Introducing: Rescue Paws Curaçao Foundation (“RPC”)
After a long period of offering shelter on a small scale, the drive to want to mean more and to tackle the problem of dog suffering in Curaçao slowly but surely arose. The then method of providing home care for dogs at the time had to remain central, but also the realization that only care would not reduce the extent of animal suffering on the island.
The focus is on helping dogs in multiple areas.
– Sterilization: all dogs in the shelter are sterilized as soon as they are old enough. Sterilization campaigns are also organized for stray dogs and dogs of people who do not have the financial means to take care of this themselves.
– Care and adoption: the aim is to find all the dogs and their own home that have been taken care of. The dogs are usually first taken care of at the center (in some cases a foster is required) until they are healthy again. If an adopter reports, the dog goes to a foster for socialization and from there to the adopter.
– Assistance on location: Assistance in the form of installing / reinforcing a garden fence or wall or donating food or medicines.
– Information and education: information at schools and open days, but also on-site assistance with education and information about care or guidance to the appropriate authorities.
At the beginning of 2018, RPC was offered a large area on loan from the owners of the Plantages PortoMari. After many months of preparation, RPC entered into a partnership with the Kluivert Dog Rescue Foundation (KDRF) in October of that year. The Center was run under the name Kluivert Dog Rescue Center. The purpose of this collaboration was to develop a Rescue Center with, among other things, medical room and room for education, in addition to spacious running where the dogs could run and play freely. The building permit came and construction started. Unfortunately, the opposite housing project objected to the building permit. Once in court it turned out that the Ministry for issuing building permits had not included an essential part: the reasons why the building permit was issued. A construction stop was announced. Partly because of this, the cooperation was terminated by KDRF. Because the loan agreement is in the name of RPC and dogs have since been taken care of at the location, it has been decided to stay here and to enter into consultation to come to a joint solution with project developer Fontein.
The solution appears to have been found and lies in a relocation to the rear part of the land allocated by the owner, so that the shelter is hidden from Villapark Fontein.
The center is a place where initial care is offered.
Although a move naturally entails costs, it also gives us the opportunity to take a critical look at the earlier design of KDRC and to make adjustments where necessary.
The new center will not be much smaller in area, but the accessibility of the run and therefore safety for the dogs as better. The placement of the containers for shelter will also be adjusted through experience.
Some numbers
The maintenance of around 100 dogs both at the center and at the various fosters, organizing and carrying out catching actions, sterilization actions and assistance to individuals costs a lot of money. We cannot do this without donations and help from others. An application for the granting of an ANBI status is currently ongoing in the Netherlands. If we receive this qualification, a donation made to RPC will be tax deductible for companies established in the Netherlands.
The center has many different types of costs. There are of course the costs for the maintenance of the animals and the center, but also costs for shelter (catching action, medical checkup), adoption and assistance to third parties.
The average costs for the center and the dogs at the center (amounts in ANG):
| Food | 4.000 |
| Veterinarian (incl. Adoption costs abroad and assistance to third parties) | 8.000 |
| Costs Adoption abroad (around 20 dogs per month) | 2.500 |
| Cost center (telephone, internet, diesel, unforeseen) | 3.000 |
Thanks to a loyal circle of donors, RPC is able to pay the monthly costs.
For example, there are:
- regular donors who transfer a monthly amount to one of the bank accounts;
- “Remote Owners”, who pay a part of the monthly costs for maintenance of their chosen dog;
- special actions, donors who support a sterilization action, a special medical procedure that must be performed or the purchase of, for example, a catch cage;
- cash donations at the center or in one of the donation pots at shops / restaurants on the island;
- sale of t-shirts, calendars etc.
But luckily we don’t do it for nothing:
Total adoptions: 257
Rescue Center 2.0
Note: Situation sketch not to scale. Wind direction bottom right to top left.
The improved version
The necessity to relocate also gives us the opportunity to build an improved version of the center.
Explanation classification:
- Parking places visitors
- 4 runs of approximately 1,000 m2 each, each with a 40ft container. These containers form part of the fence and offer a shelter for the dogs and storage food etc. The races can be entered from 3 places:
- From the terrain between all four races (picnic tables will be placed here for reception of visitors and lunch place for volunteers / trainees)
- A door in the fence that is shared between two races
- A door on the outside of each run
- 2 40ft containers are placed next to the run.
- 1 container ½ point of sale and ½ clinic
- 1 container designed as a quarantine place for new dogs or sick dogs
- Administrator’s house (consisting of 2 40ft containers)
- Trainee accommodation (20ft container)
The containers, with the exception of 1 x 40ft container, have since been purchased. A number are already present at the center and will have to be relocated. Two have yet to be collected. To save on the costs of extra relocation, this will only be done once the site has been prepared.
Layout of site
The fences at the old location can be reused. The races will be moved one by one in order not to disturb the reception. The new runs are larger than the existing ones and due to the new layout, where you can enter the run from different points, gates and gates will have to be purchased.
Furthermore, the space between the races will be arranged as a reception place for visitors and space for the volunteers to take a break.
