Dogs, Cats and Flamingos: the New BVI Animal Shelter Has it All
By Jane Bakewell
The Humane Society of the BVI’s new animal shelter and a bird watching tower will open soon at Josiah’s Bay.
Animal welfare advocates and bird-watching enthusiasts will soon be able to come together in one location on Tortola. A designated acre of land in Josiah’s Bay overlooking the best “birding pond” on the island will feature a Bird Watch Tower along with an eco-designed, state-of-the-art new animal shelter for the Humane Society of the BVI.
Plans include safely housing stray dogs and cats in an updated facility while educating the public about responsible pet ownership. This will “dovetail” (so to speak) with providing residents and visitors alike an exciting opportunity to view flamingos and other birds in their natural habitat.
I got a chance to chat with two longtime “movers and shakers” of this vision recently and hear from their perspectives about this project which has been in the making for over thirteen years. I came away both heartened and encouraged that both pet and wildlife advocates could bring their visions together to create both a family and tourist-oriented destination sure to be an educational hotspot on Tortola.
I headed over to Josiah’s Bay building site to meet with the longtime manager of the Humane Society of the BVI, Vijay Bissoondutt. From the road I could see the new building and kennels were up and awaiting doors and down by the pond was the nearly completed Bird Watch Tower. The new 2500-foot facility with kennels and covered outdoor runs fanning both sides will comfortably house about 65 dogs. A separate “cattery” off the front office space will house the cats that will also have protected outdoor runs. A vet’s Intake office, bathroom, small kitchen area and a space for a “Merch Store” with T-shirts, and other items is also in the layout plan.
I asked Vijay how it felt after 27 years of overseeing the much smaller, less-equipped shelter in Johnson’s Gut in Road Town to see this dream near completion. ‘It’s hard to put in words” he said. “I’m ecstatic, it’s a great feeling and something that has been in the pipeline for many years.”
It was 13 years ago when then Shelter manager and founder Tessa Gunter was able with community support to raise the funds to purchase the property. Unfortunately, she did not live long enough to see the project completed. Between Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the Covid epidemic following in 2020 there were many setbacks to the plans for the Josiah’s Bay location.
Vijay spent his first years on Tortola as an auto electrician. But he found his passion in helping animals – assisting with the great needs on Tortola for treatment and shelter for abandoned dogs and cats.
Vijay has a natural affinity for animals which he credits to being raised on a small family farm in Guyana. “We had ducks, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs and a cow. My brother and I each had our chores in the morning that we were expected to do, such as collecting the eggs from the chickens and milking the cow.”
Vijay’s years of dedication and service in animal welfare on Tortola has not gone unnoticed and he was the recipient of one of the highest UK honorary titles and awards, the MBE or honorary “Member of the British Empire.”
The shelter property site having undergone a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, is equipped to handle most flooding or run-off conditions. There is a three-phase sewage filter system with a final runoff into a planned garden area. Nothing will go into the pond area. A 1000- gallon water tank will collect fresh water.
I also spoke to Nancy Pascoe, who along with Vijay and other volunteers, has helped shepherd the project from inception to fruition.
Nancy was born and raised in the BVI. Always an animal lover, she volunteered at the animal shelter as a child. Nancy has worked in government for many years at the National Parks Trust, where she is Deputy Director.
Chief Organizer of the annual Christmas BVI Bird Count Nancy also serves on the Board of the Humane Society of the BVI.
“Ever since we were able to raise the funds for the first phases of construction for the new animal shelter (August of 2023) on the banks of a wild bird nesting pond, I envisioned a property with a dual purpose,” Nancy explained. “This area is zoned for agriculture with a chicken farm just up the road and we needed a good outdoor area for the dogs.” With mangroves and thick brush surrounding the pond, there were not many areas to view migrating flamingos and other birds that made this habitat their temporary home.
As someone familiar with accessing grants with her work at the National Parks Trust, Nancy applied for a UK Dawin Initiative Plus grant available to Overseas Territories funding local grants for small projects. A 20-foot-high Bird Watchtower with a roof and viewing platform was approved to be set just back from the banks of the pond. Along with this, there will be funds for a fixed-mount optical viewer, like what one sees at many parks but without the coin box. This one will be free for the public, to closely view the flamingos, ducks, egrets and many other bird species as well as the numerous iguanas who nest here. “A lot of people don’t realize we have ducks here, Nancy commented. “We are the first and only Bird Look-Out Watch Tower on Tortola!”
Over the years Nancy has helped to coordinate many continuous bird-counts including the flamingo populations centered in Guana Island, Necker Island, Anegada (at both the East and West ponds) and on Tortola at Josiah’s Bay Pond. Bird counts have included Belmont Pond, West End and Great Thatch pond as well as Beef Island and Long Bay. Last year over 800 sightings were counted across the BVI. It is a well-known fact that healthy wetlands produce healthy bird populations. Keeping the BVI’s wildlife habitats protected is key.
The Animal Shelter grounds will be fenced for the safety and security of the pets and onsite staff and the public will come through the Humane Society Facility to access a walkway to the bird tower.
“We plan to also serve as an educational center to help people understand the relationship between animals and birds. Letting a dog off a leash or allowing a cat to stray can destroy bird nestings in the wild. “Our Neuter and Spay programs, along with microchip implants are designed to keep in check the stray dog and cat population.” Feral cats are some of the worst culprits, Nancy emphasized, which became a big problem in Anegada with the endangered Iguana population there
School groups and tour groups will be welcome to view the flamingos (no guarantees on a sighting) and signs will be posted listing the many types of birds that can be viewed from the Watch Tower. The area will be designed as a family-friendly space with some activities such as a small “petting zoo” and a Cantina or refreshment area.
The final dream at this point is to see the completion of this project in 2025 – so “bird watchers and animal lovers” gear-up for a great new destination spot in the BVI!
Donations are appreciated and can be made to Humane Society of the BVI through their website: http://www.bvihumanesociety.org
For more information on the BVI’s birds including its flamingo population go to:
