The Animal Rescue Adoption and Protection Society (ARAPS), a not-for-profit organization, is one of several in Guyana that is committed to rescuing animals from cruel environs and providing them with caring, forever homes.
Founded last November, ARAPS, the brainchild of several women who saw a need for it, celebrated its first anniversary a month ago. In establishing ARAPS, the women chose to be voices for the voiceless and use their platform to fight against animal cruelty, homelessness and overpopulation.
In an interview with this newspaper, Vice President of the organization Melissa Ramdeen said: “ARAPS’s vision focuses on community involvement. We involve the community through education and public awareness on the importance of respecting all animals. We also involve as many persons as possible in spay and neuter campaigns and we encourage adoption of animals. Our main goal is to protect the health, safety and welfare of all animals.”
ARAPS has adopted the most common and internationally recognized standards, called the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behaviour, and freedom from fear and distress. The organization focuses mainly on housing conditions, abuse, including neglect and abandonment, and works to see that laws regarding animals are implemented.
Within the last year, the NGO has engaged in a number of projects, including educating the public on caring for and protecting their animals. Currently, its shelter has 81 cats and dogs, a small number of the countless animals, ARAPS has helped so far.
“I have lost count on the number of rescues we have done but each one gives a sense of fulfillment and that feeling knowing that we made a difference…,” said Ramdeen.
At present, ARAPS does not have its own veterinarian and relies on any available vet. Most of its medical services are provided by Dr Nardeo Basoodeo.
On December 10, ARAPS was one of a few organizations to benefit from a low-cost spay and neuter campaign that was conducted by the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is also one of the NGO’s main partners. Members of ARAPS worked together in identifying, transporting and managing the animals as well as preparing them for surgery, monitoring them while they were recovering from surgery and cleaning up after.
“We have been actively spreading awareness on the importance of spaying and neutering cats and dogs to help control the stray population and to also help with the prevention of cancers. Whenever any campaign is slated to be held, we would advertise on our web page and check in with activists to get persons on a list to get their animals fixed. We take the full responsibility for picking up and dropping back all animals,” Ramdeen said.
The team has conducted outreaches in regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 thus far. The NGO accepts animals from anywhere in Guyana and has activists who are willing to pick them up and have them transported to ARAPS.
One such animal was Angel, a dog who was rescued along with her seven pups. Angel was a stray that was living in an abandoned house with her puppies at Number 66 Village, Corentyne. Ramdeen learnt of the dogs from a friend and travelled there to see them. However, for her own safety, she did not collect the dogs immediately but instead earned their trust by visiting them many weekends and feeding them. Once she realized that she was seen as a friend, she returned one Sunday with a crate, jumped over a fence to get to where the dog and her puppies were and collected them without any trouble. Ramdeen, who had spent all of her life with pets, picked up on a strange bark from Angel, already in the crate with six pups. Sensing something was wrong, she decided to return to the house where she found a seventh puppy. They were all transported to Georgetown and ‘forever homes’ were found for all of them. Sadly, Angel was subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
Ramdeen acknowledged that they do not get it right all the time when choosing forever homes for the animals. Sometimes extra work is involved in finding them the right families to care for rescue animals, but the team is determined to see it through.
One such puppy was a Dachshund called Leo, who, according to Ramdeen, had to be rehomed five times before he found his real family. She noted that by the fourth family, the dog had lost its charm but is now back to its carefree, happy self.
“ARAPS is very strict with adoption and we do not compromise. We follow up on our animals and do spot checks as well. If ever we find that the animals are not well kept as was agreed to, we reclaim our animals and find better homes,” she said.
Though they do not support domestication of wild animals, ARAPS has cared for such animals who had their wings clipped, tails chopped, and wings or legs broken, among other injuries. Once the animal’s injuries are healed, they are released back into the wild. She expressed disgust at seeing wild animals caged and/or being trafficked and called on the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission to be more vigilant.
The work members of ARAPS put in to provide the best for their animals is not easy. It can be really challenging, Ramdeen said. Initially, one of their main challenges was finding land for a shelter. Once this was underway, they were challenged with finances and donations to run the shelter, pay for vaccinations, food, spaying, neutering, treatment for injuries, and medical emergencies. Getting their animals adopted was another task and if that was not enough, they felt helpless regarding the implementation of laws protecting animals.
Ramdeen said passion is required if one is to be the best at taking care of animals. She was born into a family that loves
animals, but Ramdeen explained that she later learned that love was not enough. She received that lesson through animal activist Syeada Manbodh, who is also an executive member of ARAPS, and this led to her becoming an animal activist.
“I met Syeada at a very critical time in my life and she pointed to the ray of sunshine that led me to become an animal activist,” she said. “She encouraged me to join other animal groups so that I can start making a difference. It was then, whilst reaching out to like-minded persons that I met Ms Shari Rodrigues, the woman who changed my life forever. Shari’s passion and kindness were contagious, and she added fuel to my desire that has now become one of my greatest investment in life. ARAPS’s team is made of strong, passionate, selfless and amazing people who inspire each other to make a change in the world.”
The critical time in her life she mentioned was in 2015 when she lost her father. Animal activism, she explained, provided her with a purpose and keeps her going.
Ramdeen has four dogs she personally takes care of: Sylvester Rambo, Bella Chow, Mr Stinks, and Luna, her vegetarian dog. She chuckled as she shared that Luna eats no meat, but loves dhall and roti, beans and rice as well as stewed karila.
Ramdeen has dealt with both the joys and pain like the all of the other members of ARAPS. Not all of their rescues have happy endings. She recalled the first time she felt pain over losing an animal was as a girl when a neighbour strayed a dog she had grown close with. The dog had lost its hair and weight and was strayed away. “A few months after she was strayed, she was found at the market completely healed, fat and full of life. When she came home, she ran straight over, overjoyed to see us. I will never forget that feeling of seeing her again and knowing she felt the same way. Sheba went on to live a full and long life but lost her battle with breast cancer,” she said.
ARAPS has a number of goals. It aims to do more sensitization on the importance of being kind towards all animals; to conduct more spay, neuter and vaccination campaigns; to further raise awareness on the harmful effects of loud noises, especially firecrackers; to acquire land to build a sanctuary for animals; to educate children on the importance of being respectful and kind to all animals; and to engage the relevant authorities on needed legislative changes.
Persons are invited to donate their time, to sponsor spay and neuter campaigns, vaccination drives, food for the animals or to make financial contributions to assist with medical and other emergency costs.
“We encourage owners to ensure that the basic amenities for their pets are met, such as adequate food, clean water and shelter. We encourage pet owners to treat their animals with love and respect and to always to be mindful of their feelings. We have met with the relevant responsible government agencies and we are hopeful that before the end of this twelfth parliament we will see tangible changes in legislation pertaining to animal welfare,” Ramdeen said.
Some of the other member of ARAPS are Shari Rodrigues, who is the president of the organization, Varsha Ramlakhan and Nicole Patricia Joy.
ARAPS or Ramdeen can be contacted on the Facebook page ARAPS or via email mramdeen@araps.org or meliramdeen@gmail.com, or call or WhatsApp on 592-625-9115.
