From Road to Farin; Over 100 Jamaican rescue dogs migrate to Canada

BY JANIECE CAMPBELL

It was 3 a.m. The view was pitch black and the ground was muddy from the heavy rainfall. The process felt never-ending, but that didn’t deter their team and accompanying volunteers from completing their mission.

On March 13^th, 144 passengers at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay boarded a special charter flight bound for Canada. The travellers, who happened to be canines commonly known as mongrel dogs by the Jamaican public, were off to begin a new life abroad, a plan successfully orchestrated by Montego Bay Animal Haven (MBAH) in partnership with the Canadian organization Save Our Scruff.

Tammy Browne, founder of MBAH, aims to raise awareness of the plight and overpopulation of unfixed stray and abandoned animals in Jamaica. But first, she aspired to change the common name of the dogs from “mongrels”, a term that often carries a stigma of uselessness to something dignified that Jamaicans and Caribbean people alike could be proud of.

“Mongrel is such a derogatory term. It gives the impression of something worthless or stupid. Everyone wants a breed. If you tell someone it’s a Labrador mix or a Pitbull, they’re quick to say that they want it. But if you say mongrel, they’ll say no. We’ve had people take these dogs abroad and have them tested and even the labs can’t determine what they are because they’re so mixed up. So, I decided they should be a breed of their own; the Royal Caribbean Terrier.”

 An animal lover since childhood, Browne’s love for the Royal Caribbean Terrier specifically dates back to over twenty years ago, when she returned to Jamaica from England. On her way to work as a horse manager at an excursion company, she noticed a dog on the ground that had been hit by a car. Its back was broken.

“I picked up the dog and asked the townspeople where I should take it. Everyone was like “it’s a mongrel, just put it back nuh!” I said no, and again asked where I should take it. They said that there was nowhere to take it.”

Upon doing some research, she found a few potential animal houses, but they were all severely lacking in funding. She ended up taking it to a veterinarian that euthanized it for her. It wasn’t a couple days later before she returned to the same vet carrying another dog in a similar situation. It was at that moment that she realized that this was a reoccurring problem in the community that needed to be fixed. It was also then when Tammy Browne figured out her purpose.

With a little help from the inheritance that she gained from her godfather’s passing; she officially opened the Montego Bay Animal Haven in April 2009. Throughout the initial three days of opening, she saw over 200 animals: from cats in pillowcases and laundry baskets to a chartered bus from Negril with a whole heap of dogs. It was clear that this something that people wanted to be done.

Her latest accomplishment of relocating the Jamaican dogs is just another testament to her compassionate character, as Browne has rescued and helped to rehome over 1,000 animals. As wonderful as it is to imagine these pooches being placed into loving homes overseas, the reality is that if they weren’t put on that plane, they would have likely been euthanized as funding in Jamaica has largely decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating costs for the shelter are about $12,000 USD per month, which they were able to rake in through donations up until the past eight months.

“We couldn’t feed all these dogs. The only option was to put them down. But the thing about the Royal Caribbean Terrier, it has this amazing powerful drive to survive. They’re emaciated, covered in mange, flea and tick infested. If you do a blood sample, they barely have any. It’s like, how are you even alive? But these dogs are still breathing. And you have to give something like that a chance. The idea of having to euthanize even one of these dogs after each one has fought so hard to survive in our place, I just couldn’t do it. So, I had to find an alternative.”

Besides rescue and adoption, the MBAH team also has a multitude of programs including visiting schools to educate the next generation on being sympathetic to these animals in their communities, as well as a hike where visitors can take an hour-long walk alongside over 100 playful dogs for $65 USD.

Though their historic operation of sending 144 Royal Caribbean Terriers abroad was rewarding, Tammy Browne says there’s much more work that needs to be done and many changes to be seen nationwide.

“I want to see animal cruelty laws updated. Jamaica’s doing an amazing job, in every aspect, it’s growing and it’s really doing well. But the animal cruelty laws have not been updated since 1997 and it’s ridiculous. If you hurt somebody’s animal, you’ll get charged $1,000 JMD which is like $10. It’s nothing. These laws need to be updated and they need to be enforced. I’ve been into police stations and they have no idea that there are even animal cruelty laws. It’s something that has to be done,” says Browne. “I also want to have mobile spay and neuter clinics to travel all around the island and help in the communities. Even from a tourist’s point of view, you shouldn’t go into an area and see all these starving dogs and cats. There’s a desperate need for help. I believe if we change the suffering that we see on the streets, we’ll be able to uplift everyone.”

Each week, MBAH partakes in Wobbly Wednesdays (in support of animals with neurological and/or physical disorders) and $5 Fridays, initiatives to encourage followers to donate to the cause.

You can visit their Instagram, @montegobayanimalhaven to find out more about what they do and to contribute today!