S-Trip! Destination: Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas
Summer 2016
Our Grand Bahamas S-Trip! travelers had an extra heartwarming Volunteer Experience, visiting the Humane Society of Grand Bahama. Founded in 1968 to provide safe harbour for the island’s homeless and abused animals, they are the only animal welfare organization on the island and they take in over 1200 animals every year. They do not receive any financial support from the government, so they rely on donors and supporters. After years of planning and fundraising, their new facility opened in 2008 and is located on 2.5 acres with plenty of room for future expansion.
A few of the puppies snuck into our group shot - see if you can spot them!
With the support of our travelers, we were able to purchase and plant trees for the back acres of the property, so that the dogs have some shade when they're outside on play time. They also gave the front entrance a sprucing, with new paint and flowers in the planters!
Adding some colour to the front entrance!
Our travelers also had the opportunity to help socialize some of the animals. While the Humane Society has regular volunteers that bathe, groom, and walk the cats and dogs, it is important for them to be exposed to different people, to prepare them for adoption into different kinds of families. Our travelers were definitely up to this task!
A happy traveler and a happy dog!
Our volunteer sessions with the Humane Society certainly created happy travelers, happy animals, and a happy organization: the Executive Director, Elizabeth Burrows, was thankful that we included them in our trips again this year, and they "couldn't be happier" with the work our travelers did. Way to go Grad Trippers!
Written by Lindsay Morris, S-Trip! Volunteer Specialist.