Media Centre

What’s been happening at the BSPCA? Well you can read all about our ongoing work protecting and caring for the animals on the island, below. News and press coverage will be posted as and when received. Make sure to scroll down the page to view all news and updates.

If you’re a journalist, associated with the media, or would like to write about the BSPCA’s work we will be glad to supply you with further research materials such as content and professional photography. Just contact us directly on 17 591231 and speak to one of our staff.

 

RECOGNITION

During his meeting with the Bahrain Society for Animal Welfare: The Speaker of the House of Representatives: We support the BSPCA’s culture of compassion for animals, and we support the awareness among citizens

His Excellency Mr. Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Mulla, Speaker of the House of Representatives, praised the community efforts exerted by the Bahrain Society for Animal Welfare and their good efforts in spreading the culture of compassion for animals and general welfare awareness between citizens and residents in Bahrain.

This came during a meeting with Mr. Mahmoud Faraj, Chairman of the BSPCA and Mr. Paul Duke, CEO of the Association. The Speaker of the Council of Representatives affirmed the Parliament’s keenness to communicate with all civil society organizations in order to support its programs and plans to benefit of the country.

For his part, Mr. Mahmoud Faraj, Chairman of the BSPCA, thanked the Speaker of the House of Representatives for his efforts to achieve the aspirations of the Assembly and works to support the plans and programs provided by the Association in the service of Bahrain and it’s citizens and residents, praising at the same time the Council’s endeavors to develop legislations that protect the environment and all forms of wildlife.

خلال لقائه بجمعية البحرين للرفق بالحيوان
رئيس مجلس النواب: ندعم نشر ثقافة الرفق بالحيوان والوعي والثقافة الصحية بين المواطنين

أشاد معالي السيد أحمد بن إبراهيم الملا رئيس مجلس النواب بالجهود المجتمعية التي تبذلها جمعية البحرين للرفق بالحيوان، ومساعيهم الخيرة في نشر ثقافة الرفق بالحيوان والوعي والثقافة الصحية بين المواطنين والمقيمين في البحرين وإيجاد البرامج والخطط البديلة لعلاج كافة المشاكل التي تعوق التنمية والبيئة.

جاء ذلك خلال لقاء معاليه بمكتبه، السيد محمود فرج رئيس مجلس إدارة جمعية البحرين للرفق بالحيوان والسيد بول أديوك الرئيس التنفيذي للجمعية، وقد أكد معالي رئيس مجلس النواب حرص المجلس النيابي على التواصل مع كافة مؤسسات المجتمع المدني من أجل دعم برامجها وخططها لما فيه خير وصالح الوطن.

من جانبه، قدم السيد محمود فرج رئيس مجلس إدارة جمعية البحرين للرفق بالحيوان الشكر لمعالي رئيس مجلس النواب على ما يبذله من جهود تحقق تطلعات الجمعية وتعمل على دعم الخطط والبرامج التي تقدمها الجمعية في خدمة الوطن والمواطنين، مشيداً في الوقت نفسه بما يقوم به مجلس النواب من مساعي حميدة لتطوير التشريعات التي تحافظ على البيئة وتحمي كافة أشكال الحياة البرية.

Dec/2017

VISIT TO ABDULRAHMAN KANOO SCHOOL – ARKIS

The BSPCA received an invitation to a school charity exhibition today which was sent by School Principal Aisha Janahi. She herself has adopted cats from our shelter in the past for her children and knows how much the BSPCA makes an effort to help with animal welfare throughout Bahrain’s community.

It was great being able to speak to the students who were all Juniors in High school (year 11). They were particularly interested in knowing how they could volunteer so they can fill up on their CAS hours for the IB Curriculum.

We are glad to be able to reach out to more of the local community and hope some of the students will go home with a better perspective on what the BSPCA’s main goal and aims are.

Sep/17

BSPCA QUIZ NITE FUN

BSPCA supporters enjoyed another fantastic Quiz Night last Thursday 28th September this time held at Me & You Restaurant in Amwaj.  We had a brilliant turnout of over 50 people, ready to test their brains against 7 rounds of at-times-quite-tricky questions posed by our fabulous quizmaster Tom – with the final winners Hugh’s Bunnies taking home the overall prize of tickets for the Irish Society Halloween Brunch!

We are delighted that we raised a really impressive BD690 for the BSPCA at this quiz evening!  We must say thank you to Tom Walker for handling the quiz (and the crowd!) and of course Me & You – the team were fully prepared for our hungry and thirsty supporters with happy hour drinks and amazing platters flying across the floor to the tables.  Also huge thanks for our raffle prizes: ART Rotana, Bed n Biscuits, Gulf Hotel, Texas BBQ, and a couple of generous anonymous donors too!  A great night really was had by all.

 

 

 

 

Watch this space – we’ve got loads of BSPCA events coming up before the end of the year!!

Sep/17

FROM COUTURE TO CHARITY-SHOP CHIC

The woman behind “Valerie’s Corner” at the BSPCA Thrift Shop. What a background you have had Valerie!

On Page 45 of “WOMEN THIS MONTH” Magazine …

Link to online magazine: http://issuu.com/redhousemarketing/docs/wtm_october_2017?e=3590831/53556280

 

Sep/17

 

BSPCA VISITS THE BAHRAIN SCHOOL IN JUFFAIR

The Bahrain School got in contact with us last month asking if we could visit their school to talk about our Animal Charity, how far the BSPCA reaches and what it does to help ensure the safety and well being of all animals around the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The day was set for the 4th of June and Ghazi’s sweet Canine, Samme was chosen to represent the BSPCA. We spoke about adoption, proper animal care and how we continually strive to educate others regarding the kind treatment of animals in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Bahrain Elementary school council members organized a food and supplies drive and collected items every morning from 17 classrooms over a 2 week period. Student Council members who participated were Samson Tyron, Sarra Kharrat, Lena Dozeman, Mariam Kharrat, Lana Duong, Maya Achab, Lucia Franco, and Layla Edwards.

The Middle School students led by, the junior leadership seminar team, Rebecca Panlilio, Hanna Rowe, and Chloe Rowen also collected items from us for grades 6 through 8.  The 7th grade donated the most items and also attended the assembly.

The experience was quite enjoyable, with students asking all the right questions. we also gave them a very good idea of what the BSPCA in Askar looks like (by our visuals ) and hopefully we will see them volunteering on the weekends.

We would like to especially thank the school councilor –

Janine Culibrick – a great person with a love of animals. She neuters a lot of stray cats in her area to help reduce the cat population. Janine has been with the Bahrain School for 18 years (since 1999)! Janine did a fantastic job of making this happen and gathering all the donations. She has been amazing to work with and we would love to coordinate another visit next school year term. But don’t forget, you are always welcome to visit on volunteer days

 Thursday, Friday and Saturday – 9am – 1pm.

Thank you to the Bahrain School from everyone at the shelter, for your kind donations. We look forward to seeing you in the near future!

 

 

June/2017

DOG FIGHTING SITE RAIDED BY BSPCA AND MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

The Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior raided a number of locations in Bahrain where dog breeding was taking place for the purpose of wrestling matches and betting as well as animal mishandling, indicated by the scarred dogs found on site and purpose designed controlled rings committed to dog fighting. The owner was referred to the Public Prosecution by the Police, the site was barred from access by the public and the dogs taken away.

This came against the backdrop of a video gone viral on social media depicting dogs fighting inside the ring with a comment that this ring is located near the Zallaq company where the thousands of dinars were bet and no one could stop them.

