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BIOGRAPHIES - SOME TYPICAL STORIES
The children:
Until Project Isobel had a base, the work took place wherever there
was a need and will continue to do so, along with gradually introducing
resident children into the project. Many children are already visiting
the project and learning about the horses and horticulture.
(To protect the innocent, no photos show faces of street children) |
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Clothes being distributed in Sosua
Bengy
He is Haitian. His father died a couple of years ago leaving his
mother with himself and two other children. She has a new boyfriend,
who works in the sugar cane fields at certain times of the year, but he
has little work the rest of the time and the local cane fields are no
longer harvested. Bengy cleans shoes to help the family economy. He is
13. Sometimes he doesn’t even get one meal a day.
Freddy
He too is Haitian. He lives "with a woman in Puerto Plata" who sends him out onto the streets to beg / clean shoes. He is 12.
Pedro
He is Dominican, 9 years old, on the streets to help the family
economy. He is so trusting that he went very readily to the pharmacy
with a stranger in order for her to buy him medication for
conjunctivitis.
Pablo
He is Dominican, 6 years old. He just begs for pesos from people in the bars.
Maria
She is Dominican. She claims she goes to school but begs for the
money to buy herself some lunch each day. She is about 10 years old.
Some of the animals:
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Humphrey
He was found wandering. His skin hung on his bones as if on a wire
coat hanger. His mane, tail and much of his coat had been eaten away
by fungus. He was full of worms and covered in ticks. His ears were so
full of ticks, he could not bear you near them. It has taken
considerable patience to persuade him to let his ears be touched. His
feet were badly overgrown so that he could not stand properly; there
were maggots and a stone embedded inside the overgrown hoof on one foot;
one hoof was cracked right up to the coronet and loose on his leg. His
teeth were so overgrown that he could not eat properly. Our vet traced
his owner who said, "He was dying, so I let him loose." This is
apparently common here, where people are poor and cannot afford to care
for an elderly animal.
Now he is alert, glossy coated and generally healthy. He is a gentle
old soul, easy to handle, who comes to greet us whickering as we arrive
with his food. | |
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Lucy
She was found in an appalling condition, having been
hung up with wire around her throat because she killed a golden peacock
as she was starving. We can only guess at how many days she had been
left there, but she was very close to death when we found her. She was
extremely dehydrated from the tropical heat and lack of water and the
wound in her neck was an inch deep and starting to fill with worms. It
took the vet an hour to stitch her neck. She had also been beaten over
the head.
Many dogs here are ill-treated or even killed for
killing chickens so, to her owner who did this, his act was perfectly
justified as she had killed a valuable bird and he faced prosecution.
We later discovered that he had also been beaten as punishment while a
child.
Lucy is now fully recovered, perfectly happy and,
after months of patient care and rehabilitation, is a normal, if
somewhat dominant, dog who enjoys life to the fullest. | |
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Zorro
His mother fell into a hole and died when he was about
8 months old. He is an excellent companion for Humphrey and when he
behaves badly Humphrey keeps him in check. He is quite cheeky.
He is a free-roaming stallion who is very scared of
humans and was badly injured when we found him. Some local people tried
to tame him using traditional methods but had no success. He has
clearly been abused and trust needs to be built. We are getting the
advice of a professional horse trainer who works without violence for
this. When you achieve the moment of Join Up with a frightened horse
like this, it is so special when he begins to eat from your hand and to
nuzzle you or nibble your ears.
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Linda Pussy Cat
She was "loved" but her owner thought it funny to throw her across the room. She had not been vaccinated or wormed.
She and Foxy have formed a deep affection for one another and she
has come to love Ginger Boy although he does everything possible to be
king pin in a household of females.
When Project Isobel has a permanent base, any extra dogs and cats
who are taken in, permanently or until re-homed, will have separate
quarters. | |
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Foxy Lady
She was found curled up at a roundabout in torrential
rain. She was about 3 months old. She had salmonella, distemper and
heart worm which has left her with a slightly collapsed ankle. She,
like most street dogs here, has a delightful, loving temperament.
Foxy Lady was the first animal to be rescued in the
Dominican Republic (following a long tradition in England), before the
inception of Project Isobel. Her accepting nature has helped during the
adoption and temporary homing of a number of other unfortunate dogs and
cats. | |
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Ginger Boy
He was abandoned and starving. He was yowling with
hunger and because he had salmonella. His diarrhoea was so severe, he
could not even get to the litter tray in time. He still has a bald
patch the size of a hand on one side, possibly caused by someone
throwing boiling water at him to drive him away. He has filled out and
his coat has become thick and glossy. He is an extremely loyal and
affectionate cat, though still quite timid of men. Unfortunately, some
foreigners returning to their countries just abandon their pets... | | |
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Bios
