ARCHIVES JULY - SEPTEMBER 2005
Preparing spots for The Movies
On Sunday August 14 the shooting of scenes for two spots of film took place at the Animal Shelter: One spot is designed to promote adoption of shelter animals and the other to inform the public of the various Animal Shelter services. The local theater “The Movies” contributes greatly by offering us the daily running of these spots in the six theaters of The Movies before the main feature. The photo shows the camera men filming the Animal Ambulance.
More news about Centra and her pups….
After giving birth to her puppies Centra was very weak and she unfortunately lost two of her babies. After having received medication and additional nourishment every day, Centra recovered completely and is happy and healthy and a perfect mother to her four pups.
In the picture a happy Centra with her four pups of which one already is chosen to be adopted!
Free Sterilization Weekend planned!
Though the CSPA has been delighted to receive the above-mentioned donations, we sadly need still more support in order to continue the OPSC project. Volunteers Debby Kooij and Nathalja Overwijk offered a helping hand to organize a free sterilization weekend. During this time, taking place during the weekend of September 3rd and 4th in the neighborhood of Grootkwartier, ten local veterinarians will sterilize, free of charge, about 100 animals. Residents of this area are able to register to participate in this charitable exercise through their local church, school, or supermarket. Before the sterilization weekend takes place, any stray dogs in the neighborhood will be caught, and any cases of neglect and cruelty will be pursued. The residents of Grootkwartier also have the opportunity to hand their sick and unwanted animals over to the CSPA for either humane euthanization or placement in the Shelter for the lucky few.
Update:
On July 10th volunteers Debbie and Nathalja were present with an information booth at a celebration marking the inauguration of the beautiful “Flag Square” (“Plenchi di Bandera”), situated in the heart of the neighbourhood “Grootkwartier”. Information on the importance of sterilization was given to the residents who attended the celebration and volunteers distributed registration forms for free sterilization among the public. This event was the first public event in preparation of the forthcoming Free Sterilization Weekend. Beautiful boxes have been designed by Marlies Borrias and will be placed in the church and supermarkets at Grootkwartier to collect registration forms for those wishing to take advantage of the free sterilization project.
Deposit box for the registration forms for free sterilization.
Debbie and Nathalja, dressed in CSPA shirts, enjoy the deposit of the first registration form.
Poster, announcing the free sterilization weekend.
Update 3 - September 5th:
123 animals were sterilized during Free Sterilization Weekend!
The free sterilization weekend for animals from inhabitants of the neighborhood Grootkwartier, which took place on September 3rd and 4th, was a tremendous success. Although the action was necessarily restricted to 100 sterilizations, operations also took place on Monday and in total 123 animals were helped. Ten local veterinarians, two veterinarians from the Netherlands and one veterinarian from Athens, Georgia, USA, performed the operations free of charge. These took place in six different clinics throughout the island.
Personnel from the Animal Shelter and around 30 volunteers participated in this project. Many were involved in transportation of the animals from their owner’s address to the clinics and, after the operation, back to their homes. Others helped out by assisting the veterinarians or had other important tasks such as establishing radio communication between the volunteers when they were on the road. Support was also received from many other sources: hospitals, laboratories and importers donated medical supplies, pet lovers donated or lent out kennels for the transportation of the animals, and financial donations were received.
Volunteers Debbie Kooij and Nathalja Overwijk did a fantastic job in planning and organizing this project to great detail, and in a very professional way, to make sure that everything went perfectly. Compassion for these underprivileged animals and the determination to help improve their situation were their motivation to take on this responsible and difficult task.
The Board of the Curaçao Society for the Protection of Animals (Stichting Dierenbescherming Curaçao) would like to convey their most sincere gratitude, in particular to Debbie and Nathalja, the participating veterinarians and volunteers, and everyone else who contributed to make this project possible. Thank you so much on behalf of all those animals that were helped.
 Projectleaders Nathalja and Debbie checking out the planning and schedules. |
 Gregory and Jean Pierre, personnel from the animal shelter, unloading the kennels with animals. |
 Veterinarian assistants of the clinic at Parera preparing an animal for surgery. |
 Veterinarian Liane Martis, volunteer Renée Gielen and veterinarian Dwarkasing performing a surgery. |
 Volunteers Jopie and Willemijn bring two sterilized dogs home. |
 Veterinarian Dolf van der Giessen of the Animal Care Center performing surgery. |
 Two boys, happy to have their dog back at home. |
 Sterilized dogs at the Klinika Veterinaria at Parera. |
 Volunteer Peter La Pierre performing his task to communicate with the volunteers through the walkie talkie. |
 Veterinarian Tom Nemetz from the USA who participated in the sterilization program and also donated medical supplies to a value of $ 942. --, receives a certificate of appreciation from the Board of the Society. In the picture from left to right: Olav de Haseth, president, Ineke Cijntje, PR and Tom Nemetz. |
Recognition to Debbie and Nathalja for a job well done!
