AARF Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 3 September 2006
Dear AARF Members and Friends - the goal of our newsletter is to keep you up to date on events and plans of the foundation. If you missed our June Bingo event or our AGM then take a moment to read about it in this newsletter. Not to be missed is the heartwarming adoption story in our Happy Tails section. This issue's education corner focuses on Heartworm. Please don't hesitate to send an email to aarfinfo@aarf.ai if there is any topic you would like to see addressed in this section or any other part of our newsletter.
Thank you, Suzie DonahueIN THIS ISSUE:
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ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL BINGO NIGHT AT ROY'S - JUNE 24TH |
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KATHY MELBY MEMORIAL EDUCATION PROJECT 2006 |
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PRESIDENT CARTY ATTENDS ANIMAL WELFARE CONFERENCE IN LONDON |
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD AUGUST 30TH |
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AARF SPOTLIGHT |
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"HAPPY TAILS " |
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2006 ADOPTION PROGRAM UPDATE |
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EDUCATION CORNER |
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JOIN US! |
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SPARE CHANGE DRIVE |
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CLOSING THOUGHTS |
BINGO NIGHT AT ROY'S - SATURDAY JUNE 24TH!
Althea Turner, AARF•s• fundraising chairman, reported another success for AARF at our 2nd Bingo Night of 2006 which was held at Roy•s• on Saturday June 24th. Although we had fewer people attending, we still made a little over $4000 which included the profits from a raffle with great prizes: first prize two roundtrip tickets to San Juan from Anguilla on American Eagle, second prize a Digicel phone package valued at over $600 EC and a 3rd prize of $100 US cash.
In 2007
the first of our two bingo events will be held on January 13th at Roy's with the
second Bingo night sometime in mid May. So mark those
calendars and plan to join us for a fun evening with
proceeds going to help meet our spay and neuter budget for 2007.
This year, through her fundraising expertise, Althea has chaired a wonderful group of volunteers in 2 bingo events and our very popular yard sale and is responsible for a profit from these 3 events of almost $15,000 US dollars. We are all grateful to Althea for her dedication and commitment to AARF!
Joanne Davies Wins! Happy Winner Shadale! Lucky Raffle Winners!
Lou another winner! AARF Supporters enjoy the evening!
KATHY MELBY MEMORIAL EDUCATION PROJECT 2006
On
Monday, June 19th at Road School's morning assembly AARF Education Chairman,
Lynn Bartlett, announced the winners of the 2006 Kathy Melby Memorial
Education Project of the Year.
This competition
is sponsored by family and friends in memory of Kathy Melby, a long time
resident of Anguilla, who passed away unexpectedly in November of 2003. The
memorial competition was established as a way to honor Kathy•s•
kindness and love for the animals here in Anguilla. The Anguilla Animal Rescue
Foundation (AARF) in partnership with Teacher Shelagh Richardson conducts the
competition each year at Road School. This year the theme was ”Preventing
Cruelty to Animals” and the students were asked to draw a poster and write a
short description of what cruel treatment is and how to prevent it.
There were 7 winners this year with each child receiving prizes from the
memorial fund and AARF. The winning posters will be displayed on the AARF
bulletin board at the Library in the Valley.
The
winners were:
Overall
Winner: Carolina Richardson – Grade 1
Winners
from participating classes were:
Allysa
Richardson – Kindergarten
Ameka
Richardson - Grade 3
Grade
5 had no completed entries.
Teacher
Shelagh Richardson again assisted Mrs. Bartlett
with the presentations. AARF would like to thank all of the participants
and congratulate the winners for 2006!
Overall Winner:
Carolina Richardson – Grade 1
Winners
from participating classes were:
Allysa
Richardson – Kindergarten, Issa
Carty - Grade 1, Ea-Rhon
Rogers - Grade 2, Ameka
Richardson - Grade 3
Gineece
Gumbs – Grade 4 and Chrishauna Hughes - Grade 6
PRESIDENT CARTY ATTENDS ANIMAL WELFARE CONFERENCE IN LONDON
In June, the
World Society for the Protection of Animals hosted a Global Animal Welfare
Symposium to celebrate their 25th anniversary. As a Member Society AARF was invited to send one representative to the
symposium and President Chris Carty traveled to London to attend what became the
largest international animal welfare conference ever held.
