Ursula Oppikofer of I Love My Island Dog in St. Martin
The devastation in the Caribbean from Hurricane Irma has had an impact on thousands of people and virtually destroyed the tourism industry. It will take months to assess the damage.
But one story that has not been told is the suffering of hundreds of animals, particularly those in St. Martin. I have supported I Love My Island Dog for many years. Ursula Oppikofer, the founder of this organization, has done a spectacular job of rounding up the stray dogs on the island and giving them a home in her shelter. Anyone who has visited a Caribbean island knows how the stray dog population can have a negative impact on tourism. Ursula not only cares for these dogs, she also arranges for tourists to adopt the dogs and bring them to a new home in the U.S.
Now Ursula and I Love My Island Dog are facing insurmountable challenges. Her home and shelter were destroyed during Hurricane Irma. Knowing the potential damage that could happen, she sent dogs and cats from her shelter to foster homes before the storms hit. But these foster parents are now leaving the animals behind as they flee St. Martin. Dogs have been tied to the chain link fence at the airport and abandoned; others are just back on the streets left to fend for themselves. Some had already been adopted and now there is no way to get them to their new home in the States.
I Love My Island Dog desperately needs crates and pens to house the animals, dog and cat food, food and water bowls, leashes and harnesses, beds and blankets, and cleaning supplies. Running water is scarce and the heat on the island is untenable. Through all this, Ursula has stayed with the animals, trying desperately to save them.
There are many organizations mobilized to help the people of St. Martin as well as the other Virgin Islands. I am calling on them to also provide relief for the more than 100 animals clinging to life at I Love My Island Dog.
The French government has pledged to help its citizens on the island and Ursula is one of the island’s most loved residents. If the U.S. Army is running relief efforts to rescue American citizens, perhaps it can also bring in crates and food for I Love My Island Dog. I know that Humane Society International (the international affiliate of the HSUS of which I serve on the board of ) provided dog and cat supplies as well as hay, which was transported by the Royal Caribbean cruise line to St. Martin. But I urge all organizations to see how they can help the animals of St. Martin. If another boat can come and bring crates, it would help to alleviate the suffering of these animals.
Anyone interested in helping I Love My Island Dog can donate through the website www.ilovemyislanddog.org. My skincare company, PRAI Beauty, has pledged its support through PRAI for PAWS, our philanthropic division, to help Ursula, who has been a dear friend for years.
She has done an excellent job in making St. Martin one of the most dog-friendly islands in the Caribbean. Her contributions to the local economy have been substantial because tourists don’t see hundreds of stray dogs when they visit St. Martin. This results in return visits and positive word of mouth.
So many people have benefited from St. Martin’s tourism industry. Cruise lines, airlines, travel agents and others should now step forward to help both the people and animals who call it home. I Love My Island Dog is a great organization and in the relief effort we should not forget the dogs and cats of St. Martin.