Volunteers Debbie Kooi and Nathalja Overwijk were invited by the Board to a special meeting where they received a certificate of appreciation, a CD Rom with pictures of the “Free Sterilization Weekend” and a gift. On behalf of the Board, President Olav de Haseth thanked Debbie and Nathalja for a job well done.
Debbie and Nathalja (midlle) posing with their certificate and CD Rom. At the left Boardmember Ineke Cijntje (PR) and President Olav de Haseth at the right.
Reading the text of the certificate. From left to right: Debbie, Vice President Saskia Smit, Nathalja, Shelter director Henny Klein Klouwenberg. Director Fundraising Truus de Vries.
Preparing material for October 4th Animals’ Day
From September 19 – 23 around 20 volunteers will visit the schools to deliver educational material for Animal’s Day. Pupils from the Kindergarten and First grades of the Elementary schools will receive a coloring sheet and Elementary schools will receive posters on responsible pet ownership. Parents of pupils will receive a letter with a request to send their children to school with a can or bag of pet food for the shelter animals and these donations will be collected by volunteers.
Volunteers Lieke, Caroline, Truus, Jacqueline and trainee Judith wrapping the materials
for the schools.
Coloring sheet for the youngest pupils.
Would you like to download this drawing for your children?
Please click here (Format: PDF file)
Farewell to volunteer Caroline
Long term volunteer Caroline Freriks, who was helping at the shelter every Saturday, is soon emigrating to New Zealand where she and her husband will start a new life. A certificate of appreciation and a CD Rom with pictures of the dogs that she took care of during her time at the shelter was presented to her by shelter director Henny Klein Klouwenberg (left) and shelter manager Andrew Berry(right).
Centra gave birth to six beautiful pups!
August 17th. Last night rescued mama-to-be, "Centra", gave birth to six beautiful healthy pups. Since she has so far been rather protective towards her newborns, it has not yet been possible to determine how many males or females she produced. Rescuers Marly and Kim celebrated this happy event by sprinkling festive biscuits with sugared anise topping - an old Dutch custom on occasion of births.
Centra's puppies.
Abandoned pregnant female at Supermarket Centrum!
Volunteer Marly Ruysenaars went shopping with her neighbor’s daughter, Kim, at Centrum Supermarket and noticed a dog obviously in her last days of pregnancy. They approached the dog and found her very friendly and Kim could even give her a hug. Nobody in the supermarket knew the dog and Marly and Kim brought her to the shelter. The mama-to-be was comfortably placed in a private kennel and she was named “Centra”. Centra, and everybody involved rescuing her, is anxiously waiting the birth of her babies .....
Kim embraces the friendly mama-to-be.
Centra, comfortably in her own kennel, waiting for her babies.
Birthday treat: festive biscuits with sugared anise topping.
Iguana rescue and re-homing
Complaints are regularly received from citizens about the nuisance caused by Iguanas. Because more and more of our wild and natural areas are being sacrificed to the development of resorts and new neighborhoods, our Iguanas have lost an essential part of their habitat and have started to colonize residential gardens, especially those with fruit trees, in order to survive. Many of these magical-looking creatures are run over and killed by cars, and there is still an unfortunate trade in these animals which results in Iguana Soup. Last week an individual sought a more creative approach to the problem of Iguanas on his property and asked to borrow a dog trap to catch the Iguanas that were bothering him. This request was granted and after the Iguanas were caught, Board Secretary Yvonne Bik and her husband Jarko Meurs took the time to take the Iguanas (four in total) to an area of land devoted to wild-life, where they will hopefully live long and happy lives. We would very much like to continue this initiative as standard procedure in the future and will assist in any way possible. Our Iguanas are very much a part of this island, but their existence is threatened, and they need our protection.
Captured iguana.
Yvonne loads the captured iguana in the car.
The iguana gets his freedom in natural surroundings.
Official opening Zoe's puppy home
On the June 4th this year, a few weeks before her second birthday, little Zoe Brummelhuis died of meningitis. In her memory, her parents collected donations for the Curacao Society for the Protection of Animals. With this generous donation, a much needed new puppy home was able to be built. On July 17th, the day on which Zoe would have reached two years of age, there was a little gathering of her family and friends at the animal shelter to officially open the new puppy home.
Zoë's beautiful name-plate was placed on the decorated wall of the new Puppy home.
One of the board members addresses friends and family of Zoe and officially opens the puppy home.
Renovation and expansion of puppy’s quarantine!
The puppy quarantine, that consisted of three kennels, was too small and moreover situated in a very sunny and warm location. Shelter manager Andrew Berry came with an excellent proposal to create a complete quarantine department for as well pups as kittens. To give more puppies a chance to survive, the quarantine has been expanded and has now six puppy kennels. For the kittens a separate row of cages will be set up. A roof was constructed to protect the young animals against the hot sun. Shelter manager Andrew and his personnel dedicate every free moment to realize this project which is considered as a significant improvement!
Andrew instructs his personnel during the job
Mundo and Andrew painting the rafters
The roof has been constructed
Six spacious puppy kennels almost finished! Some shadow gauze will be attached to the right side to protect the puppies from sunlight.