Public demands action after death of neglected dog

“Things have to change ASAP! Laws need to be enforced. Owners need to be held accountable. These poor sweet dogs are just discarded like garbage. It’s infuriating.”

That was just one of a number of outraged comments from members of the public after a neglected and abandoned dog was brought into the care of One Dog at a Time this month.

Clyde, a young Labrador Pitbull mix who was left behind when his owners moved from their West Bay home, was diagnosed with a skin infection, eye infection and severe heart-worm.

Despite receiving a high level of care, he experienced kidney failure – caused by the preventable heart-worm condition – and a decision was made this week to have him euthanised.

The group’s president, Caroline Johnston, told the Compass that when the heart is full of worms it can no longer pump blood to the other organs and they shut down.

“Kidney failure in dogs is irreversible. A Heartgard tablet each month is about $15 and is an essential part of caring for dogs in Cayman so they don’t go such unnecessary suffering.”

She stressed that there is “no excuse” for leaving a dog unattended with no care as there are welfare and rescue centres that will try and help.

Current law

The Animals Act (2015 Revision) states a person who intentionally makes an animal unnecessarily suffer commits an offence of animal cruelty.

That can include not loosening tight collars, failure to provide adequate food, water or shelter, and keeping animals in an area near faeces or garbage, among other things.

Also liable for prosecution under the law are those who work an unfit animal, poison an animal, or operate on an animal without due care and humanity.

An owner who tethers or confines an animal causing unnecessary suffering, or abandons an animal, is also breaking the law.

Anyone who is convicted faces a fine of $4,000 and up to a year in prison.

The public can report animal-welfare issues to Animal Welfare and Control Services at the Department of Agriculture on its website or call 911 in the event of an emergency.

Animal-cruelty investigations do not include dangerous animals or barking dogs which should be reported to the police.

One Dog At A Time regularly reports cases of suspected animal abuse to the Department of Agriculture – however, they say investigations are lengthy and rarely result in sentences.

“The length of time these cases take, if they even go to court, and the lack of punishment as far as fine or imprisonment is exactly why animal cruelty is not taken seriously in Cayman,” Johnston said.

‘Unbelievable’

The animal welfare group posted the news about Clyde’s death on its Facebook page on Sunday, 21 Jan., and received hundreds of interactions and comments.

One person said they were infuriated by the number of neglected animals in Cayman.

“There are only so many dogs (and cats) that our population can foster/adopt when it increases exponentially every year,” they wrote.

“Imagine if there were not these teams of volunteers working endlessly seven days a week, 24 hours a day to help all these animals.

“There would be thousands of dogs just roaming the streets dying in front of our eyes.”

Another expressed their shock at some people’s lack of care for animals, saying the situation is “unbelievable”.

“Another beautiful dog abused and ultimately dies because some people don’t have the common sense and decency to get help for their animals.”

Several contributors said there should be improved enforcement of animal welfare laws and greater consequences for those that break them.

“Why would this change when there are no consequences for this sort of behaviour?” one person wrote.

“The only way this will stop happening is if the authorities actually punish the people that do this.”

Another said: “I want custodial sentences for first offences, and not what they have now, a fine or ban from having cats or dogs.

“My country must step up now and deal with these situations by putting stiff punishment on the law books and [enforcing] it.”

An ongoing issue

Cases of suspected animal abuse are regularly reported in Cayman.

In March, last year, a dog and two puppies were found in an “emaciated state” at a home in West Bay.

The next month, a family in Savannah found their four puppies dead in the yard, victims of an apparent poisoning attack.

And in October, a dog, named Wilbur, died after being found starving and severely emaciated in Prospect. His owner was arrested and charged with cruelty to an animal.

In a statement issued following Wilbur’s death, Johnston of One Dog at a Time detailed some of the many cases of abuse the charity had encountered in 2023.

They included puppies with tails and ears cut off with machetes, elderly dogs abandoned on the street or left in houses with no food or water, and dogs hanged after trying to escape.

Wilbur’s death sparked a community campaign called ‘Justice for Wilbur’ featuring an online petition calling for stronger legislative protections for animals in Cayman.

It has attracted more than 2,600 signatures since campaigners launched it in late November.

In December, there was a spike in cases of mistreated, abused or neglected animals, with the Humane Society receiving four dogs that required immediate veterinarian care.

The Compass has reached out to the Department of Agriculture and police for updates on investigations into suspected animal cruelty and is awaiting responses.