Over 370
delegates from 110 countries came together at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, at Hyde
Park to hear presentations given by many inspirational and motivating speakers
promoting humane animal welfare. The
two-day conference was split into four sessions and discussion groups, Animals
and People First; Global Action for Wildlife; World Farm-watch and Companion
Animals. Chris reported that the
added bonus was the camaraderie of the conference and being given the
opportunity to meet and talk with so many contemporaries from around the world.
The
‘ANIMALS MATTER TO ME‘ petition calling for a United Nations Universal
Declaration on Animal Welfare was officially launched at the symposium.
The aim of the petition is to obtain 10 million signatures, appealing to
the United Nations to recognize animals as sentient beings, capable of
experiencing pain and suffering, and to recognize that animal welfare is an
issue of importance as part of the social development of nations worldwide.
To
sign this petition, please go to:
http://www.animalsmatter.org/default.asp
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD AUGUST 30TH
The
Fifth AGM of the Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation was held on Wednesday August
30th at Roy•s• Bayside.
President,
Chris Carty, welcomed everyone to the meeting at which
Suzie
Donahue, AARF•s• secretary, read the minutes of the previous AGM held on July
29, 2005 and Jimmy Carter gave the Treasurer•s• report.
In
her President•s• Report, Chris Carty, noted that AARF is fast becoming a
household word in Anguilla and stated that we had also gained recognition
regionally and globally by our attendance this past spring at animal welfare
conferences in Antigua and London.
President
Carty reported that AARF continued this past year to focus on the spay/neuter
program that is aimed toward those who have adopted from AARF, as well as some
need-based cases. She recognized Dr. Patrick Vanterpool and Amy Williams for
their continued support for AARF not only through the spay/neuter surgeries, but
also for providing boarding and care for the unwanted animals here in Anguilla.
Since the last AGM, AARF had found homes for 155 animals – most to Anguillian
homes - by adoptions from Morlens Veterinary Hospital or AARF adoption days.
AARF•s•
other focus is Education and Chris thanked all those involved in the AARF Fun
Page and recognized Mr. Nat Hodge of The Anguillian for his continuing
contribution in printing this animal information page that is enjoyed by both
children and adults.
Chris also thanked the members, volunteers and public for their attendance and support of our bingo and yard sale fundraising projects chaired by Althea Turner. Mrs. Carty reported that without any outside funding or grants, AARF has raised almost $15,000 US in 2006, and noted that over $10,000 had been spent caring for animals since last year.
President
Carty also made the presentation of the Volunteer of the Year Award to Lynn
Bartlett for her work on the Education committee in which she visited 7 schools
and interacted with the children to teach them about positive animal care. Lynn
also continues to support AARF at her business, Bartlett•s• Collections, where
she sell AARF T-shirts and other AARF items and tells the many visitors to the
island about AARF.
The
Executive Board elected for the 2006 –07 year is:
President
– Chris Carty
Vice
President – Suzie Donahue
Secretary
– Diane Sheehan
Treasurer
– Jackie Pascher
Members
at Large – Althea Turner & Gayle Gurvey
In closing President Carty asked the group to “ take a minute to step back and recognize the work being done, the progress being made, the challenges being met, and rejoice that so many of us are willing to stand up and give animals a voice.”
Executive Board 2006 -07
Fm Left to Right
Gayle Gurvey,
Chris Carty, Jackie Pascher, Suzie Donahue & Amy Williams
AARF SPOTLIGHT
Volunteer of the Year & Education Chairman for 2006 -2007
Lynn Bartlett
We are pleased to spotlight Lynn Bartlett in this issue of our newsletter. Lynn's selection as AARF Volunteer of the Year for 2006 was announced in the Annual General Meeting in the presentation below given by President Chris Carty. We salute you Lynn for all that you have done in the past for AARF and congratulate you on your award and are pleased that you have agreed to be Education Chairman for the coming year.
The Volunteer of the Year 2006
AARF’s volunteers come in many forms.
HAPPY TAILS
The "Oscar" Experience
By
Juliet Sigmann
My
husband Michael and I got married on
We
read an article about pet adoption and AARF in a magazine that was provided in
our hotel room. On the Saturday of our stay, I was reading the article and
mentioned it to my husband. We had been batting around the idea of getting
a third dog, but it was just something we talked about. We looked at each other
and decided we would give the clinic a call. We were unable to reach
anyone so our excitement got a bit deflated, but we decided that we would call
back on Monday.
