-For the love of animals
MELLISSA Benjamin always wanted to do more for animals as a girl and did just that when she became an adult. She took up the position as the full-time Operations Manager for Tails of Hope, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that has a shelter for animals.
The 28-year-old told the Pepperpot Magazine that as a girl, when they received barrels from relatives residing overseas, she would take the tuna and sardines and feed the cats and dogs on the streets.
When her mother gave her lunch to take to school, she would also repeat the process of feeding strays and animals she would encounter along the way.
It all started when she had a deep craving for something meaningful in her life, and she came across an advertisement one day while strolling through social media asking for volunteers via Tails of Hope.
Benjamin explained that she became a volunteer at Tails of Hope, a shelter for animals located at McDoom, East Bank Demerara, for two years, and then she was offered the position to become a full-time employee as the Operations Manager about a year ago.
She added that Tails of Hope is a shelter for mostly abused animals to be housed until adoption, and presently, they can house 50 dogs and 45 cats.
They also have three donkeys and one horse. These animals are housed at the residences of members that have wide open spaces to accommodate them.
Benjamin reported that Tails of Hope has 13 members, all playing different roles in keeping the animal shelter functional. One of its members is in training to become a veterinarian.
As the Operations Manager, she is responsible for the general upkeep of the facility, rescue of animals, their transport, vaccination campaign, low-cost spaying and neutering, adoptions of animals and fun-raising activities.
Benjamin stated that she is very passionate about working with animals, and when she found Tails of Hope, she grabbed the opportunity to become a volunteer to fulfill the need to be useful.
She pointed out that she became so involved in all the activities for Tails of Hope, and she really connected with the other volunteers and staffers. She related that they all became like family.
Benjamin related that working at the animal shelter is very rewarding. It gives meaning to her life and brings an abundance of joy and happiness, knowing she is doing all she can to help the voiceless animals even though she cannot save them all.
“It gives me hope rescuing an animal that is on the brink of dying and nursing them back to health and seeing them improve daily is truly amazing, and I enjoy doing that because the animal show so much love in return is quite unexplainable,” she said.
She added that she is quite an ordinary person who became a local TikTok sensation by doing food reviews of various restaurants, among other places.
Benjamin noted that the work of an animal shelter is never-ending; there are long hours and entails spending a lot of money.
She related that Tails of Hope is an NGO, so they have to remain financially viable through fundraising. They would host events like a seven-curry sale, sip and paint, and even build kennels to sell.
Benjamin explained that Tails of Hope is a no-kill shelter and they have a lot of adult dogs that nobody is adopting. People always take the puppies, leaving the big dogs to grow even older in the shelter without having their forever home.
The members of Tails of Hope foster, feed, rescue and host other campaigns to keep its doors open since they have to pay staff, the vet, and canter truck to move large animals, feed animals, deworm, spay and neuter, among other things.
Benjamin stated that they, too, have to pay bills at the animal shelter and would host fundraise every four to five months to garner funds to stay open.
She pointed out that at Christmas, they would have Santa and take photos with the children that visit, and the animals would also be a part of the annual event.
Benjamin explained that they would often rescue animals that are near-dead, injured horses, and others abandoned by their owners, and they try to give them a better life, but adoption is always welcomed.
She disclosed that the First Lady Arya Ali would also contribute to Tails of Hope, and her son, Zayd would also host his lemonade sale in aid of animal shelters and other NGOs.
