One of the dogs treated at last year's Operation Potcake.
OPERATION Potcake will proceed as planned, but with even more foreign vets than originally expected, it was announced last night.
The breakthrough came after a meeting between local organisers and representatives of the Veterinary Medical Association of the Bahamas (VMAB)
Despite their original concerns, it was reportedly VMAB that suggested the increase in international vet numbers.
“This heralds a new chapter of communication and co-operation between the animal welfare organisations, veterinarians and all animal lovers,” said Operation Potcake organisers in a statement.
“We look forward to many successful spay and neuter clinics that will resolve the problems of stray dogs and cats in the entire archipelago of the Bahamas.”
The Operation Potcake Steering Committee was also formed, and in future will consist of the four members of the VMAB executive committee, the president of the Bahamas Humane Society, the president of Baark! and two animal welfare representatives.
The second instalment of the landmark animal population control effort – which saw 2,315 stray dogs spayed and neutered by a team of foreign volunteers last January – was cancelled by organisers after VMAB blocked the entry of foreign vets and volunteers, many of whom had already bought their airline tickets.
Instead of the volunteers, who undertake the effort free of charge, the VMAB suggested its own members undertake a shortened programme, at a rate of $50 per surgery.
The association said its members were not seeking to make money, simply cover costs, however the organisers said they could not afford to continue at that price.
In a letter explaining their stance, the VMAB admitted that its plan would prove “not nearly” as effective as the original, but said local vets still feel the need “to send a clear message to our fellow Bahamians, that we are an entity more than capable of managing the difficult task of reducing our strays, and it should be none but our own that assume that responsibility.”
The letter suggests the project be shortened from five days to three, and that the charities organising it compensate them for their work.
“The financial climate in the country demands that we take into account the possibility that donation of our time to efforts like these can potentially create a negative impact on our practices, so it is only fair that while we do not seek to make a profit from an exercise as charitable as this one, that we do not ignore our own expenses, to our detriment,” the letter said.
It went on to commend the local organisers for “putting the welfare of animals ahead of your own needs, and dedicating so much of your own precious time to this work.”
Comments
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
Comrades can't you hear the happy barking sounds ringing out over our tiny Nassau Town. All Pot cakes know they've been saved when the foreigner vets with big hearts come to their rescue. Funny how it would take an strikingly handsome Pot cake in a cage to get this government to act on anything, with speed. Tribune please tell your loyal readers much more about your front page featured Pot cake. Like his/her name and please tell us was adopted out to a loving home? Personally, I 'd like name your featured Pot cake, "Royal Bahamalander."
Amen!
banker 10 years, 11 months ago
Ummm .... perhaps Comrade Royale Bahamalander ..
UserOne 10 years, 11 months ago
Or just Comrade? Thank you to The Tribune for keeping on top of this story.
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
What a sweet name touch. Thanks Banker nice discover within you actually lies one kind heart.
Hallelujah!
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
...1/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY…
banker 10 years, 11 months ago
God Bless us one and all. Now let's feed and educate the children and employ all of the adults.
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
Please Tribune tell us much more whatever happened to "Comrade Royale Bahamalander?"
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
@banker, good point. I think this story has a lesson for us. 1. The media brought to our attention a possible "injustice" (I use the term loosely). 2. The public expressed their opposition. 3. The position was founded in good sense 4. The tribune stuck with the story. 5. The public keep talking about it. I'm convince on many occasions our elected officials play a wait game, they wait for us to forget and when we show no interest the media moves on to the next story, politicians are off the hook. A good "cause", good media coverage, public interest.
What's happening with NIB benefits? And yes how to we get a national B+ average (think that solution would address both unemployment and crime)
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
Should read "....I'm convinceD on many occasions ...", can't talk about a national B+ average without that edit!
ohdrap4 10 years, 11 months ago
last time the tribune published the D GRADE AVERAGE, there were only 4 comments.
the foreign teachers abound here, that does not solve the problem
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
Hmmm..good point...maybe the fundamental problem is the value of a good education isn't getting through...and I guess the added problem of hard work being too hard.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
Hey Rory, look, it's the same doggie again. He's safe.
Honestman 10 years, 11 months ago
What a Public Relations disaster for the local vets. Hope they learn from this folly. National interest should always come before self interest . Sadly in this day and age, it doesn't often happen. Well done to the Tribune for highlighting the public's anger over this entire episode and relief all round that the vets eventually saw sense.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
I'm kind of thinking the newly elected board that reversed the previous boards acceptance of the initiative are probably NOT going to next years board members...thinking the 'good vets' out there will oust them as quick as they can.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
Aaahh...Rory you're back in fine form, but I'm not sure if the comment is about the posters, the local vets or the potcakes...
