OTTAWA --
An Ottawa-based non-profit dog rescue is preparing to transport up to 200 dogs from Barbados to Canada, to aid overflowing shelters on the Caribbean island.
It’s a massive endeavour that has been in the works for months. The Eastern Ontario Potcake Rescue, whose mission is to rehome stray dogs from Caribbean islands—such as Turks & Caicos, Bahamas and Jamaica—to loving homes in Canada, is preparing for its largest rescue ever. The organization has raised enough money to charter a plane that will transport up to 200 dogs from Bridgetown, Barbados to Toronto.
“On the islands, the shelters are completely overflowing; they’re bursting at the seams. There are dogs on the streets that cannot get medical attention or the care they need because the shelters are so full,” says Michelle Ruel, fundraising director with the Eastern Ontario Potcake Rescue. “With COVID and the lack of tourism, people are losing their jobs. People aren’t able to feed their families, let alone their dogs.”