Activist group urges action to protect animals
One of the dogs chopped by a machete in Savannah
(CNS): A local NGO calling for better protection of animals and the enforcement of existing laws is urging the community to sign a petition following a brutal machete attack on two dogs in Savannah. Cayman Animal’s WatchDog wants to see people who torture, abuse or neglect animals to be held accountable, after the Department of Agriculture found that a person who chopped the two dogs in the head with a machete acted in self-defence. The injured animals had been found by another animal charity, the Protection of Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), and taken to a vet, who saved their lives. But the attack has fuelled concerns that the authorities are not taking animal abuse seriously.
Cayman Animal’s WatchDog has complained that while many local animal charities, vets, businesses in the animal industry and volunteers work hard to suppress the pet population, rehabilitate and re-home animals, fund maintenance and medical care for them, the authorities are not playing their part to address animal welfare concerns. With dog-fighting rings in operation, animals being starved, imprisoned, burned on property lots, sexually and physically assaulted, tied to trees and left to die, much more needs to be done.
In a recent Facebook posting, both PAWS and Cayman Animal’s WatchDog queried the DOA findings following the machete attack on Lily and Prince, the dogs in Savannah. The DOA had investigated the attack but said that the animals got loose and attacked someone, who “found a machete to defend themselves”.
But PAWS noted that while they did not wish to dismiss that account, the dogs had never before shown any aggression to any of their volunteers, other charity workers or local vets who have interacted with the dogs. In its own Facebook page, activists from Cayman Animal’s WatchDog challenged the account and questioned how someone being attacked by two dogs, which have never demonstrated aggression towards humans, found the wherewithal to locate and access a machete, and then to inflict injuries on the top of each dog’s head.
“If attacked, would the human victim not have sustained injuries themselves? Wouldn’t the human victim have needed medical attention? Wouldn’t the victim have contacted the owner and/or the RCIPS at the time of their attack?” the charity questioned, making it clear they are not convinced by the account. “These dogs were still friendly when approached by humans after their injuries,” the charity noted.
“While Cayman Animal’s WatchDog does not condone unleashed animal activity outside of private property without the supervision of an owner, these findings by the DOA only raise more questions about how thoughtful or thorough their investigation to the story provided really was.”
As a result, the charity is again urging people to sign the petition, which has already attracted more than 3,000 signatures, in an effort to get the authorities to do more to protect animals and hold people to account when they are found to be involved in animal abuse, from cock-fighting to poisoning neighbours’ pets.
Category: Crime
Many many times, we see the ineffectiveness and incompetence at the DOA and their so called animal welfare officers. They are a waste of space, employ someone who firstly knows the law, and then has a true understanding of animal needs. And why is it only the charities that deal with this, the DOA should be similar to the ASPCA or RSPCA and actively work with charities.
Stop sh*tting on my lawn!
I sh!t where I want!
This place is mix up. I need to give my pitbull away. I don’t want him. So I went to the animal shelter and they said they were full. I went to Agriculter and I was told after detaning him for sometime, they would put him to sleep. And nobody wants a grown as pitbull.
So I am thinking of aborting him. I said aborting or culling because that dont sound too bad. Yea, anyways. I can not afford the fool. He is a burden to try to keep. He was given to me because the owner left the island. So I had to take him on the spur of the moment. I sorry I did
I read tge comments here. Please dont judge me about I loose a dangerous dog. I dont want him. So eder I let him go and roam or I abort him. Nobody else wants the fool. All the shelters say they full ?????? So thats my problem
While you are on here posting try appealing to Facebook and posting there and reach a wider audience. Someone will the him off your hands.
Being born was your problem, and now it’s ours.
You have bigger problems than the dog. Ignorant is an understatement.
Please contact One Dog at a Time. They may be able to help you.
345 917 8284
Info@ODAAT.ky
Let me correct that for you… they may be able to help the dog but no one can help the poster.
Let em loose in the dump or the dike roads somewhere with food
Hard to believe you found it necessary to say that.
They should put all animal welfare under the DOE and take it away from those idiots at the DOA.
But first, change the Animals Law and then recruit professional officers to do the job.
the laws are in place just not enforced
How about a petition to protect animals from incompetent owners with ZERO breed knowledge and ZERO sense of responsibility? None of this would have happened has another low level pit owner kept their dogs controlled and contained on their own property.
Some of them can’t even spell.
XXXXXX
CNS. Please pass on to whomever you think will shut them down.
CNS: I passed the link onto the police. I have deleted it here so as not to publicise it further.
All dogs that are tied up should by removed from properties. As a dog lover we need to speak up for them.
Keep your dogs from getting loose and you won’t have to worry about it being chopped in it’s head for nosing around other peoples yard, or you for that matter.
You are so wicked. Shame on you.
This is tough but people will defend themselves if attacked by dogs.
I agree but how do you know someone was defending themselves in this case??
I don’t know what happened but i assume most people don’t go out trying to 1 v 2 some dogs.
Plus he hit them in the head, which meant they were at least looking at him, instead of running away, (which would have resulted in the back or legs getting hurt) and he didn’t continue hit them because there was just the one chop. Which is based solely on this article.
I understand how people treat an animal is how they will likely treat a human being. So their needs to be Police action against all manner torture. And some kind of counseling for animal abuse need to be implemented as part of a rehab program.
With that said, on the other hand, I don’t blame a person having a stick or a weapon to protect themselves from a ferocious dog that is loose! People will say it is not their dog. But they need to do a better job at fencing in their animal; or, dont have a dog! To many people just seeing a dog come towards them is threatening.
The majority of dog owners are nit capable of taking care of themselves, but see it as a means of making money, instead of getting a decent paying job. Stop those people from owning dogs and therefore illtreating them. Set a guideline on ownership, reduce poor treatment.
Like you need a license to own a pet … lol … sounds draconian to me
Caymankind strikes again.
Oh bugger off!
Generalizations are is tactic of hate minded individuals.
This is a terrible act, by AN INDIVIDUAL, and they should be punished accordingly. But to label this as a Caymanian thing, is not only irresponsible but also misinformed.
@ 3:23 pm
Thank you so much. Well said!
Painting every Caymanian with a discriminatory brush aren’t we?
I agree, but until right minded Caymanians stand up and be counted by putting pressure on their elected officials to stop all cruelty by changing laws, then sadly they remain responsible as a society.
7:28pm – No truer statement…
You cannot be called Caymankind when you sit back and allow this type of thing to continue when there are ways to prevent it.
Yep! ????????