UserOne 10 years, 11 months ago
Who cares? Rory's offensive comments aren't worth thinking about.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
Yes, he can be offensive but he is funny at times...sometimes you have to be able to laugh at yourself and when I saw his post, it hit me that it was very "general":))
John 10 years, 11 months ago
Rory is a paper Bahamian and a racist
TruthSayer 10 years, 11 months ago
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” .......... Ghandi
No truer words ever spoken............Thank you to all the Animal Welfare groups in the Bahamas and the MVAB for coming together and doing what is right for the animals. You should be proud.
TruthSayer 10 years, 11 months ago
Rory, How did you find out I was a rat? I admit that I have been genetically enhanced by the toxic chemicals in my cesspool that caused my neurons for grow uncontrolled and now I can type with my tiny little rat paws and can do it all while chugging beer with newly prehensile tail. Did you know I can fly too? Yup, me and the pigs, we fly all the time. It's awesome!
John 10 years, 11 months ago
The real reason why Operation Potcake was cancelled was that there was a certain "Potcake", well they didn't just want spay him, they was trying to castrate him..something to do with double dipping at BEC.. so they had to make sure he was safe before they let the program happen..
John 10 years, 11 months ago
why do they have to 'fix' the male dogs anyway if they 'fixin' the females..sounds like "back stabbing" (BS) to me
ohdrap4 10 years, 11 months ago
unneutered males are more agressive, as sometimes can be witnessed in newspaper headlines
but they also are less likely to roam and fight, and catch diseases so the public is safer
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
Hmmm...another "general" comment:))
Zags 10 years, 11 months ago
The request below has been turning up all over Facebook:
**Request for Donations to Operation Potcake
Due to your efforts we've managed to convince the vets to change their minds and now we need your help again to make it all happen. We need to raise at least $50 000 so if everyone that signed the petition can donate just $30-$50 we will cover the costs immediately. If you donate $30 you’ll sponsor one big dog and $50 will cover up to two smaller dogs or two cats! To make a donation by Credit Card or PayPal right now visit our Global Giving page, http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/op… Or visit the Operation Potcake website for more options including check: http://www.operationpotcake.com/donate/… Please share with your friends or repost this, the more people that see this, the quicker we can buy our supplies!**
So, as I had tried to point out in my post [re-posted to the link below]: There is no such thing as a FREE SPAY [or NEUTER].
The vets were just asking for their expenses to be reimbursed. They already have their own supplies of choice which they use when performing surgeries and spay/neuter clinics in both Nassau, and the Family Islands.
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2013/nov…">link text
Zags 10 years, 11 months ago
As there are donation requests all over the internet for [the spays & neuters to be performed by the vets participating in] Operation Potcake, I felt it necessary to re-post a concise version of my comment from last week which attempted to explain why THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE SPAY [or NEUTER].
Last year during Operation Potcake local and foreign vets volunteered their time free of charge. No vet was paid for his or her participation. In addition, all surgical materials were supplied to the participating vets for their use. These supplies which cost approximately $50.00 per animal were bought with funds raised locally.
There is no such thing as a FREE SPAY [or NEUTER]. A spay [or neuter] may be performed at no cost to the owner, but the materials used have to be purchased - whether with funds raised through contributions, or by the vets purchasing them from their suppliers.
The following question was posed by the Tribune: "Operation Potcake has been cancelled following opposition from local vets. How do you think the spay and neuter programme should be run?"
The options were: "As they did last year, foreign volunteers should be allowed to operate for free" or "Local vets should undertake the project at a cost of $50 per surgery"
Unfortunately, the premise of this question is incorrect: Neither the first option, nor the second is a true statement.
The correct choice of options should have been:
As they did last year, local and foreign veterinarians and their staffs providing their services free of charge and being supplied with all necessary surgical material paid for with funds raised locally, at a cost of $50.00 per animal? or Local veterinarians and their staff providing their services free of charge, and being reimbursed for all surgical material which they supply and use for the spays and neuters at a cost of $50.00 per animal? In each case, the cost per animal is $50.00.
The mistaken idea that the foreign vets' surgeries are free is ridiculous: All surgery must be paid for. Foreign vets are coming into a situation to assist the local veterinarians and everything that they need is provided. When local vets carry out spay/neuter projects within the islands of The Bahamas they purchase and take along their own supplies.
