- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 29/Jun 08:51

Answered prayers for the animals

A recent social media post showed a photograph of Joshua Phillip Alexander overseeing the unloading of 14 tonnes of dog and cat chow from a truck at the TT Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TTSPCA), Port of Spain. This was a donation from various members of corporate TT. Nowadays, we often look at some photos and think, “Is that real or is it AI?” The image of an animal rescue organisation receiving such an unimaginably vast amount of chow could appear to be "fake news," however, thankfully in this case, it was real. As if bombarded by a shower of blessings from above, newspaper articles and television reports coming out at that same time featured images of several government ministers visiting the TTSPCA, getting a tour of their facility, meeting the animals, conversing with shelter personnel and, as stated in one newspaper headline – Ministers pledge funding for TTSPCA. It is heartening to see the support being given in an area (animal rescue/welfare) that has long felt ignored, especially on such a large and public scale. What feels like sudden recognition and reward for/on behalf of the animals has taken the local animal welfare world by surprise (pleasantly so) and has bolstered hopes that one day things will change. In the words of Sara Maynard, operations manager of TTSPCA, "The food donation received yesterday will significantly benefit not only our Port of Spain and Tobago shelters but has also enabled us to extend support to other animal shelters and rescue organisations across the country. This collaborative spirit ensures that the well-being of animals is prioritised across TT." We who love and care for/about "all creatures great and small" have to believe that a new wave of care, compassion, general assistance and protection is on its way – or maybe is finally here – for the animals of TT. We must believe that the fruits of everyone's labour, prayers and appeals for animals’ benefit will now bear fruit. Some of you reading this may be involved in local animal rescue and welfare; some of us have registered NGOs and some are simply caring individuals who commit their days and nights to rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for disadvantaged animals because it is unbearable to see them suffer. We all have similar yet very different issues/problems with which we deal...sometimes not knowing how to, and in many cases, often struggling or pleading for help in cash or kind. Sometimes there are those who feel to (and do) give up because of the overwhelming frustration that comes with the legion of unspayed cats and dogs that roam our nation, continually contributing to the rapidly rising population and its associated issues. One thing we all share is the desire to see the suffering of this nation's animals alleviated on an ongoing basis. [caption id="attachment_1163550" align="alignnone" width="541"] -[/caption] I recently considered the idea of collecting wish lists from several animal-related organisations and individuals in TT, for the purpose of writing an article on the topic. However, thus far, I have reached out only to one – Animals Alive, a no-kill, non-governmental and non-profit organisation committed to the humane treatment of animals in TT. Run by Kathryn Cleghorn (who gave me the below wish list), the organisation currently houses 500 dogs, 75 cats and two horses, all rescues. 1. Including animal welfare in the curriculum from nursery to tertiary for impact on cultural change 2. ⁠A national spay neuter drive that’s subsidised by the state and a national database of owned dogs which will require micro chipping and a dog license 3. ⁠A national awareness and education drive on spaying and neutering and animal welfare laws which will lead to better enforcement 4. ⁠Banning of sales of live animals for pets in pet shops 5. ⁠An established animal protection unit in police service 6. ⁠The establishment of more no-kill shelters 7. ⁠The banning of breeders or backyard breeders and the strict regulation of those permitted to breed 8. Strict adherence to regulatory standards to ensure the safe of transportation of animals 9. ⁠Strict monitoring of security firms that use animals in their business 10. ⁠More scholarships for vets to do post graduate work in veterinary medicine so cataract operations, etc can be accessible and provision of more funding for the veterinary school clinic. These points cover bases relevant to most, if not all of us working in local animal welfare spheres. May we see these solutions realised now.   The post Answered prayers for the animals appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.