Ensure the 5 Basic Freedoms
1. Freedom from hunger or thirst
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease
4. Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour
5. Freedom from fear and distress
Pledge to SPAY-A-STRAY
in Trinidad and Tobago
Founder's Guiding Principles
To nurture animal welfare for generations to come.
A home for every stray – a nation without strays.
Animals have a right to the protection of man and to a life of dignity, free from unnecessary suffering.
Providing support to organizations and individuals through consulting, volunteering, networking and funding for the promotion, coordination and execution of activities which support healthy happy lifestyles of animals with a specific focus on domesticated animals, including:
-Rescue and rehabilitation.
-Sustenance and shelter.
-Non-Profit shelters and organizations with programs that promote and facilitate fostering, adoption, forever homes and that encourage increased human interaction with the animals where appropriate.
-Responsible Spay and Neuter programmes.
-Promotion and support of community outreach Spay and Neuter programmes.
-Promotion and support of legislation that protects against cruelty to animals.
-Promotion and practice of responsible “No-Kill” policies.
-Public education to promote the humane treatment of animals.
Directors
Derek Mohammed
Rishi Ramkissoon
Nikita Mohammed
Michele Morisson
Kamlan Aleong
A360 Position Paper
Animal Welfare and Protection for Dogs and Cats
Enactment of sound animal welfare legislation will be key to developing a mature first world nation of compassion for animals. Effective legislation must address both prevention of cruelty to animals and establish a standard for animal care for all animals as part of an overall animal welfare policy.
Animal cruelty must be recognized as serious crime at the highest level of Government and treated accordingly with penalties that would truly be prohibitive to an offender upon conviction.
An effective policy on animal welfare must include –
1. Legislation (a) Cruelty (b) Care
2. Education (animal sensitivities)
3. Environment (population control)
Cruelty must encompass acts comprising torturing, tormenting, mutilating, maiming, abandoning, poisoning, inflicting excessive or unnecessary pain, leaving unattended to suffer, transporting or confining an animal in a manner likely to cause injury or death, causing an animal to fight with another or denying or withholding veterinary care.
Care must encompass standards of care including the licensing of pet shops, kennels and shelters, enforcing the responsibility on all pet owners and relevant operators to provide proper care e.g. shelter, food, water, veterinary care if sick or injured and providing sufficient space and adequate facilities to allow the animal the freedom to express its normal behavior. Care should necessitate that all dogs and cats be registered and include legislation relevant to spaying and neutering of the animals to ensure population control.
Education programs must sensitize the entire human population through community outreach programs, to the legislation, proper care, health benefits of spaying and neutering and most importantly to animal sensitivities. The education programme should start in our primary schools and must be built around developing a first world culture of compassion for animal welfare thereby creating a virtual nationwide sanctuary for our homeless dogs and cats. An effective education programme will facilitate the plan for the Environment.
The Environment must address the needs and protection of our homeless animals, community outreach spay and neuter programs and leverage the availability of new veterinary graduates for a one year or two year period to address the needs of our homeless population. So too the education programme must be directed at developing a society of compassion to care for our homeless animals.
Best Pet Practices
Your pets are your family, please take time to exercise and socialise and protect them. If your pet is afraid of fireworks, scratch bombs, thunder etc. stay with them, keep them secure and close to human company. NEVER LEAVE THEM ALONE WHEN SCARED. And finally always have your pet collared with an ID tag with a contact telephone number engraved in case they should get scared and run away.
Your pets are creatures of habit. Feed them at the same time every day. Avoid bones (especially chicken bones) and always use clean food bowls. Provide nutritious food and avoid stale leftovers. Familiarise yourself with foods that are not safe for your pet. These include chocolate and other candies, avocado, apple seeds, garlic etc.
Never chain or kennel your dog for long periods of time. Studies have shown that dogs restrained for long periods of time suffer from depression. Provide sufficient secured / fenced area for your dog to express normal behaviour and ensure human interaction for your pet including walks, romp time, petting etc. Simply talk to your dog. Protect your dog. Do not permit them to roam the neighborhood which could expose them to dangers.
Keep pet areas and the environment clean to avoid fleas and ticks. A solution of 1/3 bleach to 2/3 water is effective in maintaining a clean environment. Your environment may also require spraying periodically with ECOTRAZ or other solution to control fleas or ticks. Remember it is not your pet that is bringing the fleas and ticks but rather the environment. By keeping your environment clean and using a flea and tick spray, you will ensure a healthy, happy pet.
Fresh clean water must always be available in a cool shaded area. Maintain clean water bowls. Maintain a relationship with your vet and ensure regular vet check-ups for vaccinations, wormers and general healthcare.
Be a responsible pet owner and encourage others to be responsible pet owners. Spay and neuter your pets. Theoretically one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years if all are left unspayed. Do not allow your unneutered male pet to roam and then take no responsibility for the pregnant females. Spaying and neutering also leads to healthier lives for your pets.