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STIFF legs point skywards, bellies bloated by the baking sun. Carrion crows swoop onto the roads, ready to snatch another tasty morsel from the putrid remains of car-culled cats.

Come nightfall, packs of wild dogs roam the streets, foraging for food and feral cats join in the hunt for an evening meal, ripping open piles of swollen rubbish bags.

Infections increase and the number of road accidents escalate as starving dogs wander on to the motorway in search of food thrown from vehicles. Residents are forced to resort to old fashioned methods of animal control, drowning newborn puppies and kittens.

Sales of poison reach an all time high, but several children die, after accidentally coming into contact with the lethal substance. The sound of gunshots becomes commonplace, as local municipality employees roam the streets tracking stray animals.

This is no fantasy scenario.

It's what many people fear could come about, and sooner rather than later, unless our authorities wake up and begin to recognise, and support the work being carried out on a daily basis by our indigenous animal charities.

Tony Waters known as the 'Dog father', pictured above, has dedicated his life to the care of animals, currently tending to the daily needs of over 100 abandoned dogs and 130 cats.

No, he is not some obsessive crackpot collector of animals, here is man who firmly believes the measure of how human we are is judged by the way we treat the most vulnerable creatures in our society.

Tony has managed to survive for this long on the generosity of supporters but he is now facing his biggest-ever challenge, the imminent eviction from his compound.

He told me that if we don't find a new home where we can take care of all the strays then that's basically it. He cannot bear to think of the consequences, nor of the cause and effect of closing down.

"I know we all live in a cruel and imperfect world and there are many charities that are also hurting at this time, and I know that life comes at a price," he said.

Mind you, if that price could be paid, not in hard cash, but in unconditional love, then he would be on a par with Bill Gates bank account.

Help for Tony is needed to keep feeding the animals and manpower to assist with the running of the kennels. But, above all, a new home is urgently required to house and care for stray animals prior to them being re-homed.

If you can help then please contact Tony direct on 39629889 or visit www.dogfatherbahrain.com

Jill Campbell Mackay,

Bahrain.

AS we all know, it is a time of crisis for the people of Pakistan. The floods have affected 20 million people and they all lack food, clean water and other basic necessities for their survival.

PWA has already donated 5 tonnes of urgently needed tents, blankets, non-perishable food items, drinks and medicines through Imran Khan's relief fund 'Pukar'.

In order to collect further donations for the flood victims, we seek your support and assistance.

The PWA is arranging a Family Walkathon on Friday, January 21, from 2pm onwards at Al Ghous Park in Muharraq.

We invite all our members and non-members alike to participate.

As always, we are grateful to everyone for their support and co-operation in the past and expect the same this year.

Nayla Asgharali,

PR, Chairperson,

PWA.

I LEFT Bahrain amid a whirlwind of goodbyes and I'm so sorry if I didn't have time to say a personal 'bye to ya' all.

I was humbled by the emotional farewell reception at the British Embassy (many thanks Jamie and Sarah), I enjoyed my last game of golf at the Royal Golf Club (thanks again Phil and David), and broadcast my last show on Radio Bahrain.

Then, it was off to new adventures Down Under. My wife Wendy and daughter Hannah left Bahrain six weeks ago, so I was very excited to be seeing them again.

I boarded my Etihad flight to Brisbane with a mixture of emotions at leaving my beloved Bahrain. Arriving at the airport I was met by Wendy's brother Matt. He mentioned that there had been 'a lot of rain lately' ... little did I know what was to come.

We arrived in Toowoomba, normally a 90-minute drive, but which took more than two-and-a-half hours in the rain.

We then went to work freshening up our house in Toowoomba; putting in new flooring and furniture. Wendy's dad and I went over one very rainy day to do some work, and finished up at about 3.30pm.

We went to cross the bridge that we always come over and found that it was gone! The torrential rain had swollen the river, the banks had burst, and there were cars, trees and bits of houses floating past.

It was a very scary situation! If we had tried to cross it 15 minutes earlier we could have been among those who were swept away ... we drove all the way around the town and finally found a safe place to cross.

It was only then the complete horror of the situation hit us; the town centre had turned into a river full of rapids and the force of the current had overturned and swept away cars and trucks. There were police, fire and ambulance vehicles everywhere.

We later found out that five people had been swept to their deaths and at the time of writing this there has been 17 deaths confirmed in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley and many more people missing. All this around a town that is about 22,00 feet above sea level.

Over the next week the whole community pulled together to help clean up. What an amazing welcome to life in Australia.

Since the rain stopped I have been working hard, doing things that I NEVER thought that I would do - like mowing grass - that's what watering does to a lawn! It's great exercise, but in the process I got sunburned for the first time - in all my years in Bahrain I've never really got burnt.

Hannah has one more week before she starts school, then the job hunting begins for me. Everybody please keep your fingers, eyes and toes crossed for me! Until my next episode, goodbye for now and I miss you all.

Krazy Kevin,

Australia.