“We need better laws to protect our animals” – ARAPS

Animal cruelty in Guyana is most common and, many a time, overlooked, but it is the belief of a local animal welfare organisation that this abuse can end if better laws are created and enforced to protect animals across the country.
The Animal Rescue, Adoption, and Protection Society (ARAPS) emerged out of a pursuit to eradicate animal cruelty, abandonment, and uncontrolled breeding of the animal population.

This non-governmental organisation, founded by a group of animal activists, shares a common goal which is to love, care, rescue and fight for the rights of all animals by sensitising the general populace on the importance of respecting animals.
On Tuesday a call for the creation and enforcement of laws to protect these innocent animals was voiced by a volunteer and Board member of ARAPS, Keshrie Singh during an interview with Guyana Times. She noted that the implementation of such laws will bring them much closer to ending the abuse of animals.
“We need to have better laws in place to protect our animals, we need to make sure that when we call on the law enforcement officers, they are there because animals suffer a lot of abuse so we’re trying to eliminate that especially for horses and even dogs, any animal. We need to have a better system in place to protect the voiceless,” she stated.
According to Singh, owning a pet goes way beyond just caring for it, as she shared the many advantages one can get from having a canine friend around.
“Animals make you relaxed. We as humans [need] to lead and we need to live by an example sometimes the animal teaches us more so on how to live. They help each other, they look out for each other and we learn so much from them as well. So, I think having an animal in your life can also teach you to be a better and kind human.”
ARAPS has recorded countless rescues, adoptions, rehabilitation and rehoming of many animals and, therefore, seeks to extend its services to all parts of Guyana. As such, its volunteer took the opportunity to give an insight into the organisation’s future plans.
“Our focus is mainly in Georgetown as of now but we’re looking to widen that because a lot of cases are happening in Berbice as well, where a lot of animals need help and we want to go to on the West Coast as well and then we reach out to further places like Essequibo, Bartica. We want to widen that.”
With over 42 dogs and 15 cats in their shelter presently, the founders of ARAPS have taken it upon themselves to offer help whether medically or emotionally to other domesticated animals including horses.
While the NGO urges persons to adopt its foster animals, it also calls on citizens to replace the cruelty against animals with affection.