For the first time in Aruba, efforts are being made to rescue sick and stray dogs. Read this amazing story.
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Known as Happy Tails, the goals of the organization are:
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The “Dushi and Friends Rescue Foundation” was recently formed in the USA to assist the van Veens in their effort to create a proper home for more of the island’s homeless and often abused stray dogs. The van Veens currently operate a small kennel from their home but what profits they manage to turn are put right back into the care of the animals that they have taken in. Some are dumped on their doorstep and some have been abandoned by their owners. Regardless, the van Veens find it impossible to let a stray or injured dog go without care.
While in Aruba this past Christmas Holiday, a couple from the USA, Shelley Chadwick and Jon Mays, discovered a stray at their timeshare on Eagle Beach. The dog was such a hit at the resort with the kids and parents that they immediately set out to try and find a local home for the animal. After several days they discovered that the overpopulation of dogs on the island left little room for more pets in the local households. Faced with the dilemma of either leaving the dog uncared for or adopting her themselves; they chose the latter.
They named their dog “Dushi” which is Papiamento for “Sweetheart.” For a couple of days they managed to keep Dushi at their timeshare, but eventually they were gently “reminded” that there was a “No Pets Allowed” policy at the resort so they began to seek out a proper place to leave her for the remainder of their vacation. The local pet store had an advertisement for Happy Tails Pet Hotel so Dushi was taken there to be cared for.
Over the next six days Ms. Chadwick and Mr. Mays visited Dushi every day and became very close to Jacqueline and Gilbert and could see first-hand the love and attention they gave each and every animal in their care. It was extraordinary. At one point Gilbert mentioned his desire to find a way to fund a larger operation where they could take in more animals and care for more stray and sick dogs.
After Dushi relocated to the USA, the van Veens and Ms. Chadwick stayed in touch with each other. Every so often Gilbert would tell her of a new animal they had taken in. One in particular had cruelly been thrown over their fence and in doing so the dog’s spleen was ruptured. Rather than put the animal down, the van Veens opted to pay for corrective surgery. It was during the surgery that the veterinarian discovered that the animal was also pregnant. Now the van Veens faced a big veterinarian bill AND the prospect of caring for a new litter of puppies.
This news prompted Ms. Chadwick and Mr. Mays to start the new “Dushi and Friends Rescue Foundation” on August 25th of this year. Said Ms. Shelley Chadwick: “Our goal is to help Gilbert and Jacqueline realize their dream of building a better home for the unloved and uncared-for dogs on Aruba. We have discovered through adopting our dog that the island’s “Cunucu Dogs” have a fantastic mix of attributes from the mixing of so many breeds. They are incredibly loving, athletic, and smart and Dushi has such a unique personality that we get many many, many compliments on her. Cunucu Dogs are incredibly good with kids as well.” Mr. Mays added: “This initial $2,500.00 was raised after only two weeks of work. Almost an after-thought if you will. Now that we are fully committed, we hope that once we get some traction that we can raise much more annually to enable this to become a true “Game Changer” here on Aruba in the fight against animal cruelty and to help this wonderful family realize their dream.”
Anyone wishing to donate to Dushi and Friends can use PayPal or send a check or money order to “Dushi and Friends” at P.O. Box 2186, Middleburg, VA 20118 USA; or donations may be dropped off at the La Quinta Resort Front Office at Eagle Beach; Shiva’s Gold & Gems downtown or at the Palm Beach Plaza Mall; Kristie’s Jewelry at the Paseo Herencia Mall; The Screaming Eagle Restaurant on Eagle Beach or the Shon Gecko Cocktail Bar also at the La Quinta Resort.
Dushi and Friends would like to acknowledge and thank the following people and companies that have donated funds to get this foundation started:
- Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Bakos, Barbara Black, Bryan Chadwick, John Clark, Lesley Clark, Mr. & Mrs. Paul, Doucet, Christina Fulton, Mrs. Margaret Gardener, Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Johnson, Kristie’s Jewelers – Aruba, Russell Lee, Mr. & Mrs. Gary Liberatore, Roger Mason, Lisa Michaux, Mrs. Heather Nesselrodte
- Shiva’s Gold & Gems – Aruba, Shon Gecko Cocktail Bar – Aruba
- A special thanks to the Screaming Eagle Restaurant for hosting the special event and to Ursell Arends and friends for assisting in many of the arrangements.
Famia Local ta wordo reconoci pa nan esfuerzo pa Cuido di Bestia
Jacqueline y Gilbert van Veen ta luchando pa yuda mas hopi posible e cachonan cu ta biba ariba caya. E ta un trabow enorme, mirando cuanto cacho tin ta biba ariba caya aki na Aruba; pero awe Jacqueline y Gilbert van Veen a haya sa cu nan no ta nan so den e lucha aki! Ayera, ta tin un presentashon sorpresa pa nan na Screaming Eagle Restaurant na Eagle Beach, Jacqueline y Gilbert a ricibi un cheque di $2,500 di “Dushi and Friends Rescue Foundation”. “Dushi and Friends Rescue Foundation” a wordo recientemente forma na Merca pa yuda Jacqueline y Gilbert cu nan esfuerzo pa crea un mihor lugar pa cacho nan abandona y cu ta biba ariba caya. Jacqueline y Gilbert tin un asiel pa bestia na nan cas, pero ki ganashi cu nan ricibi ta wordo inverti back den e cuido di e bestia nan cu nan a tuma. Tin cachonan cu ta wordo benta dilanti nan cas y tambe tin cu ta wordo abandona pa nan doñonan.
