St. Vincent
…our most sustainable project!

From the very beginnings the Association for Aid and Support of the Creole Dogs has had a concept that combines spay neuter and humane education for the utmost effectiveness of animal welfare work and a real improvement of the quality of animals‘ life.

Up to now we could always realize only aspects of this concept in our projects; spay neuter in the Dominican Republic and on other islands and a school project on Barbados. On St. Vincent this is different! 2025 the Association for Aid and Support of the Creole Dogs celebrates its twentieth anniversary; a great occasion to partner up with the VSPCA! Our cooperation started already in summer 2024 with a summer camp for the children of St. Vincent in August; for children who won’t travel, whose parents will have to work also during school holidays and who will be happy knowing their kids are taken care off and are having a lot of fun.

The president of the VSPCA / Vincention Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Jhanice Nelson, is the driving force at the VSPCA.

She goes herself into the schools and teaches. All products and items future pet keepers should know she brings along. She will be supported by our volunteers from 2025 on. 4 During her lessons she focuses on the 5 freedoms every animal should be guaranteed: Freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear and distress.

And of course the importance of spay neuter is being explained, not only to control overpopulation but also its effects on animal behaviour.6 The children are colouring a drawing showing a spayed/neutered cat which sits contently on its owner’s lap instead of roaming around getting into danger.

The little toy dog is a very important item in each lesson. The children practice with it how to handle dogs properly later on.

For the VSPCA – Vincentian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals the combination of spay neuter and humane education is a matter of course! We have the same goal concerning sustainable animal welfare that will lead to lasting changes. Here Dr. Natalie Toney at work…

Different than on some other Caribbean islands volunteering vets are welcome on St. Vincent;

In April 2024 Dr. Kimberly and her team from the United States spayed neutered in several villages. The operative was sponsorde by the Sandals foundation. Sandals Resorts had shortly before opened the Sandals St. Vincent.

Starting 2025 Claudia Bretthauer will spay neuter about 300 animals on St. Vincent.

Plans for our summer camp 2024 (07/28/2024)

Mr. Charles and his horses…

They will be a major attraction during the summer camp in August. Mr. Charles 3 Mr. Charles is a true „horse whisperer“!

There is nothing he can’t do with his horses. They have total trust and confidence in him.

They are particularly suited to make friends with children.

During the summer camp children will have their first contact with such big animals.

Mr. Charles takes his horses often to the beach for a bath and a massage.

Afterwards they enjoy the sunshine together.

Mr. Charles‘ grandson knows already very well how to ride. Here he takes the horse through town to the beach. His grandfather who is supervising, is very proud of him! These two are a great example of the sustainability of humane education where one generation passes on the love for animals to the next!

We have also some good news concerning the implementation of the St. Vincent animal welfare law:

On 07/24/2024 One News SVG reports the conviction of a man who had injured a pig with a machete.

Man charged with Animal Cruelty in St. Vincent – One News SVG (onenewsstvincent.com)

And: Sandals Resorts are opening a new hotel on St. Vincent and the Sandals foundation is supporting animal welfare as they do on many islands where Sandals has resorts. In May they sponsored spay neuter of 300 dogs and cats in the communities Owia, Sandy Bay and Georgetown. They will continue to partner with ´the VSPCA; you can find the beautiful resort Sandals Saint Vincent on our site Animal-friendly hotels.

But there are still a lot of suffering animals to be found on St. Vincent!

Here 2 dogs rescued by the VSPCA that are now waiting for a loving forever home:

Bravo was found totally emaciated.

Bravo today…

…a happy, content and well-fed dog!

Hero, found Christma Eve 2022 with a terrible wound caused by machete and nearly dead.

Nonody knew if he would survive when they carried him to VSPCA headquarters.

It was a long way from rescue to recovery!

Hero today, beaming with happiness!

Spay neuter alone is no solution against cruelty, it needs Humane Education to improve animals‘ lifes!

