AN animal advocate believes successive governments have failed to deal with aggressive animals, and owners of dogs that attack people should be held accountable.

 

Bahamas Humane Society (BHS) president Kim Aranha spoke to The Tribune after a suspected dog attack left a man dead on the weekend. # Police said the man’s body was found around 4am Saturday with apparent dog bite injuries. Ms Aranha noted this is the second major dog attack that happened this year after Alicia Barton was nearly killed by a pack of dogs in January. A 27-year-old man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court in February in connection with that dog attack. # Ms Aranha fears this latest attack will be swept under the rug. # “And until we make people responsible for their own animals it’s never going to stop. Because if they do pick up the dogs and they take them to the pound and they put them to sleep, the owner doesn’t care. You need to prosecute and charge the owner to the highest possible extent of the law because they are the ones responsible for those animals. It’s too easy to put the dogs to sleep and then the matter is not closed.” # She said that there has been a trend in people raising aggressive dogs to protect property. She added that if people choose to go that route they need to take the necessary precautions to ensure public safety. The BHS president was also critical of the current and previous government administrations’ handling of aggressive dogs, saying that while legislation exists addressing the issue, it is very rarely acted upon. # “If we have a dog that we feel is aggressive, if we love them very much we should keep them out of circulation, we should keep them in our property, we should be mindful of it and we should not breed it. Your dog will still protect your property without it being aggressive. # “I think it’s always been handled very badly by both administrations. I’m not picking on anybody here. I don’t think The Bahamas has ever handled dog attacks properly. You need to start handling this before it happens. You need to have the rules in place, and actually the legislation is in place, but it’s not applied that people must keep their dogs on their property. Now I know that’s difficult because there are what I call community potcakes that wander around and it’s going to take a while for us to get everybody to where they can fence in their properties.” # She said the BHS can help people with guidelines on how to fence in their properties. # She also called on the public to be more responsible with their animals to prevent future attacks. # “This cannot actually go on. People have to be held responsible for what they or their animals have done. And that actually somebody lost their life in this it’s just sickening, it’s sickening and it’s unforgivable and there’s nothing that can ever be said to the families let alone the poor man who’s dead.” #A relative identified Saturday’s victim as 61-year-old Anthony Swan.

Bahamas Humane Society (BHS) president Kim Aranha spoke to The Tribune after a suspected dog attack left a man dead on the weekend.

Police said the man’s body was found around 4am Saturday with apparent dog bite injuries. Ms Aranha noted this is the second major dog attack that happened this year after Alicia Barton was nearly killed by a pack of dogs in January. A 27-year-old man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court in February in connection with that dog attack.

Ms Aranha fears this latest attack will be swept under the rug.

“And until we make people responsible for their own animals it’s never going to stop. Because if they do pick up the dogs and they take them to the pound and they put them to sleep, the owner doesn’t care. You need to prosecute and charge the owner to the highest possible extent of the law because they are the ones responsible for those animals. It’s too easy to put the dogs to sleep and then the matter is not closed.”

She said that there has been a trend in people raising aggressive dogs to protect property. She added that if people choose to go that route they need to take the necessary precautions to ensure public safety. The BHS president was also critical of the current and previous government administrations’ handling of aggressive dogs, saying that while legislation exists addressing the issue, it is very rarely acted upon.

“If we have a dog that we feel is aggressive, if we love them very much we should keep them out of circulation, we should keep them in our property, we should be mindful of it and we should not breed it. Your dog will still protect your property without it being aggressive.

“I think it’s always been handled very badly by both administrations. I’m not picking on anybody here. I don’t think The Bahamas has ever handled dog attacks properly. You need to start handling this before it happens. You need to have the rules in place, and actually the legislation is in place, but it’s not applied that people must keep their dogs on their property. Now I know that’s difficult because there are what I call community potcakes that wander around and it’s going to take a while for us to get everybody to where they can fence in their properties.”

