The island of Exuma has many stray dogs, known as "potcakes." These poor animals are some times pets that were left behind to fend for themselves, some were banished to the outdoors when they became too large or weren’t properly trained, while others were just born as strays and are just looking for someone to love them. Left unspayed and unneutered, you can imagine the population explosion. One unspayed female, her mate and her subsequent unspayed offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in just 6 years! The population of dogs would exceed people, but most don't have a fair chance at life. Many die at very young ages due to disease, starvation, getting hit by vehicles, or sadly, from poison. We are working hard with the local vet office to educate people on this small island regarding the importance of pet care, including spay/neuter, vaccinations, flea, tick and heartworm prevention and regular vet visits. Unfortunately, many of these pups aren't owned and have no one to take care of them. Consequently, they develop heartworms, caused by a single mosquito bite. Heartworms are the #1 silent killer of animals in the Bahamas. Many on this small island can’t afford preventative meds, and the cost of heartworm treatment, often $1,000-1,200, is often beyond the financial capabilities of most families. Many here are struggling due to lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, when few were allowed to work in this tourist motivated economy.
We need your help to ensure that these animals have a better quality of life, free from starvation or preventable diseases. Catching the strays and getting them to the vet for spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping and deworming helps alleviate much suffering. Strays are often sent to foster homes, if available, until they are able to be adopted. None are euthanized. They are helped as much as possible, subject only to funding limitations.
This is a massive and expensive project, with a goal of eliminating suffering, starvation and disease for these adorable, friendly and loyal animals. Food, meds and supplies are costly, and your donations are needed to continue this worthy project. All donations received will be used to purchase vet services, medicines, vaccines and supplies to allow these beautiful loyal pups to have a happy and healthy existence.
We will update often, including photos of our success stories. Day to day progress can be viewed on our page at Facebook.com/ExumaFriends. Thanks for reading and helping. All donations are appreciated, and no donation is too small to help. Friends of Humane Society Exuma, Inc. is a 501(c)3 charity non profit organization, comprised entirely of volunteers, seeking to make a difference in the lives of these sweet, smart, loyal and loving animals. We appreciate all donations and shares of our fundraiser.