In an interview to the Chairman of the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Mahmood Faraj, said he watched the video rolling clip and was able to recognise and locate this circuit. He contacted Vice President of Public Security Brigadier General Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa to request the assistance of the Ministry of Interior in a raid on the site and the arrest of the owner if proven guilty, the public prosecutor said. The Chairman added “I was surprised when I spoke with him about the video that he was aware and follow-up on this matter. Told me the existence of laws urging the need to stop the series of dog fights in Bahrain which are contrary to international agreements and charters signed by Bahrain in this regard. The Sheikh gave the BSPCA full support required and we began to coordinate a raid on the site and arranged for further raids on other sites.”

Further Mr. Faraj explained that “Last Thursday’s raid headed by the Vice President of Public Security uncovered match location with dog fighting ring and two dogs with injuries and in poor health condition as a result of being exposed to dog fighting. Accordingly, the Public Prosecutor will see the dismantling of the dog fighting ring and the owner of the Zallaq centre will be prosecuted.

Mr. Faraj stressed that the BSPCA in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior began to investigate and search for dog fighting places in Bahrain and visited areas in Zallaq, Koura, Puri and Karzakan, indicating “We know very well where such acts take place and it will not be tolerated anymore. The support and guidance by the Vice President of Public Security urges us to exert more energy in order to end the presence of dogs fighters in Bahrain. We area aware of ongoing arrangements during this week’s holiday for a further raid on a dog fighting site in the area of Puri to bring perpetrators and public participants to the justice of the Public Prosecution.”

Source, credits to and Arabic version: http://www.alwasatnews.com/news/1227575.html

BSPCA RECEIVES UNNOFICIAL VISIT FROM HH SHEIKH KHALID BIN HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA

The Animal Welfare Centre (AWC) in Askar received an inconspicuous visit from a high profile Personal Assistant yesterday looking for dogs. Ansar Ahmed, Office Administrator, suggested it’s better to look around in person and made an invitation. Just 20 minutes later His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa arrived at the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA)!

Although not an official visit Ansar took this unique opportunity to tour HH Sheikh Khalid around the AWC including the Catch, Neuter & Return (CNR) kennels where she explained the programme and how it’s funded through public donations. There were many questions about the staff, the volunteers, donations but mostly about the animals and how child friendly BSPCA dogs were. It was explained that every dog is quarantined and must pass a health check by the Vet as well as a behaviour assessment to make it to the front of the kennel and be put up for adoption.

HH Sheikh Khalid seemed very happy with the condition of the dogs and mentioned how he thought Gulf Desert Dogs looked cool. It didn’t take long for a decision to adopt 2 long term resident dogs, Waneesa which had been at the AWC for over 2 years and Maxis, a resident for 3 years. And next morning the Assistant came by the AWC and to our surprise adopted 2 more dogs, Bobby and Layla! All dogs were kindly checked by our neighbours Charis Vets.

Apr/2017

BSPCA ANNUAL DOG WALK

High hopes were had on the run up to the BSPCA St Patrick’s Day Dog Walk on Friday 17th March as the forecast promised fine weather, with possible showers. Having had to postpone the event once already due to the unusual amount of rain experienced in February the BSPCA team were really hoping for more than just a glimpse of sun!
Unfortunately, fine weather was not on the agenda and it was a rainy March morning that greeted the BSPCA team at the Animal Welfare Centre (AWC). Undeterred, the team prepared to receive the Dog Walk visitors and fielded many calls from people checking if we had rain in Askar as well…
What an amazing turnout! Over 150 people braved the conditions to come and support the event, donning all manner of wet weather gear in order to be able to participate in the Walk. More than 100 dogs were counted having a jolly time with their furry and human companions, including ALL of the BSPCA dogs for adoption who got a chance to get out of the kennels to stretch their legs with their new friends.

On return to the AWC people were welcomed by a delicious barbeque kindly sponsored by our friends at Alosra Supermarket and a warming cup of tea from the team at MAZA tea.
As always there were plenty of raffle prizes given out, generously supported by Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa resort, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, The Domain Hotel and Spa, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC), Bed & Biscuits, Adhari Park, Lalapaloza, Purina Arabia and some fabulous doggy hampers from Jan Roosevelt.
This year’s Most Sponsorship Money prize goes to Sarah Clarke & Baloo, who raised an incredible BD565 for the BSPCA and for which we are very grateful – really great work guys! We must also mention two other fantastic efforts: Lana Furman and Nicola Thirsk who between them also raised over BD700.

In the end over BD2800 was raised at this year’s BSPCA Dog Walk – this will go a very long way to funding the AWC and towards the Catch, Neuter & Return (CNR) Programme.
Fundraising Coordinator Kate Gibson said: “It was wonderful to see such loyal support for the BSPCA, people really entered into the spirit of the event despite the weather – there were big smiles all round both human and canine. We were also very happy to see so many new faces among the crowd and are delighted that more people are becoming aware of the BSPCA and the work that we are carrying out. We are looking forward to seeing them along with our regular supporters at future events too!”
To learn more about the BSPCA’s animal welfare work and charity events visit the website (www.bspca.org) or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

                                                                                                           March/2017

IN MEMORY OF EILEEN HILL

A memorial service was recently held at the British Club to remember the life of Eileen Hill who loved animals and in particular stray dogs. She always wanted people to adopt more stray/mixed breed dogs and give them a chance at a better life.

Sadly she passed away at the beginning of last month and both her daughters Jane and Sarah raised money to give to our charity because they remembered what a special connection their mother had with Sarah’s two BSPCA adopted strays when she would come to visit her in Bahrain every 6 months. 

Sarah has been living in Bahrain for over 15 years and loves the life here on our beautiful island. She adopted 2 dogs with her husband from the BSPCA in Shakhoora back in 2008 and has never looked back. These dogs are SO happy and to see them in such good shape and great care can only put a smile on your face. They really have found their forever loving home. Stella the older female is approaching 10 years of age where Guinness the male is about 8 or 9. They do not look it and are still very active and happily run after each other in the garden.

We want to say a very big thank you to Eileen’s close friends who donated for such a good cause. She would be very happy to hear that BD 202 in total was donated to the BSPCA on her behalf.

 

Thank you to both Jane and Sarah for choosing our charity and to highlight the need for people to adopt more stray/ mixed breed dogs. You are a perfect example of how these dogs flourish in Bahrain. There should be no question that everybody who wants a dog should consider adopting a stray mixed breed.

                                                                                                                                                                                          April/2017

BSPCA VISITS MODERN KNOWLEDGE SCHOOL

The Modern Knowledge School in Juffair who schools a very diverse group of kids mainly from Bahrain or other Arab countries run a month long programme in which kids focused on Animals.
The school kids who were aged between 3 and 6 years of age were given the task of creating an animal out of anything that they could get their hands on and prizes went to the most creative ones and there were some very “outside the box” and creative ones.
Ghazi, BSPCA Educator, was given the task to talk to the young ones about the work the BSPCA does to improve animal welfare in Bahrain and that the Society is always there to help any animal in need. The Principal Tara Johnson and Vice Principal Jerri Al Hamood did a great job at helping me present to the very young kids especially toddlers with unique questions and interesting facts about different species of animals. Of course the best part was the children being able to tell us how many and what kind of animals they have at home all at once, as they were so excited to participate and share!
The tune of the agenda got more detailed as the older ones came in and we talked a bit about fundraising and the BSPCA’s out reach program to help different native species around Bahrain like the recent turtle rescue and the Bullbull’s that were set free.
Thanks again to School Principal Tara Johnson and Vice Principal Jerri Al Hamood for featuring a great day for the kids and inviting the BSPCA!