She said the BHS can help people with guidelines on how to fence in their properties.

She also called on the public to be more responsible with their animals to prevent future attacks.

“This cannot actually go on. People have to be held responsible for what they or their animals have done. And that actually somebody lost their life in this it’s just sickening, it’s sickening and it’s unforgivable and there’s nothing that can ever be said to the families let alone the poor man who’s dead.”

A relative identified Saturday’s victim as 61-year-old Anthony Swan.

 

Coffee lovers the world over likely greeted the findings of a new study showing a second and even third cup of coffee could be good for your heart with a sigh of relief, but the same chief ingredient that is a mood lifter for humans can be extremely harmful for your pet.

That’s the warning from the Washington, D.C.-based Pet Food Institute (PFI) which has been promoting pet health in the U.S. for more than half a century and in the Caribbean for nearly a decade.

“Chocolate, coffee and caffeinated beverages contain methylxanthines, substances which are found in cacao seeds,” explains Nat Davies, Senior Director of Business Operations and Programs with the Pet Food Institute (PFI). “Methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures. The toxicity varies depending on the type of chocolate, the size of the pet, and the amount they ingested. It’s best to keep all chocolate and caffeinated beverages away from pets.”

A single 8-ounce cup of coffee can contain as much as 95 milligrams of caffeine and what’s more surprising, say experts, is that despite its name, even decaf coffee contains traces of caffeine, though nowhere near what a regular cup of brewed coffee or espresso would have. Especially dangerous for pets are those super energy drinks – that big burst they give you could actually be deadly for the dog who is like part of the family. PFI urges pet owners and caregivers to steer clear of anything with caffeine, including chocolate, tea, certain supplements and some berry drinks.

For the rest of us who worried as we brewed that extra cup of coffee in the morning, the findings of the study out of Australia are a welcome nod to a little more Joe to ensure our get up and go has not gotten up and gone.

What sets the new study from the Alfred Hospital and Baker Heart Institute in Melbourne apart from previous reports is that it reports not only is coffee safe, but that second or even third cup could actually be beneficial for people that suffer from heart disease.

  "Because coffee can quicken heart rate, some people worry that drinking it could trigger or worsen certain heart issues. This is where general medical advice to stop drinking coffee may come from. But our data suggest that daily coffee intake shouldn't be discouraged, but rather included as a part of a healthy diet for people with and without heart disease,” says Peter M. Kistler, head of arrhythmia research at the institute.

The study was reported by the American College of Cardiology.

Educating the public about pet health care is a priority of PFI. Last year, PFI representatives conducted information sessions via zoom with more than 1,600 students in The Bahamas and Jamaica and sessions are being scheduled with Turks and Caicos and Trinidad & Tobago in the coming weeks.

 

THE Department of Marine Resources is urging fishermen to abide by fisheries laws as crawfish season opened on August 1. #In a press statement yesterday, the department reminded fishermen that the legal measurement for whole crawfish is a carapace (jacket) length of 3 1⁄4 inches and when the tail is separated, a tail length of 5 1⁄2 inches. #Those wishing to harvest crawfish are also required to have a crawfish measuring gauge in their possession at all times. #Possession of dishwashing liquid, bleach or other noxious substance aboard any vessel while fishing is unlawful without first obtaining a permit authorising such possession. #Further, a permit is required for the use of the air compressor or crawfish traps to aid in fishing. #“The public is also reminded that several portions of the Fisheries Act 2020 came into force on Tuesday, 22nd June 2021. Amongst those portions of the mentioned legislation that are enforceable are: The requirement that all vessels being 15 ft or larger in length that are engaged in commercial fishing to be licensed by the Department of Marine Resources to be so engaged. #“Application forms may be obtained at any of the department’s offices in New Providence and the Family Islands. Applicants should ensure that their vessels have been licensed by the Port Department, and that they possess a valid business license #“The prohibition of foreign employment in any form aboard a licensed commercial fishing vessel.” #The Department said those vessels only owned by Bahamian citizens that are residents within the country can legally engage in commercial fishing exercises.

