Please Help Michelle Help the Dogs of Jamaica

Hello, I'm Michelle Houston and I've been helping stray and neglected dogs in Jamaica for the past year and a half. Up until now I've been paying for all of the food, supplies and medical care out of my own pocket but as you can imagine that has gotten very expensive. I'm reaching out here on go fund me to see if I can get some help from my community and the global community in order to continue to do this work.


It started with just feeding strays and hungry dogs in my neighbourhood but as I learned more about the many challenges dogs face in this climate, my services grew to include to include flea, tick and worm control, wound treatments, vaccinations an educational component to help pet owners learn how to recognize and treat the symptoms of various parasites and diseases. The more I came to understand the big picture, the more I came to realize how canine overpopulation is one of the biggest problems facing the dog population

Canine overpopulation causes a host of problems including starvation and food shortage, increased transmission  of disease, and injuries caused by territory disputes and fighting over breeding rights. Thousands of strays live alone in the streets with no one to care for them, having litter after litter of puppies, many of which die because their mothers are not able to find enough food.

When I moved out of the hills to a little beach town called Negril I linked up with a local vet clinic. In addition to my regular outreach I started bringing dogs into get spayed and neutered and receive treatment for various other conditions that are beyond the scope of my own knowledge and abilities.  

Below are the stories of a few of the dogs who I've met are particularly my close to my heart, but they are only some of the dogs I've personally worked with, and they represent just a drop in the bucket in terms of the scope of Jamaica's dog problem. There are thousands more like them who are suffering right now, just hoping for someone to notice.  Hundreds of others who die every year from starvation, preventable diseases and treatable injuries because they never get help they need. Please give what you can. Every little bit counts. A donation of as little as $10 can make a real difference in these animals lives
 

I spent the first year in a rural community in the hills of Northwest Clarendon. The plight of the dogs in the area was the stuff of nightmares, but the sweetness and resilience they displayed inspired me to start taking action on their behalf. There are no animal welfare organizations in the hills so I just started going into yards where I could see a need and saying "Hey, I'm one of those crazy foreigners who loves helping dogs. May I help yours?" The results were mixed at first but it didn't take long before people in the community started seeking me out. I learned that a lot of Jamaicans really love their pets, but many lack the information and resources necessary to care for them properly. With the help of a local veterinarian, I started providing parasite treatments and medications, offering food and supplements, administering vaccinations and wound care, and educating those willing to listen about the ins and outs of dog behavior, nutrition and medical care.

Sandy was the first.


She showed up at my house one day with a very positive attitude but in a disturbingly malnourished physical condition. I had never seen a dog in such a terrible state but despite the suffering she had clearly endured, Sandy was the friendliest little skeleton you ever did see. Initially I assumed she must have been a stray until I noticed the ring around her neck and realized someone had chained her up and starved her nearly to death. Luckily a neighbor had compassion for her situation and convinced the previous owners to give Sandy to her. I helped with food and vaccinations but the credit for Sandy's recovery goes to a woman named Winsome who has a heart as big as the whole of Jamaica.

Today Sandy is fat and happy and.... pregnant. Oh dear. But you can help. Part of the the funds raised by this page will provide the money needed to get Sandy spayed and provide for her ongoing care. 


And then came Ruff,


When I found Ruff he could barely walk and was vomiting blood, nearly dead from parvovirus. A neighbor told me he had been lying in the bushes for 2 days with no food or water. Nobody had bothered with him other than one man who had reportedly been throwing rocks at the debilitated puppy.

Upon arriving at the vet they weren't sure if Ruff would make it through the night, but he was a survivor. After 5 days on IV fluids and antibiotics he was ready to come home. It didn't take long before he was up and running and causing all kinds of trouble!


Ruff became my sidekick, my assistant and my best friend. He seemed to understand my intentions and would lead me to dogs in distress or ill states of health. One day our neighbor's cow Hannah Banana, (one of Ruff's dearest friends) sustained a deep cut on the underside of her chest. Because of the location it was hard to see and nobody noticed at first. Except Ruff. Him and Hannah usually had an amicable relationship but on this day he would not stop running up and barking loudly in her face. It took a little while before I noticed the blood on the ground and figured out what had happened. As soon as I started treating the wound Ruff stopped barking and laid down beside his friend, where he stayed for the rest of the day to keep her company.

Ruff became so good at helping out with the other dogs he decided to rescue his own.