Mar/2017

HATS OFF TO BALOO AND SARAH!
Long standing supporters of the BSPCA Baloo and his owner Sarah Clarke have been eagerly collecting sponsorship money for the 2017 Dog Walk for some time, but were very sad to find out that the date had been postponed due to the heavy rains in Bahrain in February and they would be unable to make it on the new date of Friday 17th March. 
As they have raised such a huge amount for the charity and were very keen to win the prize for Most Sponsorship Money Raised, Baloo and Sarah twisted the BSPCA’s arm to let them do the Dog Walk two weeks early instead!
A bright day welcomed them down to the AWC on Friday 3rd March to do their walk, and at the same time they handed over their extremely impressive sponsorship fund, for which the BSPCA is very grateful. Following in the paw prints of Sarah Womer, whose fancy dress efforts raised a substantial amount two years running, silly hats were the order of the day. They were beautifully decorated and sported by the pair, and although Baloo didn’t look too impressed at first he soon got into the spirit of things.
The amount has not been disclosed, but Baloo and Sarah would like to challenge other participants to try and raise as much as they possibly can in support of BSPCA St Patrick’s Day Dog Walk so that they have some real competition for winning the prize!
For more information about how to participate and to download your sponsorship form please visit www.bspca.org/fundraising or take a look at the BSPCA Facebook page. You can also call the BSPCA on +973 1759 1231.

Mar/2017

BSPCA OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO COUNCILLOR’S PROPOSAL TO SHOOT DOGS

The Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) is appalled by a municipal Councillor’s recent demand for the extermination by shooting of stray dogs in Bahrain. While the Society recognises the enormous problem that stray dogs pose, the Councillor’s suggested action would be cruel, inhumane and unworkable, and would set back the Kingdom of Bahrain’s hard earned reputation for promoting animal rights within the GCC. The BSPCA urges the local authorities to continue with establishing a comprehensive Catch-Neuter-Return (CNR) program. Experience from animal welfare experts around the world demonstrates that this is the only effective, sustainable, long-term and ethical solution to the problem of stray dogs.

The BSPCA ExCom

Feb/2017

RESPONSE TO GDN NEWS: “STRAY DOGS SHOULD BE SHOT, SAY COUNCILLORS“

The BSPCA is concerned about a claim in the Gulf Daily News (GDN) on 9th February 2017 that the Municipalities’ Catch-Neuter-Return (CNR) program has been suspended. We are unable to confirm the veracity of the report, having so far been unable to contact the Ministry of Municipalities or its contractors. Unfortunately, the GDN did not contact the BSPCA in connection with the article. Contrary to the article, the Municipalities’ program is not being carried out “in cooperation” with the BSPCA, although the Society is always available to advise any organization, free of charge, wishing to conduct a CNR programme. Also contrary to comments on social media, the BSPCA has never received any governmental funding of any sort, let alone for a CNR programme.

Feb/2017

TRIBAL FITNESS BAHRAIN ORGANISES AWARENESS WALK. TALK. SUPPORT AT BSPCA SHELTER

Members of staff from Tribal Fitness called the BSPCA at the end of the year to ask if they could hold a day out to walk the dogs at our Shelter with the aim of raising awareness about the plight of stray dogs and the poisoning cases that have been occurring very recently in Bahrain.

The day was set for Friday the 20th of January and they showed up with approximately 30 volunteers who took the dogs out for their weekend walk around the BSPCA Shelter in Askar. We would like to thank Daniel Love and Llyod Parks for organizing such a nice event for our doggies who took so well to all the lovely volunteers who kindly showed up.

Thanks Tribal Fitness for thinking of our animals. We wish to see you all back soon at the Animal Welfare Centre (AWC) to volunteer on weekends.

Jan/2017

 BUDGIES RESCUED

One early Sunday morning 4 budgies were on a pick up truck heading somewhere around Bahrain when their cage accidentally fell off and the driver did not notice. Luckily a kind local soul witnessed the accident, immediately rescued the budgies and took them to the police. The BSPCA was called to the police station later that day to pick them up and they are now living in our Bird Aviary with 2 parakeets.

Dec/2016

SEA TURTLE RESCUE

 

A Sea Turtle was brought to the BSPCA Animal Welfare Centre (AWC) one morning by a wonderful lady who fund it as she was walking her dogs on Nurana Beach in Budaiya one morning. She noticed the turtle was in bad health and immediately called us to find out what could be done help this poor sea mammal.

We got in contact with Supreme Council for the Environment after the turtle was assessed by our vets and treated for lots of barnacles and a small injury to the mouth.

Once healed properly the turtle was taken and released back into the wild by the Supreme Council for the Environment in attached video – click here to view.

In these cases if anybody does encounter a washed up dolphin, sea turtle or anything that is native to Bahrain’s environment it is very important to call the Environment Hotline which document and survey all wildlife across Bahrain: 80001112.

Nov/2016

NASEEM SCHOOL VISITS THE ANIMAL WELFARE CENTRE (AWC)

6th graders from the Naseem International School came to the BSPCA Shelter on Tuesday the 8th of November along with two teachers to learn about how to care for animals and treat them correctly. The school kids are working on a project about decision making at school, how to take a good decision and what are the consequences of bad ones.

The teachers called us a while back and said they chose our charity because it is a great way to show the kids how crucial it is to treat animals with respect and not abuse them. We took them through a classroom session with Malika (our first school volunteer in a while who was fantastic) and talked all about are charity and how to help the dogs and cats of our Kingdom live better lives. There were lots of interesting questions coming from the kids who were all aged around 10 and mostly from all over the GCC.

Once taken for a tour around the shelter all the dogs were very pleased with their first school visitors of the season and greeted everyone excitedly with lots of sniffs but it was when they saw Biscuit, an older Beagle breed dog, that the kids started clapping and singing in front of him. Then without warning Biscuit got on her 2 hind feet and did a dance while the students cheered her on. The Shelter staff was stunned to see one of our dogs react like that, she was wagging her tail so fast and was so happy to get all that attention.

We thank the Naseem International School for choosing the BSPCA, for visiting and we are more than happy to host another class soon at the AWC.

Nov/2016

THANKS TO ROUND TABLE BAHRAIN

The Bahrain Round Table got in contact with the BSPCA a few months ago asking if we needed any supplies to keep our animals happy at the shelter. We very gratefully told them what is usually very high on our “need” list and they came to our assistance as they very kindly do around Bahrain. The Bahrain Round Table are the organizers of the Bahrain Marathon Relay since its conception in the early 1980’s and it is always loads of fun. They are known to be a superb driving force at helping the needy in Bahrain and creating lots of good fundraisers as well as community activities.

Simon Cox came down to the Animal Welfare Centre (AWC) on a Saturday morning to hand over a cheque for BD 500 which Ansar most gratuitously received.

Thank you very much Round Table for thinking of our animals who will get much needed supplies and food to keep them going through the winter months.

Nov/2016

Local Safi Fish, a Dolphin and Others were found washed up on shores of Durrat Marina in South Bahrain

Late Friday night BSPCA Chairman Mahmood Faraj received a call from a fisherman friend saying that there were an abundant number of fish that had washed up on the shores close to the Durrat Marina in South Bahrain.

