FOR GENEVIEVE Beepat called “Judy” life is simple so much so that she has dedicated all of her time to care for stray dogs and cats, an act of love and selflessness which she describes

as her passion and it feels quite fulfilling.
At present, this animal lover has opened her home at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara to 14 dogs and 19 cats, all of which she rescued from the streets.

In addition, she feeds about a dozen stray dogs on a daily basis and goes door to door to sensitise pet owners about the benefits of spaying and neutering their animals.
She makes much with a few donations here and there and has the yard space to keep the ‘loves of her life’ happy. She has become so attached to them that it is often difficult to give them away to her fellow animal lovers.
Beepat told the Guyana Chronicle that she usually assists pet owners to make use of the spaying and neutering campaigns at the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA) and has been successful in hosting six such outreach programmes at her home.

She related that she started her journey of caring and taking in cats and dogs about five

years ago but for the past three years now it has been challenging. “It’s quite a task to create awareness when it comes to spaying and neutering of pets” she says.
In Lusignan Genevieve is called the “Lady who brings cats and dogs back to life” because when they have been abandoned and mistreated she takes them in and nurses them back to good health.

This spritely woman said she will always find a way of helping animals because most people would buy the fancy dogs and no one wanted the common breed ones we usually call “rice eaters” which she said were the best guard dogs and made loving pets as well.
She encourages all to be like-mined when it comes to common breed dogs, to adopt one instead of buying the fancy breed dogs.

Judy added that many dogs in her village would show up at her gate every day to be fed and

she did not mind preparing meals for them.
She also serves as an advocate for pets. When ill she volunteers to take them to the vet and her advice is to always treat animals kindly.
For Judy, caring and taking care of cats and dogs is an everyday job which she takes seriously. She urges everyone to treat animals like the average person since they have so much love to give in return.

Genevieve’s home has become a safe haven for the abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs. She hardly has space for herself these days…but she says she will never turn away an animal from her gate.