Meet Sampson:


When Ruff brought Sampson home he was so scared of me he would run away from the food I tried to throw him. He was malnourished, riddled with fleas, and suffering from the worst tick infestation I had ever seen. But the worst part was the rope:


The part around his neck looked to be about a hundred years old and the wire kept wrapping around his back legs making it very difficult for him to walk or run. A neighbor reported having seen him in the bush on and off for at least 2 months, hiding from people in the day and sneaking around at night in search of food and water.

It took some time before Sampson trusted me enough to remove the rope and give him a tick bath, but from that day forward he was a different dog. Walking tall, wagging his tail, napping away the afternoons with Ruff,  and happily receiving affection from his newfound human friends.


Today both Ruff and Sampson have found their forever home with the angels at the
Animal House, https://www.theanimalhousejamaica.org/   where they run and play every day with 116 other dogs. 

And then there was Big Man,
 

When Big Man first showed up in the yard he had no interest in any human contact but was very enthusiastic about my leftovers. It took weeks before I could pet him and I sure am glad I took the time to gain his trust because no one else could get near him after he got hurt. He hid for the first few days and by the time he came out the wound was badly infected and infested with a deadly parasite called Screw Worm. I took weeks of careful wound care but Big Man made a full recovery. After which he moved into my cellar! (Much to the dismay of his owners who lived across the street.) He's back at home with them now though, and happily living out his twilight years in the hills.


And then came the puppies...


And more puppies...


The puppies just kept coming.


I did my best to vaccinate and help them all but holy macaroni can dogs multiply fast! I had come to Jamaica with an understanding of the importance of spaying and neutering but seeing first hand what these dogs go through due to overpopulation was a different kind of education.

Which is why I was so hay to come across a local vet clinic in Negril who offer affordable spay and neuters as well as lower cost emergency care. With the help of the clinic I have been able to broaden the scope of my work considerably, for which the dogs and I are very grateful. 

Here are some of the results:

Delilah:


When I met Delilah she was badly malnourished, missing much of her hair, and seemed to have given up on herself. She had no interest in socializing with me or her pack members. At feeding time if another dog wanted her food she would just walk away and let them have it. One day I looked her straight in the eyes and said "Your name is Delilah and you matter. You are important. I love you." I know it sounds crazy but the next day Delilah got her groove back. At lunch time she started growling the other dogs away from her food and within a week she was putting on weight and wagging her tail when I arrived.


It took a good dose of worm medicine, a fair bit of food, and a whole lot of love, but today Delilah is fatter, fluffier and a whole lot happier! Her recovery isn't over yet though. Delilah will need continued help with food, parasite management, and now that she's healthy enough, Delilah is ready to get spayed! She'll just need a little help with the money because even with her good looks and winning personality, there are very few employment opportunities for someone like Delilah in Negril.

And then there was Big Man II,


Someone put a collar on Big Man II when he was little. As he grew up, the abuse he suffered from humans made him so fearful that eventually he would no longer let anyone get close to him. Time went on and Big Man II got bigger but the collar stayed the same size. It grew so restrictive it began to cut into his neck and became infected. I spent 2 months linking this dog every day but he still would not trust me enough to let me take the collar off. I could tell things were getting desperate when the infection spread to his eye.


Catching Big Man II was an all day affair and a serious test of my patience but using many sausages and a dose of sedatives I managed to eventually coax him into a crate and get him to the clinic. Seeing them take the collar off this guy was a beautiful moment. They cleaned up his neck, neutered him and even gave him a complimentary manicure. Big Man II woke up with a new lease on life!

When I dropped him off after his surgery  Big Man II did something I never would have expected. After greeting his friends and doing all the customary sniffing of butts, the dog who wouldn't let anyone touch him turned around and kissed me right on my face! He greets me this way now every morning when I feed him. I can finally pet him too, and what a heart warming sight it is to see this sweet boy be able to relax and enjoy a good back scratchin.


And again with the puppies....


These little sweethearts were found abandoned in a box outside of the clinic one morning, crying pitifully and itching like crazy from a case of mange so far gone it was causing not just hair loss but severe skin deterioration as well. They didn't much like their first bath but they sure felt better afterwards! 

If you made it this far thanks for reading! I know I can be a bit long winded but helping these furry friends has become my greatest passion. If you can find it in your heart to contribute to this fund, my deepest thanks to you, and if you don't have the extra cash just sharing it around is also very much appreciated. Cheers from the dogs of Jamaica!