The next morning Mahmood set off with a Journalist from Al Wasat newspaper  (Abdulla Hassan) to check the area and what might have caused the incident. He noticed that the fish did not all wash up at the same time, indicating this was over the course of 2 or 3 days.

Mahmood notified the Environmental Protection Agency, and a thorough investigation has been launched into why these fish washed up so suddenly.

Two credible reasons could be: 1) Fisherman setting out their nets and not tending to them for a couple of days (leaving the waves to take over and pull the fish up to the shore) or 2) fish wanting to escape the rising temperatures of the water. This is also the time of year where there is little market catch due to the extreme temperatures in the middle of summer.

Mahmood did point out that he saw black dots on the sand next to the fish and a black-like film across the surrounding shallow water. It is now up to the Environmental Protection Agency team to fully investigate and come up with a reason for this incident. This particular location is not close to any factories that could be bringing in a source of pollution. It also a well-known area with an abundance of Safi so we will have to work to preserve the area and make sure we find the true cause.

The Environmental Protection team  took lots of samples from the area, and we soon hope to know the most probable cause of such a tragic incident.

 

We must all strive to protect Bahrain’s Fish ecosystem which Bahrain has learned to depend on for centuries.

August/2016

UPDATE REGARDING STRAY DOG ISSUE:

Today we were greeted by the Chairman of the Muharraq Municipality Council – Mr Mohammed Al Sinan and his colleagues to discuss about the stray dog issue in Bahrain.

This is something Mr Mohammed understands too well and wishes to solve wholeheartedly as soon as possible, the problem has enveloped Bahrain with so many people not being able to live their daily lives out of fear and the fact that dogs  are causing accidents on the roads, delivery motorcycles being attacked, not being able to go to mosque due to packs of stray dogs in the area, children not allowed to play outside in the early morning. The BSPCA has been in contact with the Muharraq Municipal Council for the past 2 years and have outlined what needs to be done in order to slowly eradicate the problem, but unfortunatley Mr Mohammed has not had any credible response from the Minister of Municiplaity. The BSPCA has for the past 4 years been putting pressure on the responsible section of the Municiplaity to do its job as outlined in the code book, without any luck.

The meeting today came to the conclusion that to get something done we will need the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa to be notified immediatley which will be done by the Chairman of the Muharraq Municipailty – Mr Mohammed Al Sinan. We hope that this final approach will give us some solid ground to start the initiative of dealing with stray dogs by all 4 Municipal Councils concerned.

 

August/2016

Huge Thanks to Prince Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa 

The owners of 14 stables in Shakhoora would like to extend their immense gratitude to Prince Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa on his generous offer to supply them with generators for the next 3 months, giving them back much needed electricity on the land which they had recently lost.    

Both the BSPCA Chairman and CEO Paul Duke have been trying to find a solution to this crises over the past 10 days while going to “Al Awqaf” which is the owner of the land to see if there was anything that could be done, Ministry of Electricity and numerous  Municipalities. 

Nothing Materialized and chose to speak to the head of the Royal Stables one afternoon. Dr. Khalid Hassan. The response was very prompt and no sooner than 24 hours were these stables supplied with generators on behalf of Prince Nasser.

As soon as the word got out to the Prince he told the head of Royal Stables to let BSPCA deal with the situation by getting the generators to each premises.

Our big thanks go out to Dr. Khalid of the royal stables who was very effective in getting this ordeal sorted as soon as possible by alerting the prince. 

The summer months are very hot and this is a necessity to help keep the horses as comfortable as possible. 

The BSPCA Chairman Mahmood Faraj and the Executive Committee also said that we cannot commend Prince Nasser enough for his quick response and effort to help his fellow nationals. This is something we see very often when it comes to his Royal Highness’s generosity to the general public and we are really blessed to have such a person with us in Bahrain.

August/2016

AMERICAN NAVY BASE GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR OUR ANIMALS

Two weeks ago Ansar recieved a call from the operations department at the American Navy base asking for a different idea to help the animals- besides walking them in this terribly hot Bahrain weather.

A great suggestion by Ansar was to come and bathe them, check for ticks, brush/trim hair (if necessary) and just generally give them the added attention. They loved the idea and made another call confirming and asking if they could bring the tools they needed.

On Thursday, 28th July more than 30 lovely base animal lovers showed up with their cooling gear and food. The team is from MNCLANT DET – Bahrain.

They have visted before to walk the dogs, but really enjoyed this experience as they had a chance to bond even more with our animals and give them a cool fresh day. Our staff said more than 35 dogs had a great bath and a great day of pampered attention. They also donated all the tools they had brought to the shelter.

Thank you MNCLANT DET – from the bottom of our hearts – for the lovely day you gave our animals.

We love it when volunteers come in to help on volunteer days. If you have a group that wishes to do so, please contact us at 17 591231 to coordinate.

VOLUNTEER DAYS

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 9am – 1pm

August/2016

MINISTRY OF MUNICIPALITY HIDES AN IMPORTANT ISUED SPEECH LETTER ABOUT STRAY DOGS

The BSPCA finally after 4 years of struggle and follow up with meetings and authorities, got the reviled evidence (speech letter) issued April 2016 approving that Stray Dogs issue is the Municipalities responsibility.

The speech letter was discussed earlier 23 February 2016 in a meeting between Legal affairs & the adviser of Animal Wealth from Municipality, and both party agreed about the responsible side.

An Official speech letter was certified officially later on April from legal affairs to the Minster of municipality Mr. Issam Khalaf, that mention all details about stray dogs & animals responsible side, but the speech letter did not find way to public news since April.

Last week 19 July a gathering was held at MP A.Rahman Bu Ali Majles, and BSPCA chairman was noted that Mr. Khalaf is attending when he rushed into the Majles to ask him directly face to face weather if the Stray dogs issue is his responsibility or not.

Mr. Issam Khalaf answered our chairman (video available) that he sent a letter to legal affairs and still waiting for their answer. Meantime he already got the official certified speech letter since April this year but did not clarify it to the public not to the news.

Link to Al Wasat newspaper (Arabic)

30th July 2016

DONKEYS REUNITED AT THE AWC

These gorgeous donkeys were found by officers of the Samaheej Police Station in Muharraq. Following a phone call, the BSPCA staff went to pick them up and as soon as they arrived back at the Animal Welfare Centre (AWC) a call was received from the owner who informed they got away after a blaze on their farm. The owner swiftly drove to the AWC the same day to reclaim the donkeys.

Glad we were able to keep them safe and hope the blaze was not too devastating for the farm owner.

 July/2016

NIP & TUCK – MURDER MYSTERY DINNER

Thursday night at the Dilmun Club was a hoot when 56 people got together to work out who murdered Dr Ryan O’Plasty, the famous plastic surgeon at the Cuttendash Clinic! This was another of the BSPCA’s very popular murder mystery dinners and, as usual, our regular guests took the challenge with great gusto with fabulous characters and costumes, ensuring that everyone had a good laugh at each other. We also had several new faces attend who also entered into the spirit and hopefully were not too bemused by the proceedings of the evening.

This was the first time that we have held a murder dinner at the Dilmun Club and the staff in Candles put on a great meal for us including both vegan and vegetarian options for some of our guests. Huge round of applause go out to Satish and Steve at the club for organizing everything so well and massive thanks go to David at National Hotel Services Company who very kindly sponsored us for the event and provided a welcome drink of sparkly refreshment for everyone.