Monday
came around and my husband came in from the other room and said, “We are
getting a puppy”. He had called the clinic and apparently a litter of
pups had just come in that morning. So, we were off in our rental jeep and
away we went to the clinic. We were excited and wondering if we were
completely nuts – we were leaving the next day and we had two dogs at home!
We
got to the clinic and in one big crate there were a bunch of adorable little
puppies. Which one to choose? I could have taken two, but I knew
three dogs total at home would be the limit! One puppy in particular was
scuttling about – he was the biggest pup (all of 3 lbs!) and had beautiful
coloring. Oscar it was!
While
at the clinic, I called American Airlines to see whether I could take the puppy
– especially since we were leaving the next morning! I was able to
secure a spot for an in-cabin ticket for the dog. The clinic had a carrier
that they loaned us for the trip home and Oscar was outfitted with a leash and
collar. Next, we filled out the adoption paperwork and received a health
certificate for the flight – POOF – we were new dog owners! My goodness!!
We
got back into our jeep and stopped off at the grocery store to buy some puppy
food, and then we snuck back to our hotel with our new family member.
Later we took him to the beach to enjoy our last evening on
We
then went to Bananas for our last meal (love that place). Bob, the
owner of Bananas and an animal lover, was gracious enough to let us eat our meal
at the bar – with Oscar curled up at our feet. That night, I was afraid
he would cry and be scared to be away from his littermates, but he took
everything in stride and was such a good boy.
The
next morning we were off early to the airport. I lined Oscars crate with a
few layers of a torn up beach towel I had brought with me. I figured I
could peel out the layers if he had an accident on the long flight back to
At
check in, I think I paid $40 cash (make sure to have cash!) for Oscar•s•
ticket. It was as simple as that. Our first flight was from Anguilla
to
Since
we had a 3 hour layover, we decided to go outside to give Oscar the opportunity
to go to the bathroom and stretch his little legs. It was easy to go
through security again and get to our gate.
On
the flight to
And, the rest is history! Wilson, our Welsh Terrier, and Loki, our Yellow Lab, were a bit surprised to find a new puppy when we got home. They took to him right away and now we are one big happy family.
Oscar,
Wilson & Loki
Oscar
is a great dog. Our friends want to know how they can adopt an Anguillian
puppy too – since he has such a great temperament! I wouldn’t be
surprised if we adopted another one the next time we are there!
Oscar weighed about 3 lbs when we got him. Yesterday, he weighed in at 18 lbs and we think he•s• about 14-15 weeks old. Guesses are that he’ll get to be about 40 lbs and be a leggy and thin dog.
Oscar
in Massachusetts August 2006
2006 ADOPTION PROGRAM UPDATE
Almost a
year ago in November 2005, AARF initiated a new adoption policy that included a fee of $20
US to adopt an animal from AARF. This small fee includes a free spay or neuter
when the puppy/kitten is old enough for the surgery (between 4 & 6 months),
worming, flea/tick bath and the animals first set of vaccinations. Cats are also
tested for feline aids/leukemia, which is an incurable disease transmitted from
cat to cat and is common here on Anguilla. Dogs are tested for heartworm, a parasite transmitted by
mosquitoes (See
more about this disease in our section Education Corner below) and erlichosis,a blood parasite transmitted by ticks. Both of
these diseases are also common on Anguilla and life threatening.
New
owners are provided with information on the proper care of their pet and
encouraged to call AARF is they need any other assistance.
In
addition, AARF has also developed a surrender form that allows the owner of an
unwanted dog or cat to leave the animal at Morlens at no charge. This permits
the animal to then be put up for adoption. These animals will be accepted free,
but need to be eating on their own which is usually at 6 weeks of age or older.
It is hoped that unwanted dogs and cats will be taken to Morlens instead of
being left to fend for themselves and causing a nuisance in the areas where they
are abandoned.
AARF founded in 2000, is a non-profit organization solely funded by donations from caring animal lovers. Since 2003 when AARF initiated their free spay/neuter program more than 500 dogs and cats here on Anguilla have been sterilized. This program now focuses on animals adopted through AARF.
We are pleased to report that since January of this year AARF has found homes for 92 puppies/dogs and kittens/cats on Anguilla. Thank you to all of you that have welcomed these unfortunate animals into your hearts and homes and given them a second chance!
In August and again in September AARF sponsored adoption days at Albert's Grocery store.
We were able to place 5 puppies and 4 kittens in forever homes at these two events. Most adoptions occur at Morlens Veterinary Hospital where the AARF animals are boarded.
