Seeking to curb the stray animal population, the Rosewood Foundation Guyana is once again encouraging the public to have their pets spayed or neutered.
Anesa Bird, executive member and Public Relations Coordinator of the organisation, told Sunday Stabroek that the approaching cat mating season has made action call even more imperative. “This is a very important factor in ensuring that we reduce the amount of homeless animals in Guyana. More animals that are fixed, the easier it becomes for us to manage that homeless pet situation,” Bird said.
According to her, animals that are neutered or spayed are less aggressive during mating season, and also less likely to get lost given that animals normally tend to follow other animals they wanted to mate with at this time.
In addition to reducing the urge to mate, spaying and neutering also results in there being fewer litters on the streets. Noting that one litter has multiple young ones, Bird said that if there are female offspring among them there was a real possibility of another litter being born in a few months. She further noted that cats do not go through menopause, and therefore will continuously have litters but spaying ends the cycle.
Additionally, she said that the colder months of the year are known as kitten season. During these months, cats are in heat and the foundation sees a buildup in the number of homeless cats as owners have been known to place entire litters out on the road.
“For us kitten season is a very urgent, very serious matter… We recently had a kitten shower to help us raise donations to help us take care of these animals. Especially around this period, we get a lot of reports about stray animals. People are asking, “Can you take in these kittens?’, ‘Can you care for this kitten?’, ‘Can you rescue this kitten I found on the road?’ or they’ll just tell us about an animal they found on the street,” she added.
Animals left in the streets become feral and this makes it hard for them to get adopted. She said that once they do not have contact with humans for a while they are harder to train. Especially when the animal is no longer young. “They don’t get accustomed to that interaction and they become very scared of people. So it’s harder for us to get through to those kinds of animals that are already feral. For the ones that we do rescue, from when they are kittens, it’s easier for us to be able to train these animals for life with humans,” Bird told this newspaper. She said animals that are trained are very loving and affectionate toward the people who take care of them.
Rosewood Foundation is an animal welfare organization and it advocates for the safety, wellness, protection and care of animals. Members do volunteer work and they are often supported through donations or out of their own pockets. She said that many times they would keep the animals they rescue in their homes until they are adopted.
This month, Rosewood Foundation is collaborating with the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) to get animals spayed and neutered. It is a low-cost campaign, so pet owners will pay a reduced cost for the operation. Flea and tick treatment will also be offered. Interested persons can reach out to the GSPCA on 226-4237 or 223-0940.
People who have concerns about animals, are seeking answers about them or have seen animals either being abused, lost or in need of shelter can also contact the GSPCA, Rosewood Foundation Guyana or Tails of Hope Rescue Service.
