To the Rescue!
Some people who decide to get a dog or cat rescue their new pet from an animal shelter. The animal might come from far away—even another country.
Vijay Bissoondutt is the manager of the Humane Society of the BVI, an animal shelter in the British Virgin Islands, a tropical island region in the Caribbean. He lives on Tortola, the biggest of the islands. Tortola is the only island in the region with an animal shelter, so Bissoondutt helps rescue dogs and cats from the other islands, too. He has worked for the Humane Society for 29 years.
“We’re here to re-home animals and give them a second chance in life,” Bissoondutt told Your Hot Job. The staff finds stray dogs and cats, or those that have been mistreated, and takes them to the shelter.
Last year, the Humane Society built a brand-new shelter to house more animals. There’s room now for 75 dogs and 19 cats. “It’s really beautiful and amazing,” Bissoondutt says. “The animals are much happier and have more space.”
Bissoondutt has a long history of caring for animals: He grew up on a farm with goats, ducks, and chickens, and started visiting the animal shelter at around 8 years old. Now he takes care of the animals by feeding them, playing with them, and making sure they get plenty of exercise.
When someone wants to adopt a dog or cat, it’s Bissoondutt’s job to teach them how to be a good pet owner. For example, it’s very hot in the Caribbean, so it’s important for pets to have plenty of water and a shady place to rest.
“It’s a challenge,” he says. “We let people know that it is important to have your animal get their yearly vaccination, and the right diet. If it’s going to live outside, it must have food, water, and shelter. It needs to see the vet regularly, and exercise is very important. A dog that doesn’t exercise can be very bored and [will] probably start tearing up the house.”
This year, one of the puppies from the Humane Society, Miss Coco, is a competitor in the Puppy Bowl. This annual event airs on Animal Planet during the Super Bowl. This is Puppy Bowl XXII (22). It’ll feature 150 dogs from 72 shelters. Many of the dogs are nominated by their shelter, with the goal of finding a home for each of them. (All of this year’s Puppy Bowl players have already been adopted.)
The producers of the Puppy Bowl traveled all the way from the United States to meet Miss Coco on Tortola. She was staying with a foster family at the time. “I’d never heard about the Puppy Bowl before, but it’s amazing to see how these four-legged players have fun,” Bissoondutt says. “This is going to be our first time watching the Puppy Bowl, so the community plans to have a party to watch and support Miss Coco. Yay, Coco!”
If you’re interested in working with animals when you grow up, Bissoondutt says you can start volunteering at your local shelter right now to learn how to care for pets.
“It’s a very passionate job,” he says. “It has to come from inside the heart. You can’t just wake up and say, ‘I’m going to take care of animals,’ because a lot of challenges come with it. An animal is not just a dog or a cat; they have a life just like us. They have feelings, and they need the same compassion.”
Even though running the shelter can be difficult, Bissoondutt says it’s a rewarding job: “I’m very happy to know that I’m actually saving a life, getting these dogs off the streets and giving them a second chance.” For him, a wagging tail makes it all worthwhile.