These murder games are quite fast-paced as 10 rounds have to be squeezed in during the evening so it leaves little time for pondering on what really happened. However, our guests managed to impart all the information they needed and some even correctly guessed who the murderer was before the game started, by entering our Whodunnit Draw. The winner of that was Summer Al Mosen, who won a dinner for two at Candles, whilst prizes for the best dressed male and female characters were bagged by Joan Whyte acting the part of Kim Plant and Robert Shaw as Beau Tox.

Our thanks to everyone who helped to make the evening a success, to everyone who came along and in doing so supported the BSPCA, the staff and management of the Dilmun Club and to National Hotel Services Company who ensured that everyone had a glass in their hands to help the brains work better!

A selection of the outfits follow, as you can see, all the attendees made a great effort and look splendid.

A total of around BD370 was raised from the event and will be used to cover operating costs of the shelter. Thank you all again, we really appreciate your support which helps us to help the animals.

Jul/2016

INCREASE IN STRAYS AND ABANDONED ANIMALS – OFFICIAL BSPCA STATEMENT TO GDN

Every year, around this time, the Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (BSPCA) notices an increase in reports of abandoned pets with collars left on the streets in the summer to fend for themselves. Also, the Society sees an increase in the number of animals handed over to the shelter. Sadly, this coincides with the time of year where historically less adoptions take place at the BSPCA.

There is a combination of factors contributing to this sad situation: people going on holidays, school vacation and boarding kennels. We advise pet owners to make early bookings at the local kennels or to source paid pet-sitters in advance to ensure their pet is well looked after while they are on holidays. Friends and staff could also be an alternative carer. As for the school vacation phenomena, pet owners must ensure their pet is micro-chipped, vaccinated and issued with a Pet Passport by their Veterinary Doctor before travelling with the family. In either situation, leaving a pet on the street in the Bahrain summer heat in the hope it will be there waiting until one returns from holidays is not humane. Last but not least, pet owners must check the conditions of boarding a pet at the local kennels and catteries – for health and safety reasons most kennels and catteries will not accommodate pets that aren’t vaccinated, sick or too young. In these cases pet owners must take responsibility for their own pets.

This summer we urge the general public to open their heart by sharing some water and food with an abandoned animal. If possible take some photographs and share on social media in the hope of finding their owner soon or a new home. Ultimately, pet owners must plan ahead, vaccinate their pets and book early with kennels or catteries.

Read the GDN Online version here (page 5)

BSPCA BRUNCH AT FOUR SEASONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PWS

On Friday 27^th May the BSPCA spent a wonderful afternoon enjoying a special Brunch at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.  The Society, in partnership with PWS (Prestige Wealth Solutions), held a silent auction where guests could win some amazing prizes whilst enjoying one of the island’s most famous brunches.

Over 200 people attended the brunch and were tempted with 26 fabulous auction items up for grabs from the most prestigious hotels and businesses in Bahrain. Luxurious brunches, seafood dinner evenings, a trip to Dubai for two, a mini iPad, overnight stays at various hotels, spa experiences and luxurious unique gift hampers were on offer to lucky diners.   One of the guests, Mr Mohammed Taqawi, was delighted to win a super fruit basket in a free giveaway, courtesy of PWS, whilst diners were busy bidding for the much coveted auction prizes.

At the end only the highest bidder won so it was great to see some healthy bidding competition going for one of the top prizes, a Private Cooking Session with Stefano, the Four Seasons Italian chef.   Lucky winner Mr. Bruce Wade was very excited to have pipped all the other bidders to the post!

A grand total of nearly BD2,000 was raised and all proceeds from the event will go towards the caring and feeding of the dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks and other birds, turtles and tortoises, and of course the donkeys that reside at the shelter. A huge thank you to everyone who attended and lots of woofs and meows for your contributions!

Many thanks to all our sponsors, supporters and those involved in making it such a successful event: Al Areen Palace & Spa, Crowne Plaza Bahrain, Elite Grande Hotel, InterContinental Regency Bahrain, Lagoona Beach Luxury Resort & Spa, Mercure Grand Hotel Seef, Movenpick Hotel Bahrain, Ramee Grand Hotel & Spa, Santa Maria Novella, Swiss-Belhotel Seef Bahrain and tiny OM. A special mention goes out to the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay for ensuring that both guests and the BSPCA were so well looked after and PWS for the fantastic top auction prizes.

We hope everyone enjoyed themselves and congratulations if you made a winning bid! Pictures of the winners and prizes will be available on the BSPCA’s social media channels – click here for the Facebook album.  We look forward to seeing you at our next event!

MISSING/STOLEN PETS RAMPANT

The incidents of missing/stolen pets in Bahrain continues to be rampant, as one pet goes missing every 2.1 days, according to statistics provided by BSPCA volunteer and Missing Pets Social Media Coordinator, Peg Altemueller. From December 1, 2015 to May 25, 2016 a total of 81 pets went missing. This includes 43 cats, 35 dogs and 3 birds. With the diligence of some pet owners, watchful eye of BSPCA intakes (to make a match), and the help of others on social media, 15 cats, 11 dogs and 1 bird were reunited. These statistics are based on only those that have been reported on social media.

“The majority of the missing are not neutered or micro-chipped,” reports Peg Altemueller. “There are people always ready to profit from the breeding and selling of pets, and often roaming pets are quickly picked up. It is up to the owners to better protect their pets by keeping their eyes on them at all times, tagging them with contact information, neutering them so they cannot be bred, and micro-chipping so their pets can be identified.”

May/2016

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL DESIGNER DAY SALE AT THE BSPCA THRIFT SHOP

Saturday, 14^th May saw fashion lovers flock to the BSPCA Thrift Shop for the event of the year, the eagerly awaited Designer Day Sale. Just before doors opened at 1pm, when the sun was high up in sky, there was a queue curling around the Shop building, luckily the BSPCA had foreseen the weather (and queue!) and provided everybody with free chilled bottles of water to make their wait more comfortable. As the hours passed by new shoppers continued to arrive and patiently waited in line for their turn to walk in to the busy Shop for a chance to grab some designer labels.

Brands on sale included dresses from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Karen Millen handbags, Hobbs outfits and many more designer labels as well as silver jewellery. Delighted shoppers browsed around the Shop with baskets brimming to the top with clothes and other goodies at bargain prices.

Shoppers benefited from getting some amazing designer brands at great prices whilst also contributed their bit to charity as all the proceeds from the Designer Day Sale will be used to feed and care for the dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, turtles and tortoises, and of course the donkeys that reside at the Animal Welfare Centre in Askar.

A special thanks to Bahrain Duty Free for donating plastic bags especially for the event and a huge round of applause to all our lovely volunteers who made the day run so smoothly.

See all the photographs of this event on our Facebook group – click here to view the album

May/2016

LETTER TO CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES

To his excellency Mr. Ahmed Bin Ibrahim Al Mula
Chairman of Council of Representatives – Bahrain

Subject: Assistance in Helping Animals & Animals Rights

At first we would like to thank you for the attention and effort giving us the time to meet you and discuss with you regarding Animals rights and the strays phenomenon in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as we seek your support and concerns from your side regarding the subjects below:

1 – Seeking help from the government to build a shelter for stray dogs.

2 – Start the CNVR program that is organized by the BSPCA and submit the activated program to the competent authorities of Head of Minister of Municipalities, Dr. Nabeel Ab Al Fateh.

3 – Activation of the system (Animal Humane ) Law that was announced & certified in Sep/2014 by His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa in the “Official Gazette”. And hand it to the competent authority and the Minister of Municipalities.

4 – Release and free the BSPCA of water & electricity fees, that can be sponsored by His Highness The Prime Minister.