Craig Charles adopts a puppy. Joan Hill - AARF volunteer helps out!
Bethany's new kitten
EDUCATION CORNER
All about Heartworm in Dogs
Heartworms
are a parasitic worm (about the diameter of thin spaghetti) that normally live
free floating in the right ventricle of the heart and nearby blood vessels.
* The parasites are transmitted from one individual to another by
mosquitoes.
* Heartworm can be diagnosed with a blood test.
* Heartworms are not detectable with the commonly used antigen blood test
until they are sexually mature (about 6 months after entering the patient).
Female worms must be present for accurate test results.
* Heartworm has been diagnosed worldwide and is an important pet health
care issue here in Anguilla.
* Dr. Patrick Vanterpool of Morlens Veterinary Hospital in Sandy
Hill stresses the importance of Heartworm prevention for dogs.
* Dogs should be tested FIRST… before starting heartworm preventatives
unless they are less than 7 months old.
*
Dog•s• over 7 months of age that are started on preventative without first
testing for Heartworm are at an increased risk of developing severe reactions.
* Puppies should be started on Heartworm preventative by 8 weeks of age
and then blood tested at 7 months of age.
* Dogs should be tested on a regular basis, yearly if any doses of
preventative have been missed and once every 2-3 years even if no doses were
missed.
It is
extremely important to protect your dog each and ever month with heartworm preventative in Anguilla.
SIGNS
OF HEARTWORM DISEASE- IN THE DOG
Two major mechanisms result in the signs of Heartworm disease seen in dogs. The first is due to the damage the worms cause to the arteries in the lungs (called the Pulmonary arteries). The second is the mechanical obstruction of blood flow that results from the inflammation and the number of worms present.
When a dog is first infested with Heartworm there are no visible or detectable signs. The infection cannot be detected even with a blood test. The changes in the victim start to occur when the final molt of the Heartworm larvae occurs and the immature L5 larvae arrive in the right ventricle and neighboring blood vessels. The arteries do not do well with worms living inside them. The artery lining is damaged within days, the body responds by inducing inflammation of the artery, called endarteritis, and other inflammation in the area to try to heal the damage. Unfortunately, the worms cause damage at a rate faster than the body can heal. The arteries over time develop certain characteristics that are typical of Heartworm disease, often these changes can be seen on x-rays. The vessels become tortuous and dilated. Blood clots and aneurysms are a common side effect, and complete blockage of small blood vessels can occur. The blood re-routes to non-worm burdened arteries. The result is complete and partial blockage of blood vessels and fluid begins to accumulate around these blood vessels in the lungs. This results in a loss of useful lung tissue and reduces the effective area of the lungs to oxygenate the blood for the body•s• needs. As a result of the inflammation, blood vessel obstruction, and fluid accumulation, coughing results. The dog displays exercise intolerance, nosebleeds, shortness of breath and a type of pneumonia may occur secondary to the increase in lung inflammation (called pulmonary eosinophilic granulomatosis).
As immature worms continue to arrive and mature in the heart and lungs, the total number of worms at various stages of maturity increase and as they grow in size and number the above conditions take their toll. The host•s• reactions become more significant and the signs worsen. More and more blood vessels and the surrounding lung tissue are damaged and not useful to the dog and this results in an increased resistance to blood flow through the lungs. This “backup” increases the blood pressure (hypertension) in the right side of the heart and Vena Cava due to the obstruction of blood flow. With accumulation of even more fluid in the lungs, the end result is the signs of actual heart failure. The severity depends on the number of worms present and the dog•s• reaction to the worms. The failing, weakened, stretched heart muscle results in rhythm abnormalities, fluid accumulation in the lungs (called pulmonary edema) and exercise intolerance.
Over time, the immune system becomes “turned on” at a rate higher than normal. This puts extra proteins (in the form of antibodies) into circulation and they can settle out in the various organs of the body that are delicate in nature such as the eye, kidney, blood vessels, and joints. This causes inflammation, more tissue damage, and pain.
One of the most severe signs of heartworm is called Caval Syndrome or Vena Cava Syndrome. This is seen when there are large numbers of adult worms (usually around 100 or more) in the heart. There is almost complete blockage of all blood flow. Many times there will be no signs of heart disease prior to the animal•s• collapse. When fainting and collapse does occurred it is accompanied by severe shock, red blood cell destruction, and often death within 1-2 days.