THE Department of Marine Resources is urging fishermen to abide by fisheries laws as crawfish season opened on August 1.

In a press statement yesterday, the department reminded fishermen that the legal measurement for whole crawfish is a carapace (jacket) length of 3 1⁄4 inches and when the tail is separated, a tail length of 5 1⁄2 inches.

Those wishing to harvest crawfish are also required to have a crawfish measuring gauge in their possession at all times.

Possession of dishwashing liquid, bleach or other noxious substance aboard any vessel while fishing is unlawful without first obtaining a permit authorising such possession.

Further, a permit is required for the use of the air compressor or crawfish traps to aid in fishing.

“The public is also reminded that several portions of the Fisheries Act 2020 came into force on Tuesday, 22nd June 2021. Amongst those portions of the mentioned legislation that are enforceable are: The requirement that all vessels being 15 ft or larger in length that are engaged in commercial fishing to be licensed by the Department of Marine Resources to be so engaged.

“Application forms may be obtained at any of the department’s offices in New Providence and the Family Islands. Applicants should ensure that their vessels have been licensed by the Port Department, and that they possess a valid business license

“The prohibition of foreign employment in any form aboard a licensed commercial fishing vessel.”

The Department said those vessels only owned by Bahamian citizens that are residents within the country can legally engage in commercial fishing exercises.

 

If you’re dressed in shorts and complaining about the heat, remember that your dog may be feeling the high temperatures even worse. Our pets require cool air, shade and access to a lot of water to stay safe during the summer.

But, tragically, many dogs whose owners or handlers don’t realize how much a few degrees difference in temperature can make, suffer in silence because they are left out in the sun, tied up in a yard or in a hot concrete parking lot with no shade and insufficient water. Every year, there are reports throughout the Caribbean of dogs seriously sickened or dying from heat stroke.

“With the summer sun and the humidity reaching what feels like triple digit temperatures in The Bahamas and Caribbean, we humans have lots of options and advantages. We can duck into an air-conditioned building, slip into the shade of a tree or take a dip in the sea,” said Dr. Valentino Grant, one of four veterinarians who serves the busy Caves Village Veterinary Hospital in Nassau, Bahamas. “But a dog does not have the same options for escape from the scorching sun. If its owner or handler is not sensitive to the impact of heat, the result could be disaster or even death.”

It is concern for suffering that drove the Pet Food Institute (PFI), which is committed to education about pet wellness, to remind domestic pet caregivers to pay special attention to heat and know the warning signs of an overheated dog.

“As climate change drives summer temperatures up all over the globe, making warm climates like the tropics even hotter, it is critical that pet owners know the signs of heat-related distress and take immediate action,” said Nat Davies, director of business operations with PFI. “First, remember that your pet’s body temperature is already higher than yours. Their bodies stay warmer even at rest in moderate temps. When they begin to overheat, they cannot sweat like we do so they pant. That provides temporary relief but if the internal heat builds up or is too intense, dogs cannot keep themselves cool and can overheat, instead.”

That’s when the serious side effects occur. PFI suggests watching for symptoms including heavy panting or salivating, vomiting, diarrhea, urinating blood, collapse, incontinence or seizures. “Ensuring dogs are safe in summer is something we can all do with very little effort,” said Nat Davies. “This is a cause we can get behind that doesn’t cost a penny but can save the lives of our family’s best friends who give love unconditionally and ask for so little from us in return.”

PFI supports wellness throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean (Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas) and other countries in the Middle East and Asia. Earlier this year, its representatives hosted a series of zoom meetings reaching thousands of young students sharing information on harmful foods – chocolate, onions, grapes, garlic, macadamia nuts – among others. The good news, say experts, is that pets can enjoy a small amount of human’s favourite summer guilty pleasure, watermelon, just so long as seeds are removed.