The dogs at the Cayman Islands Humane Society shelter had something to celebrate on Saturday, 28 May.
The event was a going-away party for long-time volunteers Mike and Julie Ridsdale, who expressed their wish that every dog at the shelter have its day at the beach. Volunteer dog walkers turned up in large numbers to make their wish come true.
According to Lesley Walker, a volunteer with the Humane Society, there was an excellent turnout for the event.
“Walkers started arriving at 8.30am and by 9am at the shelter, we had people queuing out of the door in order to take dogs to the beach. At 9.45am the first dogs out were returning home – very wet, sandy, tired but happy,” she said.
Ms Walker said the Humane Society achieved its target of trying to get all the dogs and puppies in good health down to the beach, and she estimates that about 90 eventually went.
“Participants were matched up to suitable dogs, all wearing ‘Adopt-Me’ bandanas, and were also given a handy poop bag containing information and doggy treats,” she said.
The dogs and volunteers were also well taken care of at the beach, with cool water and biscuits for the dogs, as well as refreshments for the walkers and volunteers.
“The dogs had a great time-walking, jogging, swimming, paddling, rolling and just generally having a good old sniff around their sandy surroundings,” said Ms Walker.
‘Absolutely amazing’
Twila Escalante, shelter liaison for the Humane Society, was among those who spent some time on the beach with the dogs.
“It was absolutely amazing to see all the dogs on the beach enjoying themselves and behaving so well. We try to ensure that the dogs at the shelter get walked as often as possible, but this was a new experience for many of them and they loved it,” she said.
In light of the excellent response to the event, the Humane Society is hoping to make the beach day a regular item on the organisation’s calendar.
“On behalf of Mike and Julie Ridsdale and the Cayman Islands Humane Society, we want to thank all those who turned up and made the event such a success, not forgetting of course the staff and volunteers back at the shelter who put in such hard work before, during and after,” said Ms Walker.
Dog walkers are always needed at the shelter and are welcomed every day. On weekends walks take place from 9am until about noon. Dogs can also be signed out for several hours for a trip to the beach and can be taken for short-term sleepovers. Dogs and cats can also be fostered for longer periods.
All the dogs that participated in the beach day are available for adoption; adoption fees have been reduced to $45 per dog and $35 per cat.
The event was also intended to raise funds to enable the shelter to purchase micro-chip equipment and Ms Walker urged those who participated in the walk to donate, saying that if all the participants donated $10, the organisation would be close to its target.
Anyone interested in adopting a dog or cat or donating to the Humane Society can visit the shelter on North Sound Road or call 949-1461.
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