Belizeans Warned of Doing Business with Neglectful Animal Owner

The Belmopan Humane Society is warning Belizeans to avoid conducting business with people who pose a potential risk to the wellbeing of animals in the country. Recently, U.S. national Abigail O’keeffe was flagged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for owning over one hundred animals that were either dying or critically ill. O’keeffe then abandoned the animals and relocated to Belize, where she is seemingly attempting to purchase animals for a new farm. News Five’s Britney Gordon spoke with the Belmopan Humane Society today for more details on the dangers of this practice. Here’s that story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Upon encountering a hungry or injured dog, there are many people who would take the time to care for the animal, offering food, shelter and possibly a home. But can the same be said for a wounded chicken or an abandoned horse? Often, livestock animals are not afforded the same sympathy as domesticated animals and Diamne Habet, Vice Chair of the Belmopan Humane Society, says that organizations often struggle to find resources to rehabilitate them.

 

Diamne Habet, Vice Chair, Belmopan Humane Society

“There aren’t many resources for livestock in Belize when it comes to horses that you see on the side of the road that are that should be watered daily but are left there for two to three days without water and grazing on nothing but grass and not getting the full nutritional aspects that  an adult horse requires when you’re seeing horses where you can see their ribs. They are reported to the Humane Society, but the Humane Society doesn’t have the resources to give aid. So we tend to report them to our municipal council To see if they can render aid. The most aid we can do legally is offer feed and water to an animal left in that kind of conditions.”

 

The Belmopan Humane society has taken a proactive approach to avoid cruelty to livestock animals. Late last month, Abigail O’keeffe made several posts across multiple Belizean Facebook pages expressing interest in farm animals and equipment. However, O’Keeffe’s recently found herself in hot water after her farm in the US was discovered to have over one hundred sick or dying animals that she later abandoned in her relocation to Belize.

 

 

 

Diamne Habet

“That’s how this person came on our radar in the first place, media sources that covered the incident that happened in the U.S. and knowing that this person fled to Belize and had the plans to basically reopen a farm here in Belize was very concerning to us because while there is an R.S.P. C.A. where she is from that was able to rally the community and was able to save these animals, the consequences, if that were to happen to Belize would, they would be far more devastating. We simply would not have the resources available to save a hundred farm animals. In particular, humane societies and rescue groups in Belize tend to focus on domestic animals. So having the resources to rescue a hundred goat, chickens, sheep, anything in that range, I can’t even foresee something that, like that being possible for a community in Belize to do.”

 

Belize’s Animal Cruelty Act offers minimal protection for the care of livestock, with fines of one hundred dollars for the torture, ill treatment, overwork or neglect to feed livestock animals. Habet explained that not only does this fee do little to deter the mistreatment of animals, but the laws are rarely enforced in communities.

 

 

 

Diamne Habet

“If she could remain under the radar for that long, to the point where it got to such horrifying conditions and still advertise to have people go to her farm, still make money off of it, in our country, it would just, it would be absolutely devastating.”

 

 

 

The Belmopan Humane Society encourages the public to do its part in ensuring the wellbeing of animals by staying current with vaccines and spaying and neutering animals in their care. Britney Gordon for News Five.