Kind-hearted Cayman residents showed the true meaning of Caymankind as volunteers helped deliver food parcels and fostered dogs ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Rafael.
There was a steady stream of animal lovers at the Cayman Islands Humane Society’s headquarters in George Town on Tuesday, as people turned up to take away dogs in need of being looked after during the storm.
Regular dog fosterer Louisa Curry from George Town went into the humane society on Tuesday morning to pick up Seven, a two-year old black Labrador cross, who is going to stay with her, her daughter Matilda and her flatmate Claire McFadden until Rafael has passed.
“I’ve been fostering dogs for several years now,” Curry said. “Seven is a lovely, calm dog and she settled in straightaway.”
Catherine Blanchard works each week with the humane society as a ‘cat whisperer’ but was at the premises on Tuesday with her husband Kevin to collect Kite, a light-brown Labrador cross who, like Seven, is looking for a regular home.
“We’ve fostered five dogs before and we love doing it,” she said.
Kittens rescued by Hertz duo
Meanwhile, three kittens were lucky to be alive after their mother was killed by a stray dog. Hertz employees Mark Bilog and Harold Gatacilo found the litter of three and brought them into the humane society to be checked. One stayed on site to be monitored and the other two are being looked after by their rescuers during the storm before being brought back to hopefully find a more permanent home.
“We knew that the mother had had kittens, so when we saw that she had been attacked, we knew we had to find them,” Bilog explained. “Neither of us can keep them permanently but hopefully [the society] will be able to find a home for them.”
Meals on Wheels deliveries
Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers were out on Tuesday delivering emergency supply bags to seniors across Grand Cayman who lived on their own, to make sure that they had enough food and drink for the storm’s duration.
Emergency supplies handed out to those in need included water, canned goods such as tuna and sardines, fruit cups, oatmeal, pasta and snacks. Volunteers who delivered the supplies across the island, along with the regular Meals on Wheels deliveries, also took the time to check on the situation of each recipient to make sure that people were safe and secure ahead of the bad weather. Volunteers also provided sandbags and checked that windows were secure.
“We do as much as we can to help,” said Jennifer West, chief executive of Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels. “Seniors physically cannot fill or lift sandbags, so we go the extra mile for them. Safety is always our top priority.”
Related Videos
