There was a seemingly nice feel-good story from Statia on page 10 of Tuesday’s paper. Firefighters rescued a dog trapped on the cliffside along the Whitewall shoreline.
She was returned “safe and sound” to her happy owners, one of whom participated in the operation. All’s well that ends well, one would say, except what if something similar happens again?
It raises the question why “Ginger” had not been in an enclosed yard or on a leash in the first place, as may be expected nowadays also in the Caribbean Netherlands. Of course, mishaps do occur, and many pets are instinctively looking to escape their custody, no matter how well-treated.
It remains important, nevertheless, to take steps that can reduce the chance of a repeat as best possible. After all, valuable emergency response resources were occupied to deal with a situation that perhaps could have easily been prevented.
This column is in no way meant to publicly judge the owners, who clearly love their dog and did whatever they could to find and save her with the help of others, in which they were thankfully successful. The problem cannot be compared to that of livestock roaming the island, for example, either.
However, keeping animals entails responsibility towards both them and their impact on the community. Dogs cannot be allowed to run around loose, regardless of the location.
Pet care implies providing more than food and water.
