A New Year Resolution - let's help the TTSPCA
Donation protected
I am a committee member for the Tobago Branch of the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (TTSPCA).
The TTSPCA is a charity which has no access to Government funding, and which relies solely upon donations and various events such as jumble sales for its existence.
A recent Facebook post by the TTSPCA has prompted many comments and suggestions that a GoFundMe appeal should be set up. The post is repeated below:-
NO SERVICE. NO ALTERNATIVE.
Years have passed since the TTSPCA Tobago’s only animal transport vehicle reached functional expiry, yet we squandered funds to patch, fix, and alter it into function, awaiting a donation or provision of funds to acquire a new vehicle. To date only promises we’ve obtained. The vehicle is now 20years old, we cannot pass an inspection even if we tried, and most recently we obtained a fine for our bumper that is basically holding on by a thread. We are sad to say as a result we have no alternative but to discontinue our service of stray animal pick up and animal transportation. What does this mean for citizens of Tobago? No service, no alternative?
We are in the year 2018 and still the public of Tobago have to rely solely on an NGO to transport and house the increasing stray animal population. Lost dog? Call TTSPCA Tobago. Aggressive dog? Call TTSPCA Tobago. Abandoned kittens? Call TTSPCA Tobago. Deceased animal? Call TTSPCA Tobago Don’t want your pet anymore? Call TTSPCA Tobago. It is shocking that so many rely on the TTSPCA Tobago’s services, most expecting services to be free. “Ent allyuh government funded?” “We have to pay for you to come?” No-one understands the concept of an NGO and how bizarre it is that we are solely burdened with this great responsibility, without any funding. Everyone wants an essential service provided for free, yet when we ask for assistance and donations, few answer the call.
Unfortunately we do not have the funds to purchase a new vehicle. It will not be a Merry Christmas for us at the TTSPCA Tobago. We downheartedly have to deny many animals the help they need and the only chance they have at a better life or a peaceful death. We urge anyone wanting to volunteer their services to help us with transportation during this difficult time please contact us. We can only hope this interruption is temporary and in the New Year we will we back up and running.
The TTSPCA Tobago wishes all our members and supporters a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we thank those that have been loyal to us and continue to assist us as we grow. Please be advised our Veterinary Clinic will be closed 24th to 28th December, the animal shelter however will observe normal holiday working hours. For house-calls and emergencies please contact our Veterinarians at [phone redacted]. For more information and to donate please call [phone redacted] or email us at [email redacted]. Like us on Facebook and Instagram @tobagospca.
The situation is urgent.
In the week before Christmas, the senior veterinarian, Nicole Straker, and the shelter administrator, Danielle Ryan, appeared on CNC3 Television to further explain the severe difficulties now being experienced due to the non-functioning vehicle.
See the following link at 1m 34 sec.....
https://www.facebook.com/CNC3Television/videos/228944551230859/
The current van is open to the elements - exposure to wind, rain and sun can all affect the animals being transported, not to mention the noise that passing vehicles generate. How terrifying for an already potentially traumatised animal......
Ideally, we would like to purchase an air-conditioned, panel van, and then re-fit the interior with cages and supplies similar to the pictures shown below.:-
We believe that we could find the right vehicle in Trinidad, ship it to Tobago, and refit the interior. The estimate for the van itself is £15,000 and for the interior refit a further £3000.
I have created this GoFundMe campaign in sterling, as while the TTSPCA is a registered charity in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago is not a country supported by GoFundMe, and therefore it has had to be created in the UK. I will take full responsibility for transferring all of the monies received directly to the TTSPCA.
We will keep each and every donor informed as to the progress in purchasing a new van. We will also post regular updates on the TTSPCA Facebook page as well.
Please, please help us to help the animals of Tobago. They have no-one else. Every donation, no matter how small, will make such a difference to the lives of so many. We can be so much more effective and proactive if we have a vehicle at our disposal, and without it animals will suffer needlessly. Thank you so much for caring. Let's hope 2019 is a better year for the unwanted animals in Tobago.
