With reference to the letter in SN which Cheddi (Joey) Jagan wrote on March 4 (‘No one seems to care’), I feel exactly the same way as he does. The seawall could look so very nice if it wasn’t so dirty with garbage and the strays that people have dumped.
My husband, Tony, always said to me that I would never make any difference to Guyana, as the problem is so big. As I collected all the strays around Georgetown and as far as Berbice – not only on the seawall – I got the impression that some Guyanese love to live in filth; there is garbage on the streets and garbage everywhere, in addition to the strays which people treat as garbage.
Many Guyanese really don’t give a damn about their animals. Even getting them vaccinated is such a small thing to do to stop disease. If people don’t care properly for their pets, they end up either slowly dying of mange or the likes of parvovirus, leptospirosis (carried by rats) or distemper, which are all prevalent. So what eventually happens is that they class the animal as dirty, or it becomes sick and then they throw the poor animal away, which can be anywhere, but mainly on the seawall. Having lived in Guyana for a number of years, I helped, and took off the streets more than two thousand dogs. Many were from the seawall and had literally been dumped there by uncaring owners who had been heartless enough to do such a barbaric thing to Man’s Best Friend. Syeada Manbodh took over after I left, and I showed her all the best – or worst – places to find the many strays along the seawall, among other areas. I’m very happy that she is continuing the good work, which is so selfless. The one I remember most, was the dog I found in the bushes on the jetty with only half a face, as it had been eaten out by maggots. How that animal must have suffered. I still have photos of all the dogs (and cats) I picked up off the streets, and still it gives me a lump in my throat.
Wake up Guyana! There will be no tourism because of all the garbage that is produced and is not disposed of properly by the residents and the M&CC; and the stray problem will always be there if people do not learn that straying your animal is not the thing to do. If you don’t want your pet, take it to the GSPCA tel: 226 4237 (on the corner of Robb Street/Orange Walk) and you will not be turned away. At a cost, hopefully, it will be humanely euthanised by injection.
Please, please don’t stray any animal. It must be like dumping a child in an unfamiliar area and walking away, just because you don’t want it! If people became more aware of the suffering of these animals, they could call or visit the GSPCA, and they would collect any neglected or abused animal.
All it takes is a little education and a good heart to do the right thing for your once beloved pet.
Yours faithfully,
Nicole Fitzsimmons
