Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference Draws 100 Attendees From
12 Islands Across The Bahamas and Caribbean
May 2004 -- The Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference, held May 21-23, 2004 in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, drew 100 attendees from 12 islands who represented animal welfare organizations, social service agencies and police departments.
Hosted by the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, the conference focused on two broad topics: the connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence; and best practices in humane control of stray and feral dogs and cats.
Speakers included several well-known experts on the connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, including Dr. Randall Lockwood of the Humane Society of the United States and Lt. Sherry Schlueter of the Broward County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. Other presenters included Neil Trent of the Humane Society International, William Fielding of the College of the Bahamas, Dr. Radcliffe Robins of the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society, and Dr. Mark Johnson of Global Wildlife Resources. (Please visit the Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference Web site for a complete list of speakers.)
In addition to the animal abuse/interpersonal violence connection, discussions focused on topics that included model spay/neuter programs; humane capture of stray dogs and cats; animal welfare laws; data collection for spay/neuter programs; use of Neutersol as a chemical sterilant for male dogs; dog behavior; and tips on combating compassion fatigue for people working in the fields of animal welfare and social services.
Attendees came from the islands of Puerto Rico, Vieques, Anguilla, Antigua, The Bahamas, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. John, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Turks and Caicos.
One attendee commented at the conclusion of the conference that the experience had been “rewarding and inspiring.” Others stated that “the speakers were wonderful” and that they had gained a great deal of knowledge from the meeting. Another conference participant noted that “all the information we received will help our organization and others in animal welfare.”
The Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference was sponsored by the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, the Pegasus Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States/Humane Society International, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council of St. Croix, ASPCA, Animal Welfare Trust, Millennium Management VI, and PetsMart Charities.
To view the full conference agenda, speaker biographies and list of sponsors, visit the Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference Web site.
The networking and information-sharing begun at the conference will continue through a new Web site just launched for Caribbean animal welfare organizations:
CaribbeanAnimalWelfare.org