Animal Balance -­ The Bend Spay and Neuter Project -­ Bend Veterinary Clinic -­ Oregon Outback Humane Society

High desert talent leads the pack in Bahamian Animal Welfare Mission. In January, Central Oregon animal activists will fly to the Bahamas to help the Bahamian street dogs, known as Potcakes.

Animal Balance, an international NGO based in Bend, is leading a coalition of Bahamian animal organizations, veterinary and governmental institutions to spay and neuter up to 2,000 ‘Potcakes’ in just 10 days. This has never been attempted on such a scale before. Representatives from the Central Oregon animal protection groups; the Bend Spay and Neuter Project, Bend Veterinary Clinic and Oregon Outback Humane Society will all be embarking on this “spaycation” called Operation Potcake.

Over 150 international volunteer veterinarians, animal technicians, humane dog trappers and assistants are flying into Nassau. They will build 5 animal clinics in the most economically challenged areas, which host the highest number of street dogs. Each night, teams of trappers will be out baiting and trapping the dogs. Each day, the clinic teams will be working from dawn to dusk sterilizing and treating the Potcakes. This humanitarian aid mission is a free service to the community.

Operation Potcake is the launch of a five year animal control and management program in the Bahamas. The campaign volunteers will sterilize the most difficult to capture portion of the dog population, and then train the local groups in the art of high volume sterilization clinics and the humane trapping of dogs. Once the local groups have the tools, knowledge and skills, they can then continue to sterilize the dogs, ensuring that the program is sustainable so that the Bahamas dog population will be managed within 5 years.

Emma Clifford, Animal Balance’s Director stated: “The Bend animal groups are not only fighting to help our animals locally by promoting spay and neuter, they are now traveling to another country to lend their expertise to help street dogs in another culture. Their skills, dedication and compassion for animals are second to none”.

If you would like to find out more, view the Operation Potcake PSA, donate much needed funds or supplies, visit our website at: www.animalbalance.org, www.operationpotcake.com.

For more information please contact Emma Clifford at Clifford@animalbalance.org or by calling 541-306-8955.

• Animal Balance is a 501(c)3 # 68-0630714: Works with island nations to create sustainable humane animal management programs for cats and dogs. www.animalbalance.org. Clifford@animalbalance.org 541-306-8955.

a more humane community. http://www.bendsnip.org, meganw@bendsnip.org, 541-617-1010.

Veterinary Clinic: Provides compassionate and professional veterinary care specializing in humane population control. http://www.bendveterinaryclinic.com 541-382-0741.

• Oregon Outback Humane Society is a 501(c)3 # 20-8682453: OOHS, the only animal welfare organization in Lake County, OR, is run by volunteers who provide Proactive Animal Rescue Programs aimed at humanely reducing the number of homeless animals in their community. www.oregonoutbackhumane.org 877-947-5009.