New centre opens for dog shelter and welfare |09 February 2018

Animal welfare gets big boost

Stray dogs, sick dogs, abandoned dogs, abused dogs -- in fact all dogs who need care, welfare, and shelter have now got a place where they can be taken care of.

This is through a new Animal Welfare Centre which officially opened on Tuesday at the Providence Industrial zone.

The centre, an initiative of the Seychelles Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), was officially opened by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Pamela Charlette in the presence of Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine; Judith Strashoon from the SSPCA, the mastermind behind the project; Fiona Lane, chairperson of the SSPCA board of directors; other dignitaries and guests.

Minister Charlette said she perceives the centre as a major milestone in the national development towards greater care for man’s best friend.

“The opening of this shelter comes at an opportune time when the issue of stray dogs, in particular, is unbearable. And the relevant authorities are really overwhelmed. The concern has been felt at the highest level and firm decisions have been taken to start building a new veterinary building this year and promulgate measures to the Dog Control and Protection Act 2018,” she said.

She remarked SSPCA has been and will continue to be our partner among other national and international partners in the management of dogs by offering them the protection they deserve.

She invited other organisations to join in this noble endeavour to not only protect the life of animals but also to work with the government in Seychelles to ensure safety of our nation.

Ms Strashoon said the animal welfare centre is the first phase of the project. The second one will be an animal hospital where sick, injured animals can be kept after surgery and looked after under observation.

She remarked while waiting for this building to be done, the SSPCA has not stopped the work it has been mandated to do and that is sterilisation, education and re-homing animals.

It has worked very closely with the vet services and thanks to that partnership to-date 14,200 animals have been sterilised. Which means if half of those animals were females and only have one litter of six off-springs, the sterilisation campaign has therefore saved the country 42,000 animals.

Describing the figures as “quite staggering”, she said the number of stray animals that are seen on the road at the moment is alarming for both residents and tourists, who do not like seeing animals dumped on the side of the road.

“From now the SSPCA will be functioning from the centre taking in stray and unwanted animals. And I urge everyone not to dump puppies at the bin sites or dogs by the roadside. They are not thrash. Bring them here where they can be cared for,” said Ms Strashoon.

She pointed out that there are kennels where unwanted animals will be re-homed and cared for and those which will house animals whose owners are going on holidays, a sort of boarding facility.

On the sterilisation side, Ms Strashoon said as from March 1, the centre will have its own vet working there, which she said is sure will take the sterilisation campaign to the entire country.

She also mentioned the forthcoming mobile surgery which is being manufactured in the United Kingdom, which will tour the districts for sterilisation purposes, especially with regard to stray dogs.

“If people do not want to come to our centre, we would go to them. For us it’s a milestone,” she said.

Ms Lane thanked Ms Strashoon for her love and passion for the SSPCA and described the journey to achieving this shelter as being long but tireless.

She presented Ms Strashoon with a token of appreciation on behalf of the board.

The main facilities offered by the centre are education which is held in schools, re-homing and sterilisation of dogs. SSPCA was previously offering its services alongside the veterinary service.