My name is Jon Waterman, and I’m raising money for the suffering dogs on Naviti Island who will be cared for by the incredible non-profit Animals Fiji.

During recent trips to Fiji, I encountered and befriended a dozen wild dogs on the remote, off-the-grid, and roadless Naviti Island, a three-hour ferry-boat ride from the main island. These remarkable dogs—with little support or dependence on humans—catch crabs and fish, and eat abundant papaya and mangos from the trees. Affectionate and playful, they’re extraordinarily well-adapted to their environment, but they lack shelter, dog food, and human owners or full-time caregivers. Visitors to Korovou and White Sandy Beach tourist lodges on the island all leave with deep respect for these remarkable creatures.

Yet they need our help—most of these dogs, like dozens more on Naviti Island, are quietly, stoically suffering.

They have parasites, including deadly heartworms. Some have mange, and most of them also carry other types of fleas and ticks. There is also the sexually transmitted canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT), prevalent among stray and free-roaming populations in the tropics.

My friend Scott Bovard, DVM, his wife Laura, and I will return in early June. Dr. Bovard has spent over 40 years as a veterinarian, most recently as a small animal practitioner in Montana. He has also volunteered for International spay/neuter clinics in Nicaragua, Honduras and in general animal health programs in Haiti and Mongolia.

Most importantly, we have inspired the local non-profit Animals Fiji—with a staff of experienced veterinarians and vet techs—to make Naviti Island their next mission. In addition to the dozen wild and semi-wild dogs at the Korovou Ecolodge, there are eight villages on the opposite side of the island with semi-wild (village dogs), or household pets that also need help. The average income of those few working Fijian islanders is $10 (US) a day, and with such limited resources, Fijians on Naviti and the main island can scarcely feed their own families, let alone feed or spay/castrate their pets. Consequently, dogs are in crisis in Fiji, with an estimated 40,000 street dogs roaming Suva, the capital of Fiji.

Animals Fiji (registered as a 501 c-3 non profit in the U.S.) focuses on animal welfare and veterinary care throughout Fiji. This summer’s project on Naviti will neuter the score of wild dogs on the western side of the island, then proceed to the villages on the eastern side of the island. We’ve also secured the support of Vinaka Fiji, an organization that owns the ferry system that will coordinate boat rides and work with village headmen for this project, along with their support of the island schools and the village water systems.

Donations will be used to purchase supplies for surgeries to spay/castrate dozens of dogs, as well as treating the many other tropical-related diseases and wounds. In addition to preventing the birth of more dogs and sexually transmitted tumors, we will microchip the dogs, and with enough donations, vaccinate them for parvo, distemper, adenovirus, canine influenza, and leptospirosis (a disease that can spread to humans). Additionally, in the villages, Animals Fiji will provide education for villagers on proper pet care. With funding, Animals Fiji will be able to return over the next two years to complete the dog care program on Naviti Island.

How can we not love, respect, and find a way to care for these sentient creatures? Without treatment, these dogs—who deserve human help—would overpopulate the island and be doomed to eventual euthanasia and further suffering.

Thank you for whatever you can contribute to Animals Fiji for this project—no amount is too small. All donations are tax-deductible.