The
bottom line: Heartworm is a significant disease in dogs. The
treatment involves managing the heart, vascular and systemic disease present as
well as eliminating the parasites.
The
specific treatment protocol for your pet will be left up to your veterinarian
since there is no way to predict how each animal will react to Heartworm
treatment.
Elimination of the Heartworm Parasite
This is a two-step process. The adult worms and the microfilaria are eliminated separately. No one medication kills both. The adults are treated first then a different treatment is used to kill the microfilaria and migrating larvae.
The most serious side effects usually occur with the treatment of the adult worms. As the worms die they lodge in the lung arteries and block even more blood vessels than before treatment. Besides the usual inflammation caused by the presence of the worms, the inflammation is amplified due to the decomposing worms within the blood vessels. This worm destruction releases foreign substances in to the dog•s• circulation as the worms break down and are eliminated from the dog by the immune systems. A large amount of inflammation and swelling generally occurs during this period.
Side effects from the medication can be immediate or take up to 2 weeks to appear. One aspect of the side effects are due to the destruction of the adult worms and the resulting blood vessel blockage and inflammation. No matter what medication is used, it is very important to keep your dog very quiet and follow all of your Doctor•s• instructions. If you have any doubt about what to do or what is going on, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian ASAP. The medication alone can be toxic, and every animal reacts differently.
After the treatment and its side effects are resolved (usually at about 1 month post treatment), the microfilaria are then eliminated with one or another of two common Heartworm preventatives, Ivermectin (HeartGard) or Mibemycin oxime (Interceptor). This will be done approximately one month after the treatment, depending on your veterinarian•s• final decision.
Approximately four months after therapy, the dogs are retested for the presence of Heartworm. This will determine if a second treatment will be needed.
HEARTWORM
PREVENTION IN THE DOG
Preventing Heartworm Disease is definitely easier on the dog and is now
much simpler than it used to be. The most common preventatives are given
once a month by the pet•s• caretaker. Preventatives kill the immature
Heartworm larvae before they molt to the L5 stage. As long as they are
given every month, they are very effective in preventing Heartworm infection and
subsequent development of Heartworm Disease.
Information above from www.thepetcenter.com
JOIN US!!
The Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation (AARF) always needs members and joining us isn't expensive and very rewarding! Memberships are vital to the life of the organization and all fees go directly to support AARF programs including animal care, free spay/neuter clinics and education.
Membership dues are:
Student (Under age 18) $13.00 EC / $5.00 US
Regular $53.00 EC /$20.00US
Senior (65 and over) $13.00EC/ $5.00US
Family $ 80.00 EC/$30.00 US
Corporate $300.00 EC /$112.00US.
Lifetime memberships
(one time fee) $500.00EC / $186.00US.
We
are always looking for new members to support AARF fundraising events, assist at Morlens
Veterinary Clinic or to help us with our on-going spay and neuter project. If you
would like more information on AARF please visit our website at www.aarf.ai,
send us an email at aarfinfo@aarf.ai or contact our Membership Chairman Gayle
at 497-5445
or
If you are interested in becoming a member you can obtain a membership form via our Membership page. Or you can get one at
Morlens
Completed membership forms may be sent to:
AARF
SPARE CHANGE DRIVE
Our "Spare Change Drive" is on-going so don't forget to drop those "heavy" coins and that extra cash at one of our locations! We really appreciate your donations! Bob Turner has used his superb carpentry skills to create permanent donation boxes for AARF. Althea, Bob's wife, is our fundraising chairman and you might see her running here and there placing these new eye - catching boxes in our supporting businesses. The donation boxes are located at the following establishments - Vinissimo, Straw Hat, Caribbean Cable Communications, Bartlett•s• Collections, Wallblake Airport, Christine Fleming's Mini-Mart, Ashley's Pet Shop, Best Buy, Anguilla Post Office - Retail Store, Lake's Grocery, Sophie's Hair Design, Morlens Veterinary Clinic, Tropical Flower, Fat Cat, Anguilla Techni Sales, Ace Hardware, Roy's Bayside Restaurant, Rendezvous Bay Hotel, Smokey's at the Cove, Irie Life and Foods 95.
Thank you to all the business's that have agreed to support our cause.
Closing Thoughts
If A Dog Was A Teacher:
If
a dog was the teacher you would learn stuff like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and
pout...run right back and make friends.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them
gently.