Anybody on the island willing to help out with these issues???????

Bring in some Koreans.

Why ask whether there is "anybody on the island willing to help?" There already iS an organization, with active members and professional volunteers, who are very involved in the animal care issue. They are doing an excellent job within the limits of their finacial and political resources.
They do FREE spaying and neutering, and they round up animals in need of same. They respond to calls (when possible) to pick up animals in need of spaying, neutering and veterinary care. They have a pilot programfor children on animal care. They lobby the town board.
They need us to SUPPORT them, with money, publicity and lobbying. Instead of trying to re invent the wheel, why not look to them for leadership and then do what is requested of us, to the extent possible?
To the person who doesn't want to contribute unless the government gets into the act: Waiting for GOVERNMENT (at any level) to lead anything is a guaranteed recipe for ACCOMPLISHING NOTHING. Goverments do not lead: They MAY (if you are really good at raising hell) FOLLOW occasionally.
It should be obvious by now that the animal care effort will be done by the private sector. The most we can hope for from the town board right now is to stop poisoining animals (in streets and in private yards) and at least THINK about having the very limited resources they apply to the poisoning used in better ways and to negotiate with SAGA and community animal activists alternatives to the poisoning.
Those of us who are interested in helping should send SAGA emails telling what we are each willing to do and asking how we can best do it. Just go to their web site.

Reprinted from the San Pedro Sun (I'm sure they would not mind): A story on what SAGA Society is doing. (Because some of you seem to be unaware of what is being done locally to care for stray animals).
If we on this list multiply their resources by ten, they could do ten times as much of these things. Perhaps they could hire a couple of young people to work part time to supplement the volunteer efforts. We on this list can contribute to those results by going to their home page (on this web site) and donating and emailing them to ask if there is anything else we can do:
SAGA elects new Board of Directors
re-printed from the San Pedro Sun

Dr. Bronwen Eastwood politely accepted her re-appointment as Director of SAGA Society last Thursday at Caruso Italian Restaurant in the SunBreeze Hotel. Thanking the outgoing board of directors for their dedication and service over the past two years, the leader of the island's "humane society" deemed their efforts "the key to SAGA's continuous success". Graciously stepping down from service to the organization to make room for "new blood" were Lane Llewellyn, Ruben Gonzalez and Area Representative Patty Arceo. Elected or re-elected for the 2001-2002 term of office were Director Dr. Bron Eastwood, Chairperson/Secretary Eileen Jamison, Treasurer Sari Frank and directors Ramon Nuñez, Mary Hawthorne and Alberto Villanueva Jr.

Introduced at the meeting were Mr. Steve Peterson and his wife Trish who addressed the gathering with an update on the society's 501C3 Tax Exempt status in the United States. Mr. Peterson, an attorney with the US Navy, has generously donated 200 hours of his professional time to obtain this status. As of this week, the society is registered in the state of Texas as the Belize SAGA Society Foundation, Inc., a Texas Non Profit Corporation, which will enable the organization to solicit tax-exempt donations from foundations and private individuals in that country. Trish Peterson, a "veteran" of several non-profit organizations, was established as the treasurer on behalf of the foundation directors in the States, who will include the existing SAGA directors holding US citizenship as well. The visiting couple, who intend to retire on the island within a year, then informed that approval of the 501C3 status should be complete in approximately four to six months. The group applauded and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Peterson for the extreme kindness and wished them success in all their efforts.

Dr. Eastwood then gave a report on the society's activities for this year. Included was an update on new membership from January to June 2001 which consisted of six lifetime, eleven annual and three family members. Money collected for the six-month period was reported to be as much as the entire total of last year's donations which pleased the directors. This was attributed to many factors, the most significant being the society's newsletter and the SAGA website on ambergriscaye.com, generously donated, designed and maintained by Marty Casado. Both information sources were reported to generate a wealth of income.

Dr. Eastwood then informed of the many strays who have benefited as a result of this financial gain. Animals sterilized in the Spay/Neuter Program during the aforementioned period were: dogs - 18 females, six males; cats - four females, three males. Saga also assisted financially with the sterilization of six females and one male dog. Animals treated within this time frame were: 17 adult dogs, five adult cats and numerous puppies. With the assistance of several more-than-helpful volunteers, the SAGA Adoption Program has successfully "homed" the following strays in the past six months: six adults dogs (via homes in the US) and 33 puppies; two adult cats and sixteen kittens. ("Foster Families" are currently sheltering numerous animals who await loving homes.) Those less fortunate who needed to find "lasting peace,"( seven dogs and one cat) were humanely laid to rest.

New business was discussed next and included the recent filing of an application for Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status with the government of Belize to assist in acceptance for grants. Also work continues on the application to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in the United Kingdom. Land for the society's shelter is still being investigated and will be reported on in an upcoming meeting. A variety of fundraising activities will also be decided on at that time. Also mentioned was the possible contribution of a SAGA space on the 5-A-Side Court advertising wall. The creation of a new poster and more donation boxes was also discussed. It was further announced that Mr. Santiago Castillo, of Santino's - The Poor Man's Store in Belize City, is kindly donating a fifty-pound bag of dog food every month to the animals of SAGA Society.

The Director then announced in order to encourage participation and maintain communication with SAGA members and the general population, monthly meetings would be held. Open meetings for members and the general public will now take place the first Thursday of every month at Ramon's Village at 6:00 p.m. Anyone wishing to participate in the society's work in any manner is welcome to attend. For more information, phone 3266.

As a resident of San Pedro and a director of SAGA I would like to update everyone on the situation here and the objectives of the society.

Members of Saga met this week with the island health inspector and the recent occurences of poisoning (which were undertaken by a temporary inspector to the island) have stopped. The health inspector, town board and mayor are fully behind SAGA in respect to controlling the animal population (in a humane way) for the good of everyone.

SAGA does have a spay/neuter programme for stray animals BUT many animals with owners are not neutered and are allowed to roam freely. There is also no policy on tagging/collars and so we are often in danger of neutering (or worse destroying) someone's pet against their will. This will change over time with both the education program we are running in the schools and the license program we are working with the town board to implement. But none of this will happen overnight.

When a stray animal is taken to the clinic (we have rounded up many in the last few weeks) we do have to put down some - either due to disease or temperament. In many cases younger animals are found new homes (kittens and puppies are relatively easy to home) but the older animals are returned to the street. However having been neutered they are :
a) not reproducing
b) have no tendency to pack or attack
c) are healthier with only themselves to feed.

SAGA have never shied away from putting down an ill or dangerous animal. But a healthy neutered animal is not put down and we have numerous cases where such animals have later been adopted by either locals or tourists who have taken them home.

The issue of "stray" animals is not an easy one and I put stray in quotes because of the many that are seen this way at first glance, a high proportion have homes. Animals are not cossetted and fussed over here in the same way as in the US or UK - they are not seen as part of the family in the same way and I doubt ever will be.

SAGA will continue their work through the many unpaid volunteers on the island and we are grateful to all the support we receive from both locals and visitors. But change will not happen overnight as it is as much about education as action. We believe that change is happening - many locals now bring their pets for innoculation, neutering, etc. which was not happening a year or so ago.

So I thank everyone for their obvious interest and care of the animals and ask that you continue to support SAGA in their goals as we work with the community for humane animal care.