Everything you must know about what’s happening at Tony the Dogfather’s
Ever since we lost Tony, I, like many of you, have been concerned about what’s going to happen to the strays and shelter now that the only one who took care of it all is gone. A few of my friends even asked me ‘if the animals will be put down’ considering it’s impossible to home over 300 strays overnight. I decided that the only way to find out was from the source itself. And so, I went over to the shelter in Sa’ar and met Sandi, a close friend of Tony’s and one of the seven people who has taken over the responsibility of the shelter under an oath and in agreement with Tony himself.
As I entered the ‘infamous gates’, I noticed a tiny facelift; a donation box for both, cash and food has been installed so individuals can drop their donations at any time of the day. “That’s reassuring,” I thought. A caretaker let me inside and I was welcomed by a bedlam of 200 plus curious canines. I later found out that they’d all been sorted into packs by Tony based on his observation of their personalities and how they got along with each other.
It felt just like it did the last time I was here; that was about two years ago, but the soul of the place remains unchanged. It’s almost as though Tony would emerge from the house any minute, wearing his dark grey shorts, sleeveless vest, and charming smile.
Recent Developments
“We’re having a spring cleaning this weekend,” said Sandi breaking my reverie. Pointing to the sofas, mirrors and other bric-a-brac, she added that the proceeds from selling the extras would go towards the upkeep of the shelter and its strays. We went on to take a tour of the centre and Sandi filled me in on all the developments that have taken place in the past month. “Our air conditioners have been serviced in time for the summer thanks to some kind contractors in Bahrain,” she said, adding that the beds have also been fixed and an aluminum constructor will soon be building five new kennels, all free of cost. “We’ve also homed some of our birds, dogs, and rabbits. The baboons will be taken in by a sanctuary soon.”
I swatted a fly away as I tried to keep pace with Sandi. The plethora of tiny, flying insects going about their business sure added to the buzz (no pun intended) at the centre. We passed by a gentleman raking dried leaves strewn across the pathway. I later found out his name is Chula and he has been working at the centre for over 15 years now. “I live in Bahrain but keep travelling for work,” said Sandi, “whereas Tony’s three children live outside the Kingdom but visit sometimes and are hands-on in their participation towards the shelter.” The centre has also signed in 50 volunteers and has other full-time care-takers.
We stopped by the metal kennels built by another generous contractor. “We have a pit-bull and two Dobermans who are quite strong and hyperactive and we intend to keep them in these reinforced kennels,” said Sandi, adding that the kennels will be left open and the adjoining space rearranged so that the three dogs can run around often. That means poor Geraldine (the goat) and her new friend (who was taken in after Deborah, the old donkey, had passed away) will have to sacrifice some of their space. “There is only so much we can do to accommodate the influx of animals while still giving them space to be physically active.”
Adoptions & Long-term Goals
Speaking of the influx of animals, Sandi told me that they would like to begin working closely with the Bahrain government on a neutering programme. Sandi has also spoken to Humane Society International (HSI), which works on animal protection issues, to potentially collaborate and ensure the programme is carried out as per international standards. “Regulating the population of animals is a long-term process,” said Sandi, who is also a patron of the HSI. Currently, the shelter is trying to strike a balance between the animals they home versus those they take in.
Another long-term project that the shelter hopes to realise by working closely with the local government is buying an open piece of land where animals can live as they would in nature but of course under careful supervision. “Tony wanted to care for animals outside the shelter as well and though we don’t see this happening soon, we hope it will in the future,” said Sandi.
We spoke more about adoptions and I found out that in addition to local adoptions the shelter is working towards homing animals with families in the UK and the USA. There is a structured process in place for all adoptions and the local ones typically take anything from two weeks to a month. While post-adoption checks are conducted to ensure the animals are being taken care of well, the shelter is also focusing on preparing the strays to fit in before they’re adopted. Said Sandi, “We want to have a human assigned to each of the animals so they can get comfortable with interaction. Of course, this will be supervised when it comes to the dogs to ensure the safety of the humans. With the cats, it’s easier because their nature is different from the dogs.” A few young adults are already feeding and grooming some of the dogs and cats and even taking them (the dogs) for walks within the shelter. Apart from this, the shelter also does the standard potty training and medical checks. Moreover, all of the stray dogs and cats are microchipped.
“Our motto is that animals aren’t just rescued, they’re reborn,” said Sandi. “We work with them mentally as well. That was what set Tony apart from everyone else. He spent time with each of them, knew each of them by their name, and gave each of them the same respect that he gave human beings. It’s another level of care and attention.”
Engaging the Community
Curious about the expenses incurred by the shelter, I ask Sandi how much they need to sustain themselves per month. “We easily need BD1200 for food, BD1500 for wages, BD1200 for rent and BD80 to 500 for electricity and water depending on how hot it is,” she said, adding that medical expenses vary. Dr. Ahmed, the resident vet, offers his services for free but medicines have to be bought.
Sandi believes that the people living in Bahrain do have a sense of community and confirmed that the shelter has been receiving generous donations. “A family contacted us about five puppies they found and would like to bring to the shelter and have offered to donate BD10 per puppy per month. Of course, this will not cover all their food expenses but it’s a wonderful gesture and takes some burden off of us.” Sandi also told me about a dog that was recently taken in and she had a tag on her ear which means she had been neutered. Again, this saved the centre a substantial expense.
“We’re trying to structure our food donations so people can drop items at a specific time of the month,” said Sandi, adding that the shelter is open to items that aren’t traditionally animal food. For instance, she told me that one person donates a week’s worth of rice which goes a long way. The shelter has also just implemented a sponsorship programme and is in the process of developing their website so they can better engage the community.
“At this stage, we’re working towards not just covering our costs but also making a profit so the shelter always has sufficient reserve funds for all its needs,” said Sandi. We headed to the office where she showed me the annual calendar of events created for this purpose. There’s everything from BBQs and annual balls to sporting events and cultural nites lined up. “We’ve moved our charity shop to a new villa near Bahrain University and it’s doing very well,” said a smiling Sandi.
Tony is up for a lifetime achievement award this year. The Animal Welfare Awards in the UK is presenting the award to him, which one of his friends or children will receive on his behalf. “We barely got time to grieve,” said Sandi. “We had to pick the reigns almost immediately. It was very strange to come here the day after Tony passed away; the radio was still playing and everything was like he had left it. It feels like he is still around.”
Having met Sandi and seeing how things have progressed in the past month, I can confirm that Tony’s super seven are doing a great job. Along with a little more community effort and spirit, it’s without a doubt that the Dogfather’s legacy is in safe paws.”
For more information, visit www.tonythedogfather.com and for updates see Instagram
