Cooks vet care in danger

Transcript

The Cook Islands could end up with no veterinary service if the Esther Honey Foundation doesn't find a home soon.

The Foundation has not had its lease renewed at their Nikao base where they have been for 10 years.

In September the Cook Islands Investment Corporation gave them 30 days to move, saying the clinic didn't fit their residential plan.

Esther Honey president Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen told Koro Vaka'uta the foundation has been providing low-cost or free care for 20 years and this is now at risk.

CATHY SUE RAGAN-ANUNSEN:  It really leaves us in a perilous situation because they have no other site that they are willing or feel appropriate to move us to and we have always paid the rent, the full price for the rent, so it is not a matter of them giving us something.  If there is no other site that is appropriate and affordable, we have no place to go.  They have suggested to dispatch us to the SPCA site.  It's up in the hills.  It meets the needs of an organisation that has a shelter.  A shelter and a veterinary clinic needs to be readily accessible and visible so that people know where to come and in the event of an emergency.  We just had an email that said how important it was to them as tourists on the island.  As they came from the airport they noticed the Esther Honey sign and it was kind of in the back of their minds.  Then during their trip they saw a dog that was hit by a car and they were able to know where exactly to get the dog in the car and get the dog to the clinic.  If they had to be wandering up in the hills that might not have happened and it might not have been timely to save the dog.

KORO VAKA'UTA:  I understand that over the last couple of decades the foundation has treated more than 42,000 animals, including spaying and neutering, but you did mention the SPCA.  How about the state of animal care and that sort of thing, what would happen if the Esther Honey Foundation couldn't find a place.

CSRA:  It is frightening for a country that has depended on affordable and more often free veterinary service for their animals for 20 years.

KV:  So there would be a big hole in that animal treatment?

CRSA:  There are no other veterinarians on the island and that is why we were first invited to come because there was no veterinarian service.  We have filled that role at no cost to the government other than the agreement that our imported veterinary supplies would not be charged VAT because all of those supplies were then given freely to the people in the community.  Other than that we have asked nothing from the government.

KV:  In recent years the foundation has gone on a campaign promoting spaying and neutering because there had been issues with stray animals or overpopulation, that sort of thing, that is an issue that could rear its head again yes?

CRSA:  Absolutely.  When we came there were 6,000 dogs.  We treated and spayed and neutered dogs and significantly affected the number of wandering dogs by approximately just under two-thirds so we have made a difference but you need to continue to provide spay and neuter and we provide free spay and neuter.

Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen says that deadline for finding a home has been extended until January.