The TTSPCA is a charity which has no access to Government funding, and which relies solely upon donations and various events such as jumble sales for its existence.
A recent Facebook post by the TTSPCA has prompted many comments and suggestions that a GoFundMe appeal should be set up. The post is repeated below:-
NO SERVICE. NO ALTERNATIVE.
Years have passed since the TTSPCA Tobago’s only animal transport vehicle reached functional expiry, yet we squandered funds to patch, fix, and alter it into function, awaiting a donation or provision of funds to acquire a new vehicle. To date only promises we’ve obtained. The vehicle is now 20years old, we cannot pass an inspection even if we tried, and most recently we obtained a fine for our bumper that is basically holding on by a thread. We are sad to say as a result we have no alternative but to discontinue our service of stray animal pick up and animal transportation. What does this mean for citizens of Tobago? No service, no alternative?
We are in the year 2018 and still the public of Tobago have to rely solely on an NGO to transport and house the increasing stray animal population. Lost dog? Call TTSPCA Tobago. Aggressive dog? Call TTSPCA Tobago. Abandoned kittens? Call TTSPCA Tobago. Deceased animal? Call TTSPCA Tobago Don’t want your pet anymore? Call TTSPCA Tobago. It is shocking that so many rely on the TTSPCA Tobago’s services, most expecting services to be free. “Ent allyuh government funded?” “We have to pay for you to come?” No-one understands the concept of an NGO and how bizarre it is that we are solely burdened with this great responsibility, without any funding. Everyone wants an essential service provided for free, yet when we ask for assistance and donations, few answer the call.
Unfortunately we do not have the funds to purchase a new vehicle. It will not be a Merry Christmas for us at the TTSPCA Tobago. We downheartedly have to deny many animals the help they need and the only chance they have at a better life or a peaceful death. We urge anyone wanting to volunteer their services to help us with transportation during this difficult time please contact us. We can only hope this interruption is temporary and in the New Year we will we back up and running.
The TTSPCA Tobago wishes all our members and supporters a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we thank those that have been loyal to us and continue to assist us as we grow. Please be advised our Veterinary Clinic will be closed 24th to 28th December, the animal shelter however will observe normal holiday working hours. For house-calls and emergencies please contact our Veterinarians at [phone redacted]. For more information and to donate please call [phone redacted] or email us at [email redacted]. Like us on Facebook and Instagram @tobagospca.
The situation is urgent.
In the week before Christmas, the senior veterinarian, Nicole Straker, and the shelter administrator, Danielle Ryan, appeared on CNC3 Television to further explain the severe difficulties now being experienced due to the non-functioning vehicle.
See the following link at 1m 34 sec.....
https://www.facebook.com/CNC3Television/videos/228944551230859/
The current van is open to the elements - exposure to wind, rain and sun can all affect the animals being transported, not to mention the noise that passing vehicles generate. How terrifying for an already potentially traumatised animal......
Ideally, we would like to purchase an air-conditioned, panel van, and then re-fit the interior with cages and supplies similar to the pictures shown below.:-
We believe that we could find the right vehicle in Trinidad, ship it to Tobago, and refit the interior. The estimate for the van itself is £15,000 and for the interior refit a further £3000.
I have created this GoFundMe campaign in sterling, as while the TTSPCA is a registered charity in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago is not a country supported by GoFundMe, and therefore it has had to be created in the UK. I will take full responsibility for transferring all of the monies received directly to the TTSPCA.
We will keep each and every donor informed as to the progress in purchasing a new van. We will also post regular updates on the TTSPCA Facebook page as well.
Please, please help us to help the animals of Tobago. They have no-one else. Every donation, no matter how small, will make such a difference to the lives of so many. We can be so much more effective and proactive if we have a vehicle at our disposal, and without it animals will suffer needlessly. Thank you so much for caring. Let's hope 2019 is a better year for the unwanted animals in Tobago.
Fundraising team: TTSPCA Team Tobago (2)
Lesli Gallivan
Organizer
Malouah Straker
Team member
