Recently, animal shelter Tails of Hope posted a photograph of a pair of quaint looking chairs on Facebook that had been made from recycled pallets. The chairs were for sale, with the proceeds going towards the shelter’s work.
Whoever buys these chairs provides income for the contractor, funds Tails of Hope’s care for rescues, helps the environment by using recycled furniture and gets beautiful chairs that provide comfort and create a picturesque arrangement.
Tails of Hope was founded in the latter part of 2019 with most of its members already attached to other shelters. A year ago, the shelter contracted a contractor to assist with fixing broken kennels or constructing new ones among other odd jobs.
President of Tails of Hope Shari Rodrigues shared that the shelter has been using the pallets to build kennels. Nearby companies, she said, were eager to let the shelter take the pallets off their hands. She said that as the shelter took in more animals places to put them became a problem. Wood, she noted, was by no means cheap. “One day I came up with this idea to build a makeshift kennel with pallets and we had some zinc which we decided to utilize also. We had a contractor who was out of a job, down on his luck. He was happy to build and said he could build a very strong one for me. He said he’ll use a special sheen to protect it from the weather. He built it and it’s been at the shelter for a while and it has been lasting…,” explained Rodrigues.
“I decided we could give him a constant job where he could make benches, chairs, beds and we would sell to people and all of the proceeds would go towards the animals of the shelter.”
Tails of Hope, along with the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) and the Rose-wood Foundation, visits various regions in Guyana almost every week to vaccinate animals. The vaccines help to prevent diseases. This effort began last year following an outbreak of Parvo and distemper viruses in dogs for which there is no cure.
Rodrigues said that since their steady visits to the different areas vacci-nating the dogs, there have been fewer reports of the diseases. This effort is funded by the Humane Society International and they connect through Face-book to let dog owners know when they are visiting their areas.
The cost of a pair of chairs is $20,000. For an additional $3,000 the buyers can get them painted and have cushions supplied. Some of the money from the sales goes towards purchasing paint and other materials and paying for the workman-ship, while the profits are spent on vaccinations, spaying and neutering the animals, among other things.
There is also other recycled furniture avail-able for sale including benches and smaller chairs for children, as well as kennels and beds for pets. In the last six months, since Tails of Hope started recycling the pallets, more than 40 people have bought items. Some because they like that the pieces were recycled, affordable and lovely, others just like the idea of all the good they were doing by buying recycled pieces.
“I think many of them are happy with this type of initiative,” said Rodrigues. “I don’t think they’ve seen this type of initiative before where animals are concerned locally so they are happy that they could help the animals while getting a piece of furniture that looks nice in their home when looking for that sort of vintage look.”
But even the sales from the recycled pieces and donations from companies do not cover all of the expenses for the rescues. Many times, Rodrigues said, she and other directors have to take care of necessities out of pocket. Those who are not looking for furniture, but would like to contribute can do so by providing cash, chow, meat, rice or can foster or adopt one of the animals.
Rodrigues said Tails of Hope helps to provide rations for the animals being fostered and sometimes, when necessary, provides kennels for them too. People who have other animals in their care and hope to foster are required to first have their pets spayed and neutered. Their pets are also expected to be vaccinated on a regular basis. Tails of Hope checks to ensure their fences are high and there are no holes that would allow fostered animals to get out.
To prevent an outbreak of ticks and fleas, Tails of Hope tries to nip that in the bud as soon as they take in new rescues. To ensure that all their animals are healthy, Rodrigues said, the staff work additional hours trying their best to nurse some of the animals back to health.
They will be collaborating with GSPCA and other animal shelters to carry out a spay and neuter campaign next month. These campaigns are done every two months. Rodrigues also said the message needs to be spread that it is not just a single vaccine. She admonished pet owners: “You have to ensure that you follow your vet’s instructions. Many times people bring their animals to our vaccination drives and we are sad that they don’t return with their animals when we return two or three weeks later. They need to come two or three times after. If we do not return to the community, they need to ensure that they call a vet.
“Another thing I would encourage is that persons spay and neuter their animals. They would tell us that they would get good homes for their kittens and puppies but what about the ones that don’t have an opportunity to get good homes? There are other puppies and kittens that are discarded in garbage bags because they don’t have that opportunity to go to a good home so every time you breed litters, you’re a part of that cycle because there are other litters of puppies and kittens on the streets that are dying. Help us by not letting your animals reproduce. Assist us with fostering and adoption.”
At present the shelter has mainly cats and dogs, but it has accommodated monkeys, birds, donkeys and horses in the past. Monkeys and birds are wildlife and as soon as they are nursed back to health, they are released to the wild.
Currently Tails of Hope has an executive board of 11 people, but is always in need of volunteers.
To purchase a piece of recycled furniture or to foster, adopt or get more information, Tails of Hope can be reached on Facebook or at 669-0165.
