New lease of life for abandoned animals

It is business as usual for the kingdom’s leading animal charity, writes Charlie Holding and May Al Mousawi … finding loving homes for abandoned pets. The Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) may still be settling into its new, state-of-the-art facility in Askar, but the task of re-homing remains its number one priority. The first animal to be rescued, checked over and placed with a new family since the move came in the shape of a one-year-old fluffy, white moggy called Angel.

Angel is now living in the lap of luxury in Amwaj with her new owners Fabio Schüler, his wife Katy Barcellos and even has a feline friend to play with too, prized puss Mickey.

The Brazilian couple moved to Bahrain last year when Fabio landed a job as a pilot for the kingdom’s national carrier, Gulf Air.

Katy is no stranger to helping needy animals and described finding her first rescue cat Mickey as one of the best days of her life.

She said: “Back in Brazil it was the middle of summer and I went to the store to pick up a few things. There was heavy traffic and on the way home I saw this little three-month-old kitty hiding under the cars. I was worried he’d be run over so I went and stopped all the cars and picked him up and took him home.

“Fabio wasn’t sure what to think about it at first. I think he was shocked that I just came home with a cat, but since his mother has seven cats I don’t think he minded too much.

“Mickey was very dirty and smelt bad but we didn’t have any cat supplies, so that night we washed him in Victoria’s Secret shampoo. A while later we got two other cats to keep him company which now live with my mother.”

When the couple moved to Bahrain Mickey came too and started meowing more than usual. Fabio and Katy decided he needed another cat companion to play with and spotted an advertisement for the BSPCA.

Fabio said: “I think rescued animals make really good pets because if you treat them right, they’ll treat you right too. All they need is a bit of love and attention and they’re as good as new. The only time Mickey is upset these days is if he’s hungry and you don’t feed him fast enough!

“We went down to the BSPCA and had a look at the new building and it was very impressive. I just couldn’t believe how many abandoned animals were there all looking for a home.”

With so many moggies at the animal welfare centre, it can prove a challenge to choose which one to take home. But, when Katy saw Angel, who was left at the facility’s doorstep with a note which read ‘cannot take care of’, it was love at first sight.

She said: “I loved the way she looked so I picked her up and looked into her eyes. After that, I knew she was the one and I had to have her.”

Fabio agrees that his wife made the right choice. “Angel is great, she’s very playful and quiet and most importantly, she’s made Mickey calm down. They love each other and get along really well.

“Although Angel has only been in our lives for a week, she has settled in quickly and already feels like part of the family,” he said.

The new centre in Askar, which covers almost 1,600 square metres of land, has replaced its rundown site in Shakoora, near Saar.

The land was donated 10 years ago by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the BSPCA has spent almost five years raising funds and two years building the centre, with a budget of BD330,000.

Fundraising co-ordinator, Joyce Hughes, 55, said: “It’s taken us a long time and we’re finally here.

“Hearing that Angel is happily settled into her new home makes it all worthwhile.”

The new centre ensures that everything needed to care for a wide array of needy animals is available on site. The complex also includes an administration block which houses the director of operations office, the Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) administration office, a staff pantry, storeroom, toilets, a small laboratory and the Rajab Lecture Hall, which will be used to educate children on field trips, presentations and for prospective adopters to meet their chosen animals.

The Norma Warbin Clinic is next door and features a reception area, examination room, operating theatre and a recovery room. Staff accommodation is also offered on site.

Joyce said: “Our facilities are excellent. We have 50 kennels with 20 of these dedicated for TNR work which aims to help solve the stray dog crisis in the kingdom.”

The kennels and cat house, which has 40 cages, both boast air conditioning.

The site also has six exercise yards and the BSPCA is currently in the process of building stables. One of the facility’s most interesting recent additions is Eeyore, the donkey.

“The donkey had been horribly beaten and he was very frightened when we found him,” said Joyce. “A donkey pen was not originally in the plan, but after Eeyore came along, we decided to ensure he remains happy.

“It is nice for children to see a live-in facility rather than just animals looking for homes. You don’t always know who you’re going to give the animals to, or when, so we decided to provide proper facilities and stables.”

A pen is currently being constructed with stalls and an exercise area suitable for larger animals such as donkeys, camels, sheep and deer. The enclosure will be named Afua Centre, after the ailing young circus lion that died shortly after the BSPCA rescued him.

Although some of the regular BSPCA volunteers from the Shakoora site may not be able to make regular trips to the new facility, the charity now hopes to encourage people closer to its new site – such as Riffa Views, Awali and Durrat Al Bahrain – to offer a helping hand.

Staff members are settling in too. Director of operations Paul Duke said: “It is a fantastic achievement by everyone involved in the charity to finally get the animal welfare centre open.

“This is without doubt the best facility in the Middle East. This is also an incredible way of promoting the TNR project, which is desperately needed in Bahrain.”

BSPCA vet Dr Hansel Thomas added: “For a charity to set up something like this with such excellent facilities is mind-blowing. With the new facilities and the TNR project it will put us in a much better place in a couple of years’ time in regard to the stray dog population.

“We can reduce the population, meaning decreasing the amount of animals we have to put down.

“We get more than 3,000 animals a year and in Shakoora we just weren’t set up for that many.

“Here, we have a separate examination room and surgery theatre with new medical equipment we purchased from funds raised on our sponsored dog walk last year.”

l Readers can sponsor a lifetime plaque on a dog kennel or cat cage at the centre for BD250. Businesses can also purchase one for the same price, however, with an annual renewal fee. For further details visit www.bspca.org