The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

ENFORCEMENT of animal welfare laws needs strengthening, Director of Agriculture Dr Jason Sands admitted yesterday, while acknowledging that addressing the country’s stray dog problem is not an easy task.

Dr Sands was responding to concerns raised by several animal welfare organisations, which have argued that the government has failed to enforce existing animal welfare laws. While acknowledging those concerns, he called on organisations to work together rather than assign blame.

“I will say this rather than point fingers at other organisations in this battle to control this problem,” he said yesterday. “I will say that the government funds the department and these not-for-profit organisations in its effort to try to control this problem. So we are in the same battle, and we should all be cooperatively, trying to solve the problem.”

The Bahamas has for years faced a stray dog population, with roaming animals visible across streets, businesses, school zones, and residential communities. Members of the public and non-profit organisations have repeatedly called on the government to expand spay-and-neuter efforts or increase the use of pounds to manage the issue.

The Tribune recently reported that animal welfare organisations raised concerns about weak enforcement of existing laws, with some explicitly blaming the Department of Agriculture for failing to play its role in reducing the stray dog population.

Lisse McCombe, vice-president of the Bahamas Alliance for Animal Rights and Kindness (BAARK!), said humane population control — not eradication — depends on enforcement. BAARK has said The Bahamas can significantly reduce the stray dog population through sustained spay-and-neuter programmes, but warned that progress depends on government action.

“The primary obstacle is the continued failure of the Department of Agriculture, under the leadership of the Minister of Agriculture, to enforce existing animal welfare legislation,” Ms McCombe said.

Under the Animal Protection and Control Act, it is illegal to allow dogs to roam freely or to abandon, neglect, or keep animals in hazardous conditions. The Act also empowers authorities to seize animals, issue fines, and prosecute offenders.

Dr Sands said the department does not control regulations, adding that responsibility for imposing effective legislation rests with the government. However, he said work is being constantly being down to lower the number of stray dogs. He gave an example taht some dogs regularly roam one neighbourhood, then casually residing a property of a resident. That resident may then claim that animal.

Asked whether the government has done enough to ensure dogs are spayed and neutered, Dr Sands said the procedure remains a voluntary choice for animal owners. Culturally, he said, spaying and neutering is not automatically considered when people acquire dogs or cats.

He identified illegal dog breeding as one of the main contributors to the growing stray population, noting that because such operations are unlawful and unadvertised, they are difficult to detect.

Dr Sands also said the department plans to host an animal expo to educate the public on purchasing animals legally and ensuring pets are vaccinated and licensed.

Meanwhile, he said the department continues to respond to complaints involving dangerous animals and cases of animal mistreatment.