A member of the Saint Lucia Animal Protection Society (SLAPS)’s southwest branch is calling on residents of the south to treat stray dogs with love and care.
Christine Kollek Prescott, a resident of Vieux Fort, in an interview with The VOICE, said dogs love as much as human beings do.
“Dogs are our friends. They have the same feelings we have. Show them love and care,” she appealed to residents.
Prescott said it pains her whenever she sees people meting out cruelty to dogs.
“Dogs are afraid of people. When we see them, we should just pass them straight. Don’t trouble them,” she said.
She said she has taken to feeding ten stray dogs which roam near a particular place in Vieux Fort.
“I appreciate people who love dogs, not those who do cruel things to them,” she said.
Stray dogs have been creating a problem in Vieux For for some time now. The dogs usually rummage the bins, in the process spilling refuse on the streets, creating a problem for the Vieux Fort South Constituency Council. This, coupled with residents placing human feces in bins, has caused the Council to take a decision to reduce the number of bins in the town over the years.
But, according to Prescott, not only do dogs go into the bins and create a mess on the streets, but people also, adding that the dogs do so because they are hungry.
“Human beings also dig into the bins, searching for food and other things,” she said.
According to her, the group in Vieux-Fort, which comprises of a few people who have the interest of animals at heart, raises funds to take the dogs to the vets by selling items which are donated to them.
Prescott said the business-houses in Vieux Fort have been very kind to them, always donating items to them whenever they are approached.
She called on residents to do all they can to support their effort.