A group of residents has launched a campaign to seek stronger enforcement of animal welfare laws to help protect dogs like Wilbur, who died earlier this month after being found starving and severely emaciated in Prospect.
His owner has been arrested and charged with cruelty to an animal.
The new campaign, called ‘Justice for Wilbur’, will involve a demonstration, planned tentatively for early next month, and a petition calling for the strengthening and enforcement of the Animals Act to help protect animals from being abused.
Dr. Denise Osterloh, a general practitioner, is one of the people spearheading the campaign.
“Enough is enough,” she told the Compass, of the sentiment that had led her and other members of the group to try to take action to protect the islands’ animals.
Osterloh says while there are many animal lovers who have been working behind the scenes to do their best to help rehome and get veterinary care for animals in need, “nothing changes, so people think, ‘Why should I try?'”
It’s time the broader community realises the extent of the problem of animal abuse and neglect in Cayman, and demand that the authorities finally respond appropriately by ensuring that existing laws are strengthened and enforced, she said.
The images of Wilbur – with his ribcage prominently visible on his emaciated body – posted on social media since he was found by Julia Stenson near her home in Prospect, have horrified those who have seen them.
Osterloh says this case is so extreme that “non-animal people are going, ‘This is crazy'”.
And while changing or calling for better enforcement of the Animals Act is part of the campaign, it’s mostly about “making more people aware of animal cruelty and the apathy about it”, she says.
Five freedoms
The first meeting of the ‘Justice for Wilbur’ campaigners was held last week.
Among the issues they want to highlight is what is known as the ‘five freedoms’ of animal welfare, which are:
- Freedom from hunger and thirst.
- Freedom from discomfort.
- Freedom from pain, injury or disease.
- Freedom to express normal behaviour.
- Freedom from fear and distress.
It is illegal in Cayman to abuse an animal, but animal welfare groups on island have long lamented that the law is not strongly enforced.
The Animals Act states that a person who intentionally makes an animal unnecessarily suffer; works an unfit animal; administers poison to an animal; operates on an animal without due care and humanity; or tethers, confines or keeps an animal as to cause unnecessary suffering; or abandons an animal commits an offence of animal cruelty and is liable for prosecution.
Anyone convicted of committing animal cruelty is liable to a $500 fine or to six months’ imprisonment.
Rescuing and caring for Wilbur
Stenson, who found Wilbur, is among the newly-formed group.
She told the Compass she spotted the dog when he had wandered along the road outside her property one evening last month, and she was shocked by the state he was in.
“He could barely stand. He was shaking on his legs. He was so unbelievably starved looking; there was green pus coming out of his eyes,” she said.
She took Wilbur to an enclosed area nearby and gave him food and water. “He took that straightaway, he was so hungry,” she said.
She contacted the Department of Agriculture, who, she said, told her they might not be able to pick up the dog until the next day.
“I told them the dog is in such an awful state, I didn’t think he would make it through the night,” she said.
When DoA officers came to pick up Wilbur, they asked if she knew who owned him. At that stage, Stenson said she hadn’t realised this was the same dog she used to see when she walked her own dog in the neighbourhood, so she was unable to tell them.
It was only when her husband mentioned that the dog seemed to have a white collar, which was actually the white fur marking around his neck, that she realised it was the same dog. She then called the DoA to let them know. She spoke with other neighbours who confirmed where the dog lived, and passed their details onto the department.
The animal charity One Dog At A Time, which takes dogs from the DoA kennels where they are euthanised if not claimed, got involved in the case, and took over the care of Wilbur.
The dog was treated at The Veterinary Clinic in Savannah, where Stenson visited him every day.
She said she and her 7-year-old daughter Maya would sit on a blanket on the floor with Wilbur and pet him.
Stenson said Maya used all her savings, “including money from the Tooth Fairy” to contribute towards Wilbur’s veterinary bills.
“After it happened, I knew something has to change. This cannot be forgotten. People need to know about this. The penalties aren’t strong enough. The cases take too long to go through the courts, if they make it there. It’s a ridiculous situation,” she said.
The vets, who estimated his age to be between 3 and 4 years old, posted regular updates on Wilbur’s condition on Facebook, and supplied updates to Stenson as well.
One of the reports, on 20 Oct., a day after he arrived at the clinic, read, “He’s eating but very weak. Low red blood cells, high white blood cells, heart worm positive, heavy load of hookworms, double eye infection, but he’s fighting.”
Over the next few days, he seemed to rally a little – eating more and becoming less anaemic, but he was still very weak and feverish.
On 5 Nov., One Dog At A Time posted that Wilbur had died, writing: “Wilbur passed away this morning – had his walk, laid down and slipped away. He couldn’t fight any longer. We are praying there is justice for Wilbur in the court system as this, unfortunately, is not an isolated story. May his life have had some purpose. RIP Wilbur, you knew love in the last few weeks.”
Stenson said Wilbur’s death came as a shock, as he had been looking better, and she’d hoped to adopt him once he’d recovered enough to leave the clinic.
“This dog really touched my heart,” she said.
She and her family now have Wilbur’s ashes at their home.
Arrest and charge
In a statement to the Compass Monday afternoon, the Department of Agriculture said its Animal Welfare and Control “conducted a thorough investigation with regards to the emaciated dog that was found in Prospect, the findings of which were submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“A decision was made to proceed with prosecution and the responsible owner of the animal was arrested and formally charged for Cruelty to an Animal under the Animals Act (2015 Revision) and was subsequently bailed to appear in the Cayman Islands Summary Court at a later date.
“DOA wishes to express its gratitude to the community and other law enforcement agencies for their continued support and collaboration and will continue to investigate any reported cases of animal neglect or cruelty.”
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