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“Touched,” US Air Hostess reaches out to street dogs
By Rehanna Ramsay
Peg and Kim Meadows’ daughter Katharine (14 years old) at their home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California
A few months ago, this newspaper featured an article on an unusual Guyanese couple, who committed most of their leisure time catering for stray dogs.
They are not alone in their efforts to fashion a society of benevolence to these creatures, as the story touched the lives of many who often refer to the animals as “man’s best friends.”
It took a flight attendant, who came all the way from, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, to notice the dreadful and grueling reality that is often associated with strays in Guyana.
Kim Meadows, a Delta Airlines Stewardess, recalled her first encounter with one of these beleaguered creatures. So deep was her concern that she later adopted the dog.
“On one of my visits to Guyana, I found a destitute and starving stray wandering around the Pegasus hotel, which was the hotel where I had been staying. She had probably just given birth or something and so she was searching for food to sustain her pups. My heart just went out to her and I became attached to her so I thought that I might just keep her, so I did and now she is back home in Los Angeles spoilt rotten; sleeping on my couch.”
The dog, which Meadows consequently named “Peg,” given that she was found in the neighbourhood of the Pegasus Hotel, became a fourth addition to three dogs, that were already a part of the household.
“Now I have three American dogs and a Guyanese dog but the Guyanese dog is the smartest; she is smarter than the Americans,” Meadows joked as she reminisced about her animal friends.
“I would usually feel dreadfully sorry for these poor dogs that I saw wandering outside my hotel, searching for food. It’s sad to see how they are treated, so whenever I’m in Guyana I and my colleague, Betsie Dulik, would gather leftovers from flight meals and devote some of our time to feeding them,”
Meadows would regularly wonder if anyone else cared for these hurting creatures.
She later learnt about Debbie and Alvin Changur, the Guyanese couple who had committed most of their valuable time and resources to ensuring that these animals are fed, and cared for.
“I was amazed to find other people in Guyana who actually cared for the stray dogs,” Meadows said as she applauded the couple’s effort and advocated that the public follow their example.
On her most recent visit to Guyana, Meadows teamed up with the Changurs, as they took food and medicine to strays in various communities along East Coast Demerara.
To them “it’s a labour of love” as they are committed to assisting strays and unwanted animals.
The couple spends thousands of dollars each month, reaching out to homeless dogs, providing meals and medication catering to those out on the streets without warmth or shelter at night, or even food to eat; those that are condemned by society because of mange and brutal injuries inflicted by people.
“We feed and care for them; we love them and we ensure they get medicine and do whatever we can for them, whatever way we can. Sometimes we even provide a home for them.
We don’t ill treat them as though they are irrelevant to civilization.”
The couple says that they are often criticised for what they describe as their “passion.”
“Who will care for these animals? Ours and other people’s purposes are not the same”
“Don’t ill treat and harm
the dogs. Instead give them food and a house them if you can because it’s better than having them placed in a shelter from where most times they only end up back out on the streets.”
As they continue their work, the Changurs hope that other animal lovers and broader society will volunteer in this venture. Meanwhile, as Delta Airlines will unfortunately be canceling its flights to Guyana, and this may be one of her last visits to these shores, Meadows urged that locals to be more mindful of stray dogs.
“Most people have this perception that stray dogs would attack and bite you. I heard Guyanese say many times that you shouldn’t feed stray dogs.
They would warn you and say things like stay away from the dogs before he jumps on you or bites you or something like that but I have never come in contact with a stray that would attack without a cause.
Most times they’re just hungry, looking for food or shelter”
“I really would like to urge the people of Guyana to be more mindful of these poor harmless beings and to do their part in feeding or rehoming them.
It doesn’t take much, just a few leftovers will do,” Meadows encouraged.
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