5 – Establish a team of 4 people at least that are specialist with Animals and dealing with animals, and provide them with 2 vehicles.

* BSPCA is willing to train the team besides it will mark the Kingdom of Bahrain as the first country in Middle East to contain/provide (Animal Protection Police Team).

Authorities of this matter is for Minister of Interior president.

6 – Include (Animal Humane) as a specific subject at schools.

Authorities of Ministry of education

DUCKIE RESCUE

 May/2016

RESPONSE TO PARLIAMENTARIAN’S VIEWS PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY TRIBUNE  (28th April)

The BSPCA is disappointed to hear the views expressed by MP Ali Al Ateesh. It is the responsibility of the Municipalities to solve Bahrain’s stray dog problem as set in the Municipalities Law.
Contrary to MP Ali Al Ateesh’s knowledge, the BSPCA has repeatedly counselled the authorities in the past and continues to provide advice to the government on a long term solution to the problem in the form of a Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (CNVR) program. This is entirely feasible in Bahrain as shown by the BSPCA’s pilot CNVR program in 2012/13, which was funded by the Dog’s Trust in the UK. Unfortunately, the government was unable to find the modest resources needed to continue. The Society would welcome a meeting with Mr. Ali Al Ateesh to discuss his proposed better solutions, if any are ever put forward.
The BSPCA currently runs a more limited program for stray cats and dogs – funds permitting. The Society relies solely on private donations and does not receive any financial or other material support from central or local government. The BSPCA, as a charity, and dependent on its members and volunteers goodwill does what it can with limited funds.

APR/2016

AMERICAN QUIZ NIGHT AT NICOLE’S

Over 40 people attended the BSPCA American Quiz on Thursday 24th March to enjoy a night of questions and karaoke at Nicole’s Mediterranean Restaurant. It was an incredibly balmy evening on the terrace as our mostly American guests enjoyed specially prepared animal themed cocktails and nibbles.

Six teams did battle with prizes for each round with the winning team (The Dill Pickles) achieving a knowledgeable 48.5/70 and taking away a Challenge Chambers voucher for 8 to enjoy.

The now famous BSPCA modelling round continues to be a source of great entertainment and this time everybody threw themselves into the challenge with gusto with the Triple Duo’s winning the challenge to recreate the Statue of Liberty! Some of the efforts were excellent with their interpretations of the great lady with her crown of sevenrays.

The karaoke picked up as the evening advanced with Bob (Animal Friendly) and Reginald (The Gladiators) entertaining the crowd with Ice, Ice Baby! Who needed Seal when we had Bob and Reg!! Laushan also joined the lads with her incredible voice.

Overall we raised an incredible BD327 with a very generous donation of BD50 from Nicole’s Mediterranean Restaurant.

Special thanks go to volunteers Angela, Maria, Ryma, Nick and Ansar, the staff at Nicole’s for their fabulous service and to everybody who attended the quiz. A round of applause also goes to all the companies who provided such lovely raffle prizes and for their continued support of the Society. We couldn’t do it without you all!!

Winners:
Round one – animal friendly
Two- animal friendly/dill pickles
Three – dill pickles/the winners
Four – dill pickles
Five – triple duos
Modelling round – triple Duos

Mar/2016

BSPCA TO THE RESCUE!

The BSPCA was called on Saturday morning about  a mewing sound coming from a pipe in their house. Mahmood Faraj, the BSPCA’s chairman and Santosh, the shelter supervisor were quick to the scene and soon found out that a small kitten had fallen into a drain pipe at the top of the house, as the cap had been removed and pipe left open.

The Society’s Chairman and the house owner agreed it would be best to call a professional plumber to cut open the pipe and save the kitten. Once the plumber arrived work began on sectioning the drain pipe to get a clearer look as to where the kitten was within the pipeline. After a bit of work they finally managed to get hold of the kitten, blowing a sigh of relief as they lifted her from the horrible tight space she’d been in for almost 3 days breathing the methane gas that was passing through, along with sewage. It must have been a terrible ordeal for this poor kitty but it just goes to show how strong our fellow animals are when it comes to survival.

We thank the Muharraq police for their kind assistance and helping to bring this matter to a happy ending as soon as possible. Thanks also to the animal lover who called the BSPCA to the rescue.

The kitten is now recovering in quarantine and has been named Piper, hoping to be up for adoption in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for her as you can be assured of a strong, fantastic personality.

“you can see the final attempt which saved the kitten in this short video taken as she was eventually freed from inside the narrow pipe”

“Piper in quarantine after a good wash and medical check up”

BSPCA kitten rescue 230616

Mar/2016

LITTLE GEMS SCHOOL HELDS FUNDRAISING DAY FOR BSPCA

Little Gems Pre-School held a fundraising day especially for the BSPCA in March where the children came into school dressed as their favourite book or film character and paid 500 fils donation to do so. The children had great fun dressing up and we think that they all look great! During the day PA Nicky brought her BSPCA rescue dog Pringle in to play with the children which they all loved and we are delighted that Pringle looks so happy with her new life with Nicky.

Michelle Page, BSPCA Fund Raising Coordinator and her trusty rescue hounds Rufus and Daisy were invited on the 9th March to collect an amazing 175 dinars which the school children were very proud to hand over, together with lots of food, cat litter and cleaning products which is hugely appreciated.

Thank you Little Gems Pre-School for your generosity and support.

View all the pictures and tag yourself on our Facebook Album – Click here.

Mar/2016

THE BSPCA VISITS HAWAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 

Upon an invitation from Senior students, the BSPCA visited Hawar International School on March 7th to speak about animal welfare. Our Welfare Officer Ghazi together with Samme, an adopted BSPCA long-term resident dog, did the honours and met over one hundred students!

First in line were the 6th grade boys class, then the 7th grade girls class followed by the Seniors. Ghazi provided a lot of information about the Society’s day to day jobs, fundraising and neutering but the boys were most excited finding out how to adopt animals. In particular if they could take them home temporarily but learnt that a pet is for life. When the girls’ turn came they had selective questions and were so wonderfully calm that Samme put on a little show and started posing – the girls were delighted.

Last but not least, the Senior boys class who were reminded that the BSPCA is a charity which receives no government funding and relies on people like themselves to donate second hand goods to the Thrift Shop and pet foods and funds to the AWC. When we thought it was over one of the Senior boys showed Ghazi a short video they had produced as part of their community service project showcasing the shelter.

Back at the shelter the team was delighted with the short production and with the witty combination of video and music. The film captures candidly the Senior boys community experience at the AWC as well as how welcoming and friendly our animals are to visitors. Click here to view. Thank you!

 

Find more photos on our Facebook albums – BSPCA Official Page

March/2016

INSPECTION TO BILAD AL QADEEM FARM

Our Chairman and CEO, Mahmood and Paul, for those who do not already know them, visited a farm in the Zinj area after being reported there was a desert lynx being kept in a cage there.

They were accompanied by the Capital Police and Al Areen Wildlife as they got into the farm and started to ask questions about the whereabouts of the lynx.

The owner of the farm reported it died, although this did not make sense and it was thought they had hid the Lynx when, somehow, found out the authorities were after them. However,  they did  find a cage full of Bulbul’s (Bahrain’s national bird) that are not supposed to be kept in cages. There were approx 150 inside and were let out one by one by Mahmood and Paul which must have felt great.

The farm was in need of much maintenance and care. It was neglected and hygiene was very poor. This was all explained to the owner and was told to expect another visit soon to check on his progression.

