Prisoners care for stray dogs
We call them man’s best friend, but sometimes, it is the dog that needs a friend. Especially if it has been abandoned on the streets or suffering from mange. Well, a new programme at the Hattieville prison is combining puppies and prisoners, with very positive results… for both parties.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
It was really something watching the inmates, who are serving time for various offences including assault, robbery, and burglary showing affection and care towards puppies that have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves on the city streets. Last month the animals that are between six weeks to three months old were brought to the Hattieville facility by the Belize Humane Society as part of a project dubbed “Paws”. The dogs are not only being nursed back to health, but the process helps to rehabilitate the puppy?s caretakers as well.
Caroline Bowen, Secretary, Belize Humane Society
“Help alleviate the stray problem on the streets of Belize. Obviously that?s a big concern, whether it?s for tourism, sanitation, even public health we have issues with that too. So what we would like is to get the dogs up here, rehabilitate them, and the end results is to get them adopted out to good families.”
Otis Carr, Inmate
“By taking care of the dogs they learn responsibility and they learn about taking care of themselves also. Because by keeping the dog well tidy and clean, cleaning out their place that they sleep, feeding them everyday, they learn about taking care of themselves also.”
Because the puppies were never cared for, the animals are being treated for a number of conditions.
Dr. Floyd Bennett, Veterinary Surgeon
“The pups that we have been receiving are mostly plagued with what we would call mange. The treatment consists of ivermectin shots; we are giving them, based on their weight, once weekly at least for four treatments, based on the condition that the pups are in. So normally the pups we got were really plagued with mange, so we are administering a four-week treatment and that should clear up the problem.”
Since the treatment started two weeks ago, the pups have been showing improvement.
Dr. Floyd Bennett
“They were all deficient in vitamins, they were all parasitic, they had a lot of parasites, so we have been deworming, we have been just trying to take care of the mange. And later on when they will be put up for adoption, we are hoping that they will be healthy pups to be integrated into society.”
The inmates have been cleaning and preparing seven stalls that will be use as a shelter for the dogs.
Kelvin Reneau, Head, PAWS
“The elder dogs that they bring will be brought right here right away as they are brought. And as soon as the pups reach a stage, they will be brought out here. This project is something that the prisoners are excited about. They like what they are doing, they also treat the dog with love, they don?t hit the dogs, they don?t abuse the dogs. The dogs are fed to time, get vaccinated to time, injection to time.”
Lest you think the inmates see the programme as a break from their cells, these young men say they are very much committed to the project and appear to have already bonded with their four-legged friends.
Wallace Julian Cayetano Jr., Inmate
“Caring for Delilah has been a challenged that by the grace of God it gave me what it takes to bear and have patience and just take due because of Delilah.”
Jacqueline Woods
?How is she looking today??
Wallace Julian Cayetano, Jr.
“Well, so far she?s been looking good because as you can notice, she is gradually regaining her colour and stuff.?
John Faux, Inmate
“I use to love pets, and my favourite pet was a dog, so that?s why I get involved.?
Jacqueline Woods
?It looks like you and Rambo have already established a working relationship here. Tell me a bit about Rambo.?
John Faux
?Well he is learning some of the commands, like he is already responding to his name. You tell him sit and he has occasional times when he obeys his commands. So he?s getting around fairly well right now.”
Dr. Floyd Bennett
“I am seeing that they have a lot of interest in the programme, so that?s a start. I think that to get this programme on stream, first we need some kind of interest on the part of the members, or the inmates who are definitely involved in the programme.”
Caroline Bowen
“Right now we are waiting for some more dogs. I hate to even announce that on TV cause we know they are out there, so if anybody does have dogs, or they know of dogs in their neighbourhood, they can call us and we can try to arrange a pick up for it.”
The inmates are calling on the public to support the project.
Otis Carr
“The people they mention to us, they are making T-shirts and I would like to appeal to our friends and our families out there in Belize City or wherever you are, these T-shirts will be going around, be selling to help the dogs, but it?s not just to help the dog, it?s to help us. Because it gives us a good and a nice reputation to see us doing something worthy so society can see us actually changing. So I would like if our friends, families, whoever you are, to ask you to please support this.”
Presently there are eight puppies at the facility. If you know of a dog in need of similar care please contact the Belize Humane Society and Animal Shelter at telephone number 223-5963.
