AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Clay Sweeting. Photo: Moise Amisial
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Clay Sweeting announced yesterday that his ministry plans to lease land to establish a safe haven for abused, neglected and special needs animals.
According to Mr Sweeting, the sanctuary will include an animal hospital to provide on site care and will also have an adoption centre.
He said the initiative is a part of his ministry’s efforts to end the “unnecessary” suffering of all animals in The Bahamas.
“As Mahatma Gandhi said ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated’,” Mr Sweeting said during his contribution to the budget debate yesterday.
“The sanctuary will incorporate an animal hospital to provide on site care. The animals will be rehabilitated with an ultimate goal of adopting them to loving homes.
“The sanctuary will have an adoption centre and enter into strategic partnerships with reputable rescue organisations abroad, and local institutions to provide for opportunities for visitors to adopt their very own Royal Bahamas Potcake.”
Mr Sweeting said the sanctuary will complement BAARK’s spay and neuter initiative.
He also noted that a learning centre will be incorporated to focus on educating Bahamians, particularly children, on how to treat animals with care.
Meanwhile, regarding dog attacks, Mr Sweeting said the government has made an amendment to the Animal Control Act to allow for the microchipping of dogs.
He said: “While this isn’t mandatory it is revolutionary in the sense that once dogs are microchipped, they can be scanned to provide information such as the owner of the animal, the animals medical history as well as whether it has been spayed or neutered.”
“This will be an added defence in animal attacks in identifying the owners of the animals involved in the crimes. In order to incentivise this service, once implemented, there will be no charge instead of the regular dog licence fee.”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 11 months ago
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themessenger 11 months ago
How about putting those projected pie in the sky funds into supporting and expanding the Bahamas Humane Society who have given so much to animal welfare in this country with so few resources or into Baark Bahamas who also already have a spay and neuter program established. Given the money required to fund what the Honorable Minister has in mind these two already established animal care organizations could make serious inroads into our stray and abused animal population instead of it ending up in some government “consultants pockets. The Bahamas government’s Animal Control Department is a joke. The police method is to shoot the animals instead of the owners, which actually happens when their bullets ricochet off of pit bulls, Tribune article June12th. Minister Sweeting, you need to ease up on that kool aid you’re drinking!
ThisIsOurs 11 months ago
They never told us how many shots were fired. They didnt mention if the dog was dead or alive. Poor dog it did nothing wrong. Its likely one of multiple bullets fired ricocheted off of some hard surface near the dog. I thought police primary objective was de-escalation, but they literally went in and immediately started shooting up the place.
bahamianson 11 months ago
I thought the humane society served that purpose. We already have a facility, why not use it and add another building? Animals are important, but the good minister seems to be overkilling it.
realfreethinker 11 months ago
Where is the urgency for the care of the two legged animals. We been need a hospital for many years now.
TalRussell 11 months ago
Just repeating it won't change that it's a quote that has long been 'debunked' as attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. ---- The fact is that this is a quote that Gandhi ---- 'Never uttered during his lifetime.' ---- So before the Crown's Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Clay Sweeting's media people rush off be printing posters with that quote stamped on them ---- They first might want to do some reading up, ---- Because it is not at all in sync with Gandhi's actual views and practices with regard to animals. – "Aye." "Nay?"
rosiepi 11 months ago
A novel conclusion on microchipping! So Bahamians who cannot be bothered to neuter/spay and corral their animals are the same folks this guy expects to shell out $$ for a microchip? The BHS does an excellent job using their limited resources wisely, why not give them the money instead of creating another corrupt layer of bureaucracy??
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