Apesar di tur cos, pa nan e ta imposibel pa no cuida cacho nan di caya y esun nan cu ta herida. Na December, mientras cu Shelley Chadwick y Jon Mays, un pareha di Merca, ta akinan pa pasa Pasco, nan a wak un cacho di caya na nan timeshare na Eagle Beach. E cacho tabata un hit na e resort cu e muchanan y nan mayornan. Di biaha nan a cuminsa cu un buskeda pa haya un cas pa e cacho. Despues di basta dia, Shelley y Jon a ripara cu Aruba ta sobre popula door di cacho y esey ta stroba pa mas cacho haya un bon cas. Enfrenta cu e dilema di sea laga e cacho sin cuido of adopte nan, nan a opta pa adopte. Nan a jama nan cacho “Dushi”. Nan por a keda cu e cacho pa un para di dia na nan timeshare, pero eventualmente nan a wordo amablemente recorda cu tin un policy di “No Pets Allowed” na e resort, asina nan a cuminsa buska un lugar apropia pa laga Dushi durante nan resto di vakantie. Un pet store ta tin un aviso pa Happy Tails Pet Hotel, asina nan a hiba Dushi eynan pa nan cuide. Durante e próximo 6 dia nan, Shelley y Jon a bishita Dushi tur dia y asina a crea un amistad cu Jacqueline y Gilbert, y nan a ripara e amor y atenshon cu nan ta duna na cada un di e animal nan den nan cuido. E tabata algo extraordinario. Na un momento Gilbert a menshona su deseo di tin un lugar mas grandi pa asina e por tuma mas bestia cu ta abandona y of malo pa asina nan por cuida pa nan. Despues cu Dushi a muda pa Merca, Jacqueline y Gilbert a keda den contact cu Shelley. De vez en cuando Gilbert ta conta Shelley di cualquier bestia nobo cu nan a tuma. Un caso en particular ta caminda cu un cacho a wordo tira cruelmente den nan cura, locual a ocasiona cu e cacho a scheur su milt. En bes di pone e cacho drumi, nan a opta pa paga pa e operashon di e cacho. Ta durante e operashon cu e veterinario a bin descurbi cu e cacho ta na estado. Awor Jacqueline y Gilbert tin un debe grandi na veterinario y tambe nan lo mester bai cuida e puppies nan ora nan nace.
E noticia aki a pone cu Shelley y Jon a cuminsa cu e “Dushi and Friends Rescue Foundation” riba 25 di Augustus di e aña aki. Shelley a bisa: “Nos meta ta pa yuda Gilbert y Jacqueline realisa nan soño di tin un mihor lugar pa cacho nan cu no tin un cas y no ta haya cariño/amor na Aruba. Nos a descubri cu door di adopta, cu e cacho nan di caya tin un mix fantástico door di tin asina hopi rasa. Nan ta hopi cariñoso, sportief, sabi y Dushi tin un personalidad cu ta único. Nos ta ricibi masha hopi complimento over di Dushi. Cachonan di caya ta hopi bon pa cu mucha tambe.” Jon ta agrega: “E $2,500 a wordo lanta después di 2 siman di trabou. Awor cu nos ta completamente compremeti nos ta spera di por lanta mas placa anualmente pa por hasi esaki un verdadero “Game Changer” aki na Aruba den nos lucha contra di Crueldad di Animal y pa yuda e famia aki realisa nan soño.
Eventualmente, Dushi and Friends lo tin un website cu un link di PayPal pa donacion cu credit cards; pero pa awor ken cu lo kier dona placa na e organisashon aki pero manda un check of money order na “Dushi and Friends” P.O. Box 2186, Middleburg, VA 20118 USA; of por pasa laga donacion na La Quinta Beach Resort Front Office na Eagle Beach, Shiva’s Gold and Gems downtown of na Palm Beach Plaza Mall, Kristie’s Jewelry na Paseo Herencia Mall, The Screaming Eagle Restaurant na Eagle Beach, of na Shon Gecko Cocktail Bar, tambe na La Quinta. Dushi and Friends kier reconoce y agradeci e siguiente personanan y companianan cu a hasi donashon pa cuminsa e fundacion aki: Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Bakos Barbara Black Bryan Chadwick John Clark Lesley Clark Mr. & Mrs. Paul Doucet Christina Fulton Mrs. Margaret Gardener Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Johnson Kristie’s Jewelers – Aruba Russell Lee Mr. & Mrs. Gary Liberatore Roger Mason Lisa Michaux Mrs. Heather Nesselrodte Shiva’s Gold & Gems – Aruba Shon Gecko Cocktail Bar – Aruba Un danki special na The Screaming Eagle Restaurant pa host e evento special aki y tambe Ursell Arends pa asisti cu e planeacion.