Peace and Plenty for Canines on Exuma
Tails a-waggin’ and guests a-gellin’ at this hotel. Who would ever think dog meets man at a paradise hotel at the heart of George Town, Exuma, Bahamas this summer? Peace & Plenty Beach Inn did. And (bow) WOW! Masterminds Lynne Sutton and Bette Francis surely did not bark up the wrong tree approaching resort VP Barry Benjamin with the perfect pet-lover solution.
Lynne rescues stray dogs or lost puppies around Exuma and keeps them in the pen. Guests at the Peace & Plenty property at the Beach Inn get very involved, taking dogs to the beach with them for an entire day, petting and playing with them on-site.
On property, there are a total of eight island dogs called Pot Cakes. They are a mixed breed, all looking different from each other.
“Due to our program, families and children like to stay at the Beach Inn and get involved,” she said. “Guests are not charged for participating and taking them out for a walk. I take donations though,” she added referring to the fund-raising events they launch such as the 10-kilometer Wagging Tails Sponsored Walk on the old airport runway. Sponsors and members of the public and private business groups raised over $3800 in February. Peace & Plenty donated generously towards the construction of the Bette Lynne Animal Shelter. Over 50 participants raised the monies that grew enormous awareness for the organization.
Barry Benjamin thinks the program with canines offers a unique sort of therapy, as do dolphins swimming and frolicking with divers, guests or kids with special needs. “It’s an experience all its own,” he said.
“A lot of people have left pets behind. Having dogs here, they say, really help them not miss their pets so much. Stroking the animals help relieve the stress of leaving their pet companions while on vacation,” said Lynne. At the property, dog-training classes are held every Saturday. If guests are not directly involved, they do come and watch the fun happening at the Club Peace and Plenty. “So much of this goes on right here!” Lynne said.
A resource center in Exuma has made appointments to bring children with autism down at the property. Kids socialize with the puppies. Benjamin, being very active in the Exuma foundation charges nothing at all to those who benefit most in the program – kids.
In the pipeline is the 2007 Wagging Tails Calendar with each month sponsored by hotels or individuals or business groups. Lynne said, “The calendar, to be released this October promises to be a big sale. It will be our major fund-raiser,” she said. Readers and guests are invited to send in snap shots of their favourite pup for a $5 fee. First prize gets a picture on the cover with 21 other pet runners-up featured all over the spread.
Peace and Plenty carried two months of advertising on the calendar. This kind gesture was a welcome treat for the pet organization.
Furthermore, the inn assists Exuma dog owners with obtaining a proper license to own a pet. Since it is legal requirement in Exuma, Peace and Plenty Beach Inn hands out application forms and files completed paperwork. Owners only collect the license from the Beach Inn. It’s that easy.
Alongside the charities, there will be a yard-sale in November coinciding with the animal-consciousness theme. Proceeds go to the BLAS shelter maintained by Peace & Plenty and canine friends.
Innovative and noble as it seems, the program is sensitive to guests who may have issues. Nonetheless, according to the managers, 99% of the hotel guests love animals.
Few of the dogs are sent to the States and are put up for adoption. Majority of the dogs, found, rather than returned to the streets, are housed at the Beach Inn where there is plenty of room.
Meanwhile, Lynne’s team is designing a website to reach out to people on an international scale. Hoping to bring humane awareness to the Family Islands of the Bahamas, they will post the organization’s profile, services offered, upcoming events and update on the construction of the animal shelter called BLAS.
Exuma is having a (fur) BALL of a time only because Peace and Plenty Beach Inn believes a dog is truly man’s best friend.
More on Peace and Plenty: www.peaceandplenty.com
by Hazel Heyer, eTN
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