We thank our supporters! (07/14/2024)

Jhanice Nelson saw a totally devastated island…

…when she arrived on Tuesday on Union Island.

She had wanted to come already on Monday but there were no ferries transporting also cars.

The people here have lost everything This lady is sitting on what is left of her shop that was her existence before.

One of Jhanice’s helpers is finding puppies under the debris.

The animals are lacking not only food but also water.

Jhanice and her volunteers…

…bring food…

…medication…

…and supplies ort he next few days.

The dog knows exactly that this donation is for him!

Slowly they work their way towards a small shelte, destroyed like all the other buildings. The dogs gather around the lady who runs it, hoping for help.

A few hours later Jhanice and her helpers must leave again. They still have Mayreau on the agenda that day.

They leave a flyer. On Wednesday, 07/17 they want to return with 2 vets to visit Ashton and Clifton, 2 particularly poor villages.

Despite all that our summer camp shall start as planned on August 5th! Also on St. Vincent some people have lost everything and the children are traumatized. They shall enjoy a holiday with animals and lots of fun for a whole month!

We thank all friends and supporters who have helped with their donations to make this dream come true!

Special thanks to the Swiss foundation Tierbotschafter CH and our American friends Paws Wide Open for the fast hurricane aid!

500 Euro are still missing to finance the summer camp on St. Vincent!

While we were still collecting donations hurricane Beryl hit the southern Caribbean and devastated Carriacou, parts of St. Vincent and the small Grenadines completely. View this CBC News report on YouTube.

That is what’s left of Gillian’s house, the animal welfare activist who works on Mayreau.

And that ist he church of Mayreau; only the wall with the cross is still standing.

817 people were evacuated on St. Vincent and had to leave their animals behind. The Swiss foundation Tierbotschafter CH sent 500 € for immediate aid to feed starving dogs and cats. 1600 people who had lost their homes came by ferries from the Grenadines the day after the hurricane. There was no water, no current, the hurricane has killed 2 people alone on St. Vincent. A nurse from the Red Cross asked Jhanice Nelson for help for the animals left behind on the Grenadines. Monday Jhanice will visit Union Island.

We have asked her if wes hall send the money already collected fort he summer camp but she said: No, the camp is happening! And she is right. Children who didn’t have a lot before and now may have even lost that deserve a few bright moments! Additionally they will learn to love animals!

Also during the corona Humane Education continued.

When the schools closed Jhanice Nelson just turned the small VSPCA clinic into a classroom and continued teaching. Also a summercamp took place during that time, financed by Jhanice herself. She was not yet president of the VSPCA but the driving force behind Humane Education, still having to convince her own organization of the importance of this work.

Photos like these make the children understand that animals have feelings…

…such as friendship and love for one another.

Also puzzles belong to the teaching material.5 Jhanice creates them herself. There seems to be no limit to her imaginativeness and creativity.

After the lesson the practical part begins…

The puppies shall get bathed.

A bath will rid them of parasites.

The children learn how to lift, hold and bathe a dog.

Afterwards the puppy gets dried…

…and brushed.

And then they make ice pops from fruit juice.

When the pops are thoroughly frozen…

…every child receives one!

Now it’s time to prepare the dog food…

…and to feed the dogs.

The VSPCA has no big shelter and can only keep a few dogs, mostly puppies or very young ones and emergencies; a dozen at the most.18 The children participate in all tasks concerning the care of the animals…

…including taking the dogs for walks.

Supervised by the adults…

…they can now practice…

…what they have learnt with the help of a little toy dog.

That works already quite well…

…although sometimes the children find out that a puppy can be a lot more stubborn than a toy dog.

But with a little practice children and dogs become a great team.

All have arrived back home safe and sound. Not only the children, also the young dogs have learnt something. Leash training is an important part of their education making it easier to find forever homes for them.

What looks like baking cookies for Christmas……