56 July 2014 www.bahrainthismonth.com interview Caring for abandoned and stray animals in Bahrain for 35 years, the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) runs largely on the enthusiasm of a small band of committed volunteers. Yet it’s heartening to see what a handful of people have accomplished through their relentless pursuit of corporate and general donors, such as a state-of-theart animal welfare centre in Askar housing abandoned and abused animals. The facility is the first of its kind in the region and one that Bahrain can take pride in. For the past decade, the project at Askar has been a labour of love for BSPCA fundraiser and spokesperson Joyce Hughes. “In 2003, the Prime Minister of Bahrain donated this plot of land for the society’s use. It took us 10 gruelling years of fundraising before we had enough money to construct a purpose-built shelter. I had to beg companies to donate items at cost or free of charge, but we did it in the end,” she recalls. Animal welfare is in the spotlight this year as the GCC Animal Welfare Bill has been passed by parliament and the Shura Council and now awaits the Royal assent before it is brought into law. “This is welcome news to the BSPCA. We find that the vast majority of Bahrain’s citizens are increasingly aware of the plight of stray and neglected animals, particularly cats and dogs,” observes Joyce. The society cares for abandoned and abused animals and tries to find loving homes for them. Grossly abused or sick animals are put to sleep in a humane and appropriate manner. Set to be formally inaugurated this year, the spacious air-conditioned facility at Askar comprises a clinic, lecture hall, operating theatre and quarantine areas in addition to kennels and pens housing a wide assortment of animals. In addition to dogs and cats, there are the donkeys, terrapins, tortoises, a rooster and hens, ducks, rabbits, cockatiels, budgies, a parrot and an aviary for homing pigeons. Joyce has recently organised the building of a special area with a small pool and landscaping to provide a more suitable environment for the aquatic life. The shelter has an annual operating cost of around BD70,000, which allows it to continue rescuing and providing medical care to every animal taken in at the AWC. In the absence of funding from the government, the charity relies heavily on the generosity of the public. Curbing stray animals Perhaps the most important project spearheaded by the BSPCA is the island’s only catch-neutervaccinate-release (CNVR) programme that’s aimed at reducing the population of unwanted stray dogs in Bahrain. For over a year the BSPCA teams have trapped stray dogs and neutered them to prevent them from breeding. Joyce believes the programme is the only humane solution to the problem of strays, but now that financial support from a UK benefactor has lapsed, the future of the programme is jeopardised, and the number of stray dogs is multiplying again. Given that there are around 10,000 stray dogs in Bahrain, it will cost the society approximately BD60,000 to run the programme annually in order to significantly bring down the number of strays. The BSPCA sought minimal monthly funding from all municipalities to carry out dog neutering, a task which in most countries rests with the civic authorities. But support hasn’t been forthcoming so far. “Meanwhile, the incidence of dog attacks has gone up in Bahrain and, increasingly, we find people complaining about the menace in their neighbourhoods. However, our hands are tied until we receive funding from the Ministry of Municipalities to undertake the trapping and neutering of strays on their behalf,” says Joyce. The plight of stray animals usually rises in the summer months when they are hungry and thirsty on the streets, and prone to abuse. Hospital dreams Having built the animal welfare centre, BSPCA board members say they will not rest on their laurels. The charity needs to care for the animals that are constantly being deposited at their shelter, whether A Noble Calling His Majesty King Hamad and Joyce Hughes SIMI KAMBOJ The greatness of a nation is judged by the way it treats its animals, said Mahatma Gandhi. In Bahrain, royal patronage for the BSPCA might soon crystalise the Kingdom’s commitment in this sphere.
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