Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

THE ARK, Animal Welfare Society

THE Ark Animal Welfare Society in Barbados is a volunteer, multi-national group which is dedicated to animal rights and the welfare of all animals throughout Barbados. The organisation was established in October 1998 as a result of a newspaper article which featured the senseless ways in which stray dogs throughout the island of Barbados were being destroyed at the Animal Control Centre by way of gassing. As opposed to the original method of gasing, these animals are now euthanized.

THE Ark Animal Welfare Society in Barbados is a Registered Charity and has Associate Status with the RSPCA INTERNATIONAL.

THE Ark also offers educational programs to promote awareness of animal needs and rights.
 They offer a low-cost spay/neuter program to reduce the unwanted litters of domestic animals throughout Barbados, with volunteers transporting dogs and cats to veterinarians. They also have an adoption/foster home project to re-home unwanted pets.

The Government of Barbados has updated THE ANIMAL CRUELTY ACT which is very much in place but the implementation of such is yet to be seen in the Courts of Barbados. Dog and cock-fighting in Barbados is strongly disapproved of by THE Ark, however this illegal event is still quite prevalent in Barbados.

Goals

The aim of THE Ark is to make the public, especially children, aware of the responsibilities of owning any animal. Through education, knowledge can be instilled to promote the rights of animals. The conditions suffered by many dogs who are either chained for life or live in cramped kennels, never touched by human hand or a kind voice - the sad plight of livestock staked without adequate food, water or shelter - the race horses given away by thoughtless owners when they are no longer profitable, to people who have not the means to support a thoroughbred and who stake them out in inadequate pastures - ALL are forms of cruelty that need to be addressed. 

Realistically every animal cannot be saved. Barbados unfortunately has limited private and corporate funds to spare for animal welfare and we raise our funds by special events. As a Tourist destination, our members feel strongly that the sight of mutilated carcasses on our roads, living skeletons in our fields, are memories that tarnish our image of a fun-loving and friendly island.

Further information on The Ark Animal Welfare Society Salters, St. George, Barbados can be sourced at the following website http://arkanimalwelfarebarbados.com or Telephone (246) 435-4108 or Email: ark@caribsurf.com.