From March 27 to 31, a major free sterilization campaign, organized by 4 Leaf Rover, took place at the St Maarten Veterinary Clinic, in Cay Hill in the Dutch part. With a target of 60 operations per day, 287 sterilizations will have been carried out in five days. CHEER !
If, for some, the question of sterilization remains a sensitive subject, it should not be: a couple of dogs can reproduce and give birth to 67.000 dogs in 7 years. Particularly in Saint-Martin, sterilization is THE only solution to reduce the starvation, suffering and misery of stray animals, most of which have been abandoned without scruple. The only solution, dear owners, to reduce aggressive behavior and diseases of your pets (cancer, feline leukemia, contagious diseases or diseases of the reproductive system). The associations that fight daily for this cause are not refuges. The absence of a structure of this type on the territory feeds the feeling of despair and frustration that volunteers sometimes experience and whose first victims are the animals. With this in mind, 4 Leaf Rover, a US-based non-profit group focused on providing access to free medical care for stray dogs and cats in the Caribbean, held a five-day spay-neuter marathon in Cay Hill. . A pop-up clinic located next to the St Maarten Veterinary Clinic has been built to meet this incredible goal of 60 operations per day. Doctor Edward Lee, American doctor and former student of the American University of the Caribbean (AUC), led the campaign which he himself imagined and implemented with Doctor Susan Burkhart, founder of 4 Leaf Rover, with the logistical support and technique of four veterinarians from Sint Maarten: Dr Ruth Wright, Dr Virginie De Ceuster, Dr Glen Romney and Dr Garry Swantson. Veterinarians Dr Jean Heppner and Dr Christine Tomlin actively participated in the project, not to mention the many assistants and volunteers from animal protection associations such as SXM Paws, Animal Welfare Foundation, Animal Defenders, I Love My Island Dog. Nor would all of this have been possible without the optimism and keen organizational skills of Dekha Swantson, administrative manager of the St. Maarten Veterinary Clinic. Sterilized animals, coming from both parts of the island, were also tested for tick fever and heartworms (dogs), leukemia and AIDS (cats). Treatments for fleas and ticks were administered free of charge. The team made owners aware of having their animals chipped in order to identify them more easily in the event of a runaway. _VX
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