The Tribune

THE Bahamas Humane Society is filled to capacity and desperately seeking permanent homes for dogs.

With 70 dogs and 120 puppies looking for homes, BHS president Kim Aranha said the shelter has reached "the point of no return".

She said: "There comes a time when we are just unable to take in any more animals or even feed and house the ones we have.

"I have tried so hard to make the BHS a 'no kill' shelter, meaning only the very sick or vicious animals get put to sleep, but the unbelievable quantity of animals being brought in daily exceeds what we are able to accommodate.

"It is a great sadness to me that any of God's creatures should be killed, merely because there is no room at the inn."

Considering the high crime level, Mrs Aranha said she cannot believe people are unwilling to adopt loyal and protective potcakes.

She implored Bahamians to stop creating mixed-breed dogs, as the Bahamas already has a breed of "pure and fine races mixed together to be a sturdy animal, resistant to the heat and diseases of the Bahamas".

She said: "It is always amazing to me that when people see my dogs and say, 'Oh, what a beautiful dog! What breed is he?" and when they find out that he is a potcake off the streets of Nassau, they are all amazed.

"People spend hundreds of dollars thinking they are getting something unusual when they can come down to the shelter and provided they have a fenced in yard, shelter, and are able to feed and water the animal, they can have a beautiful dog for $40. That fee includes the shots and the spay/ neuter surgery.

"It is simply heartbreaking that we can have so many needy animals sitting in the shelter looking out of their cages, waiting for homes and nobody is interested in giving them homes. We at the shelter are actively asking people to open up their hearts to give a home to one of these many needy animals.

"This is one of the worst crisis we have ever had - I do not want the blood of these animals on our hands, so I am begging people to help us in this time of need."

Until Sunday, April 15, the BHS will waive the adoption fee for owners who meet the requirements.