Unfortunately veterinarians in The Bahamas get a bum rap. This may be because they do not go around tooting their own horns and, perhaps, because few people know how much pro bono work they actually do.
[continued below…]
Zags 10 years, 11 months ago
I have never seen any other medical school graduate [in The Bahamas] treated with such disrespect and it is in stark contrast to the way that veterinarians are revered in other countries. I have never experienced the way [my fellow] lay people and animal lovers feel that they are as qualified [to make decisions concerning animal welfare] as a veterinarian who has been through years of medical school.
As lay people we should be embarrassed by our own behaviour and comments; we would never dream of disrespecting our physicians in this manner.
There are always at least two sides to every story.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
For me the question was never about whether they were qualified or not, for me that goes without saying. A local vet saved my dog (my baby) some years ago and I was extremely grateful. So I know they are qualified and they are caring people. The only problem I had was the we can do it ourselves message. If help is being offered take it, not because they can do a better job but because the extra hands will produce a greater impact.
TruthSayer 10 years, 11 months ago
Zags,
The cost is NOT $50 per animal for supplies, it is $17 to $20 per animal.
The local vets said they couldn't do 5 days and they would end up doing only about 150 surgeries (max).
So it comes down to numbers doesn't it?
Physicians and Veterinarians are people, they do not "deserve" any more respect than any other living being deserves. Why would you think they deserve more respect? Because they have a lot of initials behind their name? Because they went to school for 8 years? If that is the case them Mother Teresa doesn't deserve respect, neither does Ghandi or Einstein for that matter, or the lady that works in the store down the street or the preacher in the church, because they don't have initials behind their names and didn't got to school for 8 years.
Respect is earned by being good, doing good and fostering good in the future.
And yes, those of us "lay people" have spend years and years, educating ourselves on animal welfare and we are more than qualified to make decisions on animal welfare. Maybe not medical decisions, but animal welfare decisions for sure. We may not have as many initials behind our names, but do not ever underestimate our abilities in realm of animal welfare, because on that count, you are sadly mistaken. It is the people like us, the lay people, the lady down the street, the "ordinary" that have indeed changed the world and will continue to do so. We this all without even asking once to "revered", we just ask that you work beside us to make things better.
rosiepi 10 years, 11 months ago
Yes there are two sides to every story, but when one side fabricates the costs per proceduere at such an inflated figure, ie. more than twice the actual cost ie. $50 per animal, ( and to render the goals of the charity unattainable) then obviously we have a failure to level the playing field.
Or is there an implied insistence that one side should ignore what has really been happening in this matter..ie. that is this just the cost of doing business or more unfortunately doing charitible works in the Bahamas? This problem over ' fee costs' is presented together and muddied with what looks to be a trumped up point of Bahamian pride or nationalism; "local vets still feel the need to send a clear message to our fellow Bahamians, that we are an entity more than capable of managing the difficult task of reducing our strays, and it should be none but our own that assume that responsibility.” Really, then why havent you all fixed it?
Why haven't these capable and educated professionals come together and risen to the challenge- if only to render the community capable of hearing their "untooted horns"? Why must there be the continued spectre of literally being 'shown up' by foreign vets to galvinize this ' nationalistic' community? I believe it is referred to in some circles as putting your money wherein lies your mouth.
TruthSayer 10 years, 11 months ago
Nope, it's $20 in the Bahamas.........Supplies were ordered from the Bahamas.
TruthSayer 10 years, 11 months ago
Where would you put them? To house an animal in a shelter costs roughly $70 per day per animal. But spaying or neutering 1 breeding pair of dogs will prevent roughly 5000-6000 dogs being born in the next 7 years.
The point is to find a human way to reduce the population and the only think that has ever worked is spay/neuter. People have tried other methods, poison, gassing, etc. and those methods have never worked.
If you take some time to educate yourself on this issue you will find it very helpful and maybe you can become part of the solution as well and spread the word in your neighborhood about spay/neuter.
Zags 10 years, 11 months ago
Truthsayer, you are really good at throwing out numbers, the problem is they just don't add up.
Operation Potcake has stated that they are trying to raise $50,000 for OP2014. They previously stated that the target for OP2014 is 1000 animals.
That works out to exactly $50/animal...
I admit that OP2014 does not have to pay for overhead, or staff, or the cost of doing business, etc. so, yes, their costs should be quite a bit lower.
Zags 10 years, 11 months ago
Rory, what I appreciate in your posts is the realism; you seem not to be governed by emotion.
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