Even though the Lynx was not found it was considered a success to let those birds free. Hopefully in the next few weeks the lynx will be found and put back into its correct habitat with Al Areen in the dessert.

The news coverage in Arabic by Al Watan newspaper: http://www.alwasatnews.com/news/1083242.html

Feb/2016

BAHRAIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHARITY RUN/WALK IN AID OF THE BSPCA

On 24 February 2016, BSPCA volunteers Sarah Womer, Sarah Clarke and pawsome rescue dog Baloo from Baloo’s Buddies were delighted to attend the Bahrain Elementary School’s Charity Run/Walk in aid of the BSPCA that was organized by the Elementary School Student Council. Admission to the event was a donation – litter, food, toys etc – and with more than 150 children taking part many donations were collected!

Baloo (aged 11 going on 2!) was over the moon to be invited to walk along with the students who ran and walked around the school’s athletic track. He particularly enjoyed being followed like the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Unfortunately after 15 minutes the walk was cut short due to hail, thunder and lightning in the area. However, this gave Baloo the opportunity to meet and greet children in the gym – and to help clear up popcorn that was dropped accidentally on the floor. He thinks some of it was purposefully donated to his tummy, which after 3 laps of the track was grumbling loudly.

A big shout-out and woof-out to everyone who helped transport 3 massive trolley loads of goodies to the Sarahs’ cars.

Baloo was very proud to be given a medal for his participation that said “Pawsitively Awesome!” and wore it with pride all the way to the Askar Shelter where he supervised the off loading of the goodies. The BSPCA staff were overwhelmed by the generosity of the students. The dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks and other birds, turtles and tortoises, and of course the donkeys, are ecstatic with all the yummy food and gifts.

Thanks to the Bahrain Elementary School and the Bahrain Elementary School Student Council for their charity, community service, and for organising a successful event.

To view more photos and/or tag yourself visit our Facebook Group, BSPCA Official Page

Feb/2016

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER

The theme of the second BSPCA murder mystery dinner was Murder in the Thirties – who shot Sam Shady, private eye to the stars? Sixty four guests dolled themselves up in character last Thursday night and everyone made a great effort as you can see from the outstanding costumes displayed! In fact the Best Male Costume was in fact sourced from our very own BSPCA Thrift Shop (so keep that in mind for the next murder dinner!) and one wife went to the trouble of knocking up a papier mache policeman’s helmet as they couldn’t find one in the shops, now there’s dedication for you!
Each table had a guest acting one of eight characters: Suso Shady, Bobby Cuffs, Lady Faddington, Mandy Seever, Al Dabone, Dick Lacey, Lucy Loveless and Jimmy Open. With ten rounds plus the accusations the evening had to be run at a quick pace otherwise we’d have been sitting there until the small hours, each round was 15 minutes and everyone had to make sure they’d imparted all their information to the rest of the table.
The evening set off in full swing and the noise level was quite deafening at times, especially when the characters were stressing their innocence in some rounds. Several table thumping sessions were going on at one point!

A round of applause goes out to table 8 who had to get a couple of their players acting out two parts each as two of their guests didn’t make it. In the end it turned out the murderer was Lucy Loveless – a woman led astray and then scorned. And the winner of the WhoDunnit Draw was Jo Flynn, who correctly guessed the name of the murderer.

We would like to thank our sponsors Gulf Brands International for ensuring everyone was suitably refreshed throughout the evening by providing bottles of Longue Dog wine for each table plus the prizes for the winners of the best dressed male and female competition. Our thanks also go to the British Club for the venue, their serving staff on the night and the ladies at Reception for their patience and good humour selling the tickets on our behalf. We had a full house and the evening raised BD470 in funds which will go towards the shelter’s operating expenses.

Thank you to everyone who came along and joined in the fun, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and you all made a fantastic effort with your costumes, some of which were truly inspirational. For those of you who missed out on the opportunity – remember for the next murder mystery that there are only 48 places and the tickets sell out quickly so you need to book early to avoid disappointment!

Photos of the event can be found on our Facebook group – click here

Feb/2016

A SAD FAREWELL TO JOYCE HUGHES

The BSPCA sadly has to say farewell to Joyce Hughes and husband Nigel, who will be relocating to Spain very soon after 17 years in Bahrain. Joyce has been a proactive member of the Executive Committee since 2007 and has been involved in one way or another with almost all areas of running the Society, having started off as a fund raiser, acted as a stand-in manager at the old Sanctuary, project managed the construction of the Animal Welfare Centre, initiated the CNVR scheme and obtained the grant for it from the Dogs Trust UK and, in between, helped out at the shelter and the Thrift Shop as well as having been responsible for the rescue of many animals over the years.

Joyce was instrumental in getting the build of the AWC off the ground once the plans had been drawn up, by going out into the community and persuading companies and businesses to donate – money, services or supplies – and oversaw the entire project, which was no mean feat. It is a certainty that the BSPCA would not be where it is today without Joyce’s energy, drive and commitment to the Society to improve the welfare of the animals in Bahrain.

Since 2014 Joyce has taken over the mantle of Thrift Shop Manager, a demanding role as the Society relies very heavily on the Shop’s proceeds to keep the shelter up and running and the animals fed. The Shop attracts many volunteers who enjoy her sunny disposition and working alongside her.

The BSPCA will be a poorer place without Joyce and all her colleagues and the Shop volunteers will sorely miss her presence on the island. The Executive Committee, on behalf of the BSPCA, take this opportunity to thank her for her dedication, tenacity and generosity over the years and wish her and Nigel all the very best in their retirement. We are sure that she will be making plans to fill her time before long!

Feb/2016

BSPCA GOES ORANGE FOR THE NSA COLOUR RUN 2016

The BSPCA had the pleasure of attending the NSA Colour Run with a Purpose held on Thursday, 18th February at the Naval base in Bahrain. This Colour Run raises awareness about several causes with each colour representing a specific issue. The BSPCA was invited to stand for Orange – Stop Animal Cruelty – and Sarah Clarke with her dog extraordinaire,Baloo of Baloo’s Buddies and Sarah Womer, the mum of two BSPCA celebrity rescues, Pearl and Maximus, tended the BSPCA table.  Baloo loved watching the race and even tried to take part after spotting a discarded candy and making a beeline run for it!

After the fun run participants visited the different colour stalls to learn about the represented causes and people were pleased to see the BSPCA. Baloo charmed the pants off everyone – both kids and adults were delighted to be able to stroke Baloo, this was also special for some people who sorely miss their pets while on deployment.

Our volunteers did an amazing job giving out information about the BSPCA to all that came to our table.  They shared information on how the BSPCA attends to reports of animal cruelty and how the Animal Welfare Centre operates. The Sarah’s also advised the many ways that members of the public can support the society; by visiting the shelter in Askar, Thursday, Friday’s and Saturdays (9-1pm) to walk the dogs and groom the cats, donating clothes and household goods to the Thrift shop or volunteering time to help out at the shop or events.

The event was lots of fun for everyone and was followed by a DJ party and steak night which Baloo would’ve loved to join in! A big thank you to the NSA Bahrain organisers for the invitation, the professional set up and a job well done and also to  our volunteers, Sarah, Sarah, and Baloo.  We hope to see you again next year.

All photos of the event have been uploaded to our Facebook group – Click here

Feb/2016

STRUT YOUR MUTT DOG WALK 2016

A dedicated photo album has been uploaded to our Facebook group – click here to view.

