner just didn't want help from The Hope and didn't want the neighbor to be involved. From November to early December 2016, The Hope and the neighbor pleaded with the owner to let them take Dixie and provide her with food and vet care (Barbados has anti-cruelty laws, but they are widely ignored). Finally, the owner agreed to release Dixie to The Hope, and she was immediately taken to the vet, where she was diagnosed with mange, malnutrition, and dehydration (even though the neighbor and The Hope were feeding her, they just couldn't provide enough to keep weight on her and keep her healthy). She recovered while at The Hope, and then Dixie's old neighbor took the next step--after rescuing her--she adopted Dixie and took her back to Panama just before Christmas 2016 (picture above)!
On April 24, 2016, Twiggy joined the Hope family. Twiggy was a stray (2 pictures below), when a Hope member in St. Philip, Barbados saw her, rescued her, and brought her to The Hope. She's shy and calm, and obviously malnourished. Her vision is poor-she's not a young dog. At The Hope, Twiggy was de-wormed and given Nexgard. She's being fed small amounts 4 times a day so her body can adjust to good, nutritious, and plentiful food and safely put some weight on her.
In February 2017, despite The Hope's ongoing financial crisis (Barbados hasn't recovered from the global economic downturn, and that continues to affect The Hope) and the lack of available space, the Sanctuary took on a neglect case. They received a call from the police and Barbados Animal Control asking for assistance to rescue 5 dogs, including 3 pups.
Apparently the dogs were abandoned when their owners moved out of their home and the dogs were left to fend for themselves. Hope volunteers managed to capture the adults, who were renamed River and Willow (see 2 pictures below), but the pups were elusive. Members of the Hope Sanctuary took food to the location to feed the pups and they tried to capture them, but they just couldn't get them in a trap or get close to them. Meanwhile, at The Hope, River (male) and Willow (female) were plagued by, and treated for fleas. Willow was then treated for a stomach infection, which she completely recovered from. These extremely affectionate and cheerful dogs are currently sharing a dog garden at the sanctuary, where they are waiting for their forever homes.
In April 2017, Cornelia (Hope Founder and Director) and Allison (volunteer/board member) were notified about a dog in St. George that had no water, no food, spent all day every day on a short chain, had sores on her back and legs. Cornelia and Allison went to the yard to inspect the premises and to try to get in to see the dog. No luck. They left messages with neighbors to find out what the situation was at the yard where the dog was living (pictures below), but never got a response. Cornelia and Allison passed by every day and left food and water for the dog--Cornelia travels that route on her way to and from the sanctuary every day, and Allison lives in the area.
They continued to try to reach the owner, they left their numbers with the neighbors, still no success.
Then, on April 22, they finally got through to the owner, who claimed that his dog was poisoned a while ago which affected her weight, and he allowed Cornelia and Allison to take the dog to the vet! Thanks to The Hope, she was treated and is currently recovering. But the owner wants her back! We don't know yet what will happen, but the vet and The Hope vow to make sure that that dog doesn't suffer like she had been before her rescue.
Barbados may appear to be a paradise, but for so many animals, it is misery. The Hope works to alleviate suffering and to make sure all cats and dogs receive the care they so deserve. It's so expensive to provide for cats and dogs in Barbados. Your donation to The Hope is greatly appreciated. You can designate The Hope for your donation at
https://www.animal-kind.org/barbados