Sue Barnes’s routine drive to work on Friday morning took a dramatic turn when she had to jump into action to rescue a distressed dog on the East-West Arterial bypass.
The severely malnourished animal, which was trapped on the left lane of the bypass, east of the Spotts Breeze complex, was in a desperate state, Barnes told the Cayman Compass Friday, adding that she knew helping him was the right thing to do.
“He definitely would have been killed … I could see he was in distress from a long way away. I could see that he was scared and he was going to make a bolt for it, one way or the other. He was already in a lane, and it wouldn’t have taken much for him to run into oncoming traffic,” she said.
Barnes, an avid animal lover and volunteer with CARE, said she pulled over and tried to get the dog off the road.
“He was very confused, and drivers were driving fast, but also honking their horn, because I’m off the side of the road and he’s in the road, so it was a little bit treacherous trying to get him off,” she said.
Using cat food she had stocked in her car for delivery at the charity, Barnes was able to coax the animal, which has been named Fisher, to safety.
As he came closer, she said seeing his condition broke her heart.
Poor condition
Fisher was so thin that his skin was hugging his bones. He has various injuries, including gaping wounds, about the body.
Barnes said she took the dog to a friend’s house to get a leash and feed him before taking him to the humane society.
“He is quite young, and he’s very malnourished … [the humane society was] not sure if he was hit by a car where his injuries stem from, but he’s very friendly, so someone has definitely dumped him and allowed him to get this way,” she said.
Barnes said initially the staff at the humane society refused to accept the ill dog, saying there was no space for him.
This made her upset, but she said she was firm in urging the dog be accepted.
Samantha Cooper, operations manager at the humane society, explained to the Compass that staff had to refuse initially because the shelter is packed to capacity and could not accommodate the dog.
“We are unable to accept new animals at the moment as we are full. Sadly, we are having to reduce the number of animals that we care for because of our financial situation. It is a very difficult reality for the staff at the Humane Society. It is with great sadness that we face a difficult situation,” she said.
Cooper, in the emailed response, said the society’s current funds are insufficient to maintain the same level of service to the community that it has provided in the past.
“Our priority must now be on the well-being of the animals already in our care, ensuring they receive the support they need. We are working tirelessly to raise additional funds while cutting expenses to align with our income,” she said.
While she said the ultimate goal is to continue supporting the homeless cats and dogs of Cayman, “it is essential that we establish a financially sustainable model to ensure the future of our work”.
She said monthly costs exceed $90,000, which breaks down to an average of about $267 per animal per month.
At present, she said, 72 cats and 60 dogs are at the shelter and there are another 203 animals in the society’s care.
“Many of the animals come to us in poor health, requiring substantial medical care, vaccinations, and neutering or spaying,” she said.
Fisher, she said, is in a bad condition and clearly malnourished.
“We are providing some medical assistance and will know more once the vets have had chance to assess Fisher fully,” she said, adding that a member of the society’s vet team will take him home for the weekend to monitor him.
She said someone has already offered to foster Fisher and will take him Monday.
“He definitely won’t be euthanised and I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has assisted,” she said.
As for the new animal shelter, Cooper said the Ardyth Smith trust has secured planning permission to build the new facility in West Bay.
“They are now advertising the plot of land that needs to be sold in order to have sufficient funds for the build. We are excited and hoping that a buyer can be found soon so that our dream of a new shelter can be realised,” she said.
The 10-acre plot of land is being sold for $5,950,000 and is located in West Bay.
Sad state of affairs continues
Cooper, reflecting on Fisher’s condition, said it was “heartbreaking to have yet another case like this. Sadly we see so many of them”.
“We are regularly overwhelmed with the number of animals that need help and we cannot continue to help dogs like Fisher without more funds,” she said.
Barnes said Cayman cannot continue to ignore the plight of animals in the community and the abuse that is happening.
“I feel like something has to be done. There’s not harsh enough punishment for this type of behaviour for people who do this to animals. They can repeatedly own animals or breed animals,” she said.
Government, she said, has to act as charities cannot do it alone.
“We don’t look good on the world stage. We are a top financial destination. We should be taking better care of people and animals,” she said.
Her call is not a new one. Local charities like the humane society and One Dog At A Time have been appealing for increased spay-and-neutering efforts to control the animal population.
Cooper said animal welfare needs to be a “bigger priority” on the island to avoid the terrible animal suffering and the distress many people in Cayman experience when they see such suffering.
“The Humane Society cannot fix these problems alone. The government needs to be willing to provide financial support or to do more to address the problem directly. We need more education and more enforcement so that there are consequences for people who do this to animals,” she added.
In May, Warlito Damasco Samelo Jr., of the Philippines, was sentenced to five months in prison for what has been described by a magistrate as one of the worst cases of animal neglect she has encountered.
He was convicted of one count of cruelty to an animal in his absence in relation to his dog Brun-Brun, who was renamed Wilbur by rescuers.
He denied veterinary care to his dog, who was found starving and emaciated last year.
If anyone would like to contribute to the humane society or specifically to Fisher’s medical care, they can do so online.
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Hope Fisher gets well soon