Friday 29th January arrived and what a beautiful day it was for our Dog Walk! We were delighted to have so many supporters enjoying the day with 54 dog owners bringing their own pooches to this year’s “Strut your Mutt” Dog Walk. 62 BSPCA dogs also came out and made new friends taking part in either the 4km or 2km desert walk.

The walk itself began at 10:30am and by midday everybody had mostly returned and the BBQ stand found themselves busy keeping pace with the demand for a late breakfast snack (or an early lunch!) and the opportunity to browse amongst a selection of stalls including the BSPCA craft stall, Wags N’ Licks, Saar Kennels, The Bookcase, Al Jazira, Nicole’s Mediterranean Restaurant, Verminex and Maza Tea.

Each year the BSPCA offer great prizes for the most sponsorship money collected and this year Jacob Lund-Nielsen was the lucky winner! Jacob collected the huge sum of BD173 all by himself and collected his fabulous bike, donated by Skate Shack, with his mum and dad and Golden Retriever Monty. Jacob was delighted with his prize and told us that only last week his parents had talked about buying him a new bike and now he had won his own!

In the adult section, the top sum raised was BD260 by BSPCA supporter Sarah Womer and Pearl, her saluki, followed by Sarah Khouri, our Deputy Thrift Manager, in second place with BD110. Both received a huge supply of Pedigree dog food for their efforts with Sarah Khouri kindly donating hers to the Shelter for all of the resident dogs to enjoy.

The BSPCA kennel staff worked hard as usual, led by Santosh, kept busy with the flow of dogs coming in and out. The shelter staff, Paul and his team kept everybody on the correct path whilst Ghazi helped to keep the day running smoothly. Even Ansar, our office administrator turned up to support the event on her day off!

One highlight of the day was the adoption of Violet. This was wonderful news to us all as Violet has been with us at the shelter since May 2012. We wish her happiness with her new family.

The Walk raised a substantial sum of money which will enable us to continue our free CNVR scheme for cats and dogs for the next few months ahead.

We would like to thank everyone who donated items or helped us organise this event, without you we just couldn’t do it. A huge round of applause and our thanks go to:

The fabulous volunteers:

• Stephanie Alexander and David Reddish together with the team from NSF/Bravo 3665-1412
• Reginald Smith and the guys from the Tri-step Lodge #99
• Lashaun Barnes and the ladies from Shining Star #39
• Ryma, Sue and Will, Nick, Sadie, Eman, Mitchell and Emma

Amazing assistance from:

• Alosra Supermarket & BMMI for supplying the hot dogs, soft  drinks and winner’s prizes of Pedigree Chum dog food
• Purina and Al Jazira Supermarket for their generosity whilst at the event
• Cola Cola for the bottled water and personalised coke cans for all the volunteers
• The Royal Bahrain Hospital ambulance crew who were on standby in case of need
• All those who kindly donated raffle prizes (in alphabetical order): Auto Spa, Bed & Biscuits, Crossfit, Dadashai Travel, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, Harley Davidson, Lalapaloza, Michelle and Nick Page, Photographs by Gaye Bentham, Prestige Wealth Solutions, Sarah & David Womer, Sketchpup, Sofitel, Tails, Tariq Pastries, The Body Shop, The Bookcase, Tribal Fitness, Words Bookstore cafe

 Jan/2016

THANK YOU NEW MILLENNIUM SCHOOL

The New Millennium contacted the BSPCA as they had chosen to donate money to the society which was raised by selling books and food to other students in a 2015 fund raising initiative.

Michelle Page, our fund raising coordinator visited them on the 18th January and met the Principal and Head children to accept the cheque and heard all about the school and their vision for the future.

Principle Arun Kuumar Sharma introduced head girl, Divya Bajaj along with other head pupils: Niharika Mehta, Madhulika V, Sumaiyya Sultana, Bibin Rajesh, Vikrana V, Leon Antony Sojan, Rohit Majumdar, Gulsar Ali, Syed Imad, Nikhil Bhalla and Tharun Babu.  All of the students were super excited about handing the donation over to Michelle and hung around for a ‘selfie’ after they had shown her their personal certificates for facilitating the fund raising event!

We have invited the New Millennium School to visit us at our Askar Centre and meet all the animals which will benefit from their donation and also have Michelle and her trusty rescue dog ‘Rufus’ attend an assembly to talk to all the students about the BSPCA.

Thank you New Millennium School!

Jan/2016

BSPCA ATTENDS BRITISH SCHOOL OF BAHRAIN (BSB) YEAR ONE ASSEMBLY 

The BSPCA were delighted to receive an invitation to the BSB School to attend a Year One assembly and talk about the Society and its role on the island. Year One teacher Beccah Barton had previously arranged a fund raising week which was all about animals and followed up with an invitation to the BSPCA to visit the school.

Michelle Page, her trusty rescue hounds Daisy and Rufus and volunteer Frieda Waegemans attended an assembly where the students sang a song about animals which they had obviously practiced as they were word perfect and enjoyed all the moves to the ditty!

Michelle spoke to the children about animal welfare, the Society’s Five Freedoms for Animals and then answered some questions. As part of their fund raising week the children had collected an amazing amount of food, blankets, bowls and bleach for the shelter which was fantastic.

Thank you BSB School, your continued support is always appreciated and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Jan/2016

AL WASAT NEWSPAPER – INTERVIEW & STORY WITH BSPCA CHAIRMAN 

To read in Arabic click the link: http://www.alwasatnews.com/mobile/news-1061333.html

ISA TOWN MARKET

Our chairman received a call one morning alerting us to people selling local birds at a market. These birds should be roaming the skies freely and not put for sale in cages.

The vendors were approached and after much discussion were given 2 options:

– Set the birds free immediately

– Get the police involved

They cooperated and decided it was in everyone’s best interest to set the birds free

As you can see from the video it was a very good day for the BSPCA, especially for Mahmood our chairman who was at the scene and coordinated this to a success.

Nov/2015

UPDATE ON ARMAN ZOO

After several visits by Mahmood and Paul (BSPCA officials) and volunteer Cheryl,  the owners of Arman Zoo have gone some way to improving the habitat of their exotic animals and the hyenas have been sorted and appear to be much happier. Next on the list are the baboons and we hope they too are provided with nicer surroundings. Annual check up visits will be made to ensure standards are kept.

The cloven hooded animals have had their hooves trimmed by a farrier and the specialist staff at Al Areen are to assist with the gazelles hooves, as these animals need to be tranquilised to carry out this job.

If anyone wishes to adopt a cat or a dog from the zoo them contact Umran the Zoo manager on 3917 1377. The cats are free of charge and there is a small fee for dogs.

Dec/2015

BATS DEN IN DURAZ

The BSPCA received a call late on the 14th of September informing us that there was a very bad odor coming from a building which was under construction. We were told there were lots of bats inside that had called this building home. After dispatching a team to have a closer look at the severity of the situation we found out that the Bahraini citizen who made the call had halted construction on this site due to any possibility of harming the bats and needed to evacuate them to safety as soon as possible. Beneath the wooden panels lay plenty more bats which were quickly dealt with by our team,  although it needed a few more days of screening to get all the bats out to safety.

Sep/2015

JASMINE IS RE-HOMED

Jasmine, our resident goat, who was found by East Riffa Police Station has been re-homed at Al Areen Wildlife park. We will miss her a lot as she has created such a nice atmosphere for the staff at the shelter right outside the office, always putting a smile on your face with her funny ways.

  Feb/2015