JSPCA overwhelmed by an uptick in sick animals
Published:Wednesday | June 24, 2020 | 12:09 AMKaren Oliver/Gleaner Writer
PAMELA LAWSON, managing director of the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), has said there has been a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the number of persons taking in sick animals to the veterinary clinic since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The huge jump in the demand for animal care has forced the JSPCA to ramp up its veterinary staff to five by employing an additional member last week.
“It’s a tad overwhelming,” said Lawson. She added: “Let’s say if 50 clients come in one day, the number of animals seen would be much higher as one client will not necessarily bring in one animal,” disclosed Lawson, while noting that one client will bring up to two adult dogs and six puppies during one visit.
She surmised that with more persons now at home due to the pandemic, pet owners have become more observant of their animals.
“People are at home, they are able to see that something is wrong with their animals. They are paying a lot more attention because they have [more] time.”
The large turnouts have been a concern for her in light of the social-distancing guidelines, and especially for the significant number of elderly clients who also come in with their animals. She explained that while senior citizens are usually fast-tracked, this sometimes leads to a backlash from other waiting clients, who become rude to her staff.
“It has been very busy and I know the wait has been very long for people. We don’t want to have too many persons here not getting through quickly,” she said.
To alleviate the overcrowding, Lawson suggests that persons call to make an appointment for a veterinarian to visit their homes, especially when they have puppies to be vaccinated.
Another concern for Lawson is the number of animals that come to the clinic and which have been obviously sick for some time. She explained that clients often take a wait-and-see approach, and in the process delay medical attention for their sick animals.
“When you bring in an animal so seriously ill, it takes a longer time to handle and it’s usually detrimental to your pocket because it’s going to require more intensive treatment. Don’t wait and watch a situation,” she implored, adding that the delay will only make matters worse.