Not Safe! Game - Pet Food Institute participated in the TCSPCA Dog Show November 12 at Turtle Cove Marina, debuting a new game designed to raise awareness about foods that are dangerous to dogs and cats. “What TCSPCA has done for raising the standards of pet care in such a short time is incredible,” said Sandra Kemp, PFI representative (seated). “Pet Food Institute is really happy to support their largest annual fundraiser.”

Not Safe! Game - Pet Food Institute participated in the TCSPCA Dog Show November 12 at Turtle Cove Marina, debuting a new game designed to raise awareness about foods that are dangerous to dogs and cats. “What TCSPCA has done for raising the standards of pet care in such a short time is incredible,” said Sandra Kemp, PFI representative (seated). “Pet Food Institute is really happy to support their largest annual fundraiser.”

Pet Food Institute Applauds Turks & Caicos Outreach and Education on Pet Wellbeing

Washington, D.C.-based Pet Food Institute (PFI) this week applauded the Turks & Caicos SPCA for “incredible efforts” raising standards of pet care, performing nearly 6,000 spay and neuter surgeries since 2001, educating pet owners about the value of proper nutrition and bringing pet-borne diseases on the islands to an all-time low.

“The Turks and Caicos Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is an organization whose dedicated members have made a difference in the quality of life for pets and the households they call home,” said Sandra Kemp, who represented PFI at the TCSPCA Annual Dog Show November 12 in Providenciales. “What they have done in such a short period of time is nothing short of incredible and their efforts should be applauded.”

The figures, said Kemp, are impressive.

“Before the TCSPCA was formed, the situation in Turks and Caicos was disturbing,” she noted. “There was a tremendous problem with aggressive stray animals and as the island was developing and becoming a tourist mecca, the numbers multiplied and aggressive strays became a threat.” In stepped a local vet, Dr. Mark Woodring, who worked with government to get the quickly multiplying problem under control. Volunteers drove a bus, traveling hundreds of miles a week, picking up stray dogs and cats. Between 2001 and 2008, Woodring performed 1,299 surgeries. At the same time, animal owners were being taught about pet care, wellness and nutrition. Others joined the effort. Another vet, Dr. Rich Sekcik, and a donor from the U.K., Annie Notley, became dedicated workers in the campaign to produce a healthy and controlled animal population. Those combined efforts have resulted in 5,884 surgeries among other feats.

“That is a remarkable number to report,” the TCSPCA said. “But the real success does not lie in the numbers but in the change in attitudes towards animals. We now have a waiting list for surgeries, disease control is much better understood, and in some islands puppies are becoming a rarity. There are areas in Provo where almost every dog has been sterilized. Five hundred dog owners are giving their pet’s regular monthly heartworm preventative and hundreds of puppies are vaccinated against Parvo virus on their way to a healthier and longer life.”

The dog show in Turks & Caicos which drew about 400 people was one of several PFI has attended.

“The Pet Food Institute was pleased to have been invited to participate in the TCSPCA Annual Dog Show, the major fund-raiser for the valuable work that the organization continues to do,” said Mary Emma Young, PFI Director of Communications. “We hope the day will come when all pet owners appreciate the importance of regular health care for their pets and that proper food created for pets, not for humans, will allow them to lead more active lives and bring more joy to their owners. We also trust that having a presence at such events will make a difference as we engage with the public in education and awareness.”

For Kemp, it was also about deepening relationships with the animal welfare community. “Our company, Diane Phillips & Associates, represents the Pet Food Institute in The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Jamaica and Trinidad, and it is our goal to work with animal welfare organizations in each of those jurisdictions to lend support to the work they are doing. We all aim to show that proper care is important, that preventing dogs from eating bones, especially pork and chicken, can save its life and teaching that certain foods including onions, chocolate and grapes, could cause serious health effects. It’s about education.”

The Pet Food Institute-Caribbean is a non-profit organization that promotes initiatives to advance pet nutrition and the overall quality of pet food in The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and Jamaica. For more information or to showcase the pets you love, follow us on Facebook @ petfoodinstitutecaribbean

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I’d like to register please – Fun was had by pets and the over 400 people who attended TCSPCA’s Dog Show November 12 at Turtle Cove Marina. Pet Food Institute was on hand to share pet nutrition information with the two-legged participants.
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We Do – This couple showed up to compete in the TCSPCA’s Best Matching Outfit category November 12 at Turtle Cove Marina.

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