A 40ft container will form part of the fence at every run. This container is sawn open and provided with a canopy with a concrete slab underneath. This place offers shade and protection against the rain. Furthermore, a water tank will be placed at each container for the collection of rainwater for cleaning purposes.
The estimated costs for the design of the center are (amounts in ANG):
| Cleaning up terrain | 8.000 |
| Transport containers to the center (per item) | 1.000 |
| Relocation of existing containers | 2.000 |
| Construction of parking place (digging diabaas and transporting from old location) | 2.000 |
| Removing fences from old location and transport to new location | 2.000 |
| Fence incl. Post and brackets per 2 m. (A quality) | 215 |
| Fence incl. Post and brackets per 2 m. (B quality) | 124 |
| Gate section | 286 |
| Fiber cement roofing sheets (8 “) each | 43 |
| Water tank per unit | 150 |
| Pouring concrete slab at the containers in the 12 m x 3 m | Pm |
| Picnic table + parasol each | 350 |
Housing
The couple who manage the center currently live in a converted 40ft container. The original plans included the construction of a fully-fledged home. Instead of this home, the current container home will be expanded with a second 40ft container in order to create a fully-fledged home advantageously.
RPC is a recognized internship company. As a result, they regularly receive applications for an internship assignment. Partly in view of the location of the center and the nature of the work it is desirable to be able to offer a place to stay for these trainees at or near the center. The 20ft container will be converted for this.
A cesspit will have to be constructed for both stays and the water pipes will have to be extended to the rear.
The estimated costs for the caretaker’s house + internship accommodation (amounts in ANG):
| Renovation 2 x 40ft container into 1 manager’s residence | 15.000 |
| Renovation 1 x 20ft container into trainee house | 8.000 |
| Fence (30 x 10 x 2 = 80 m) and 2 x entry gates | 10.000 |
| Construction of a well + pipes | 2.000 |
Voorbeeld containerwoning
(2 x container + gabled roof already present)
Electricity / water
Electricity is currently supplied through the use of a diesel generator. The associated costs are so high that this is not an option for very long-term use.
Options:
- There is no Aqualektra connection on site. At the time of the start of construction in 2018, Aqualektra made an offer for construction up to the fence at the front of the ANG 15,000.00 site. Moving to the site further to the rear will increase the costs of pulling the cables. In addition, the costs for the installation itself and the inspection thereof by a company approved by Aqualektra. The total costs are expected to be around ANG 35,000.00.
- Electricity supply through the use of solar panels and storage. Quotations for this have been requested. Costs around ANG 45,000.00.
Although these costs are higher, this is preferred.
Estimated monthly consumption Aqualektra is ANG 600.00 per month. With option 1 this will be charged. Option 2 does not have these follow-up costs, but the installation will have to be maintained here. A reservation must be made for this.
A water connection has already been realized. The wish is to supplement this with a deep well. Given the costs of water on Curaçao and the amount of water that is used daily to clean the accommodation, this will pay for itself.
Costs Deepwell – drilling + pump are estimated at ANG 15,000.00.
The estimated costs for electricity and water supply (amounts in ANG):
| Construction of Aqualektra + additional inspection costs and to location | 35.000 |
| Solar panels + storage | 45.000 |
| Deepwell drilling + pump | 15.000 |
Summary
The above costs are new based on purchase.
Moreover, not all articles are of equal importance. Some things will have to be arranged before the dogs can be moved from the current location to the rear area. Other things have to do with long-term investments that ultimately yield savings, such as the solar panels and deep well.
Finally, there is the layout of the site for the reception of visitors and volunteers and the place of residence for the managers. But here too, the distinction between need to have and nice to have can be made.
| ANG = 1 | EUR = 0.52 | ||
| 1 | clearing the terrain | 8,000.00 | 4,160.00 |
| 1 | transport containers | 2,000.00 | 1,040.00 |
| 1 | relocation of containers | 2,000.00 | 1,040.00 |
| 1 | removal + transport of old fences | 2,000.00 | 1,040.00 |
| 1 | new fence | 20,000.00 | 10,400.00 |
| 1 | gates 10 x | 3,000.00 | 1,560.00 |
| 1 | roofing sheets | 10,000.00 | 5,200.00 |
| 1 | cesspool + pipes | 2,000.00 | 1,040.00 |
| 2 | parking | 2,000.00 | 1,040.00 |
| 2 | water tanks | 1,000.00 | 520.00 |
| 2 | enclosure homes / quarantine | 10,000.00 | 5,200.00 |
| 3 | caretaker’s house | 15,000.00 | 7,800.00 |
| 3 | trainee residence | 8,000.00 | 4,160.00 |
| 4 | picnic tables + umbrellas / canopy | 1,500.00 | 780.00 |
| 5 | deep well | 15,000.00 | 7,800.00 |
| 5 | solar panels + storage | 45,000.00 | 23,400.00 |
| TOTAL | 146,500.00 | 76,180.00 |
- = necessary for relocation.
- = necessary for relocation of a container home / extension.
- = the current home is an emergency solution, this makes it livable.
- = completion of the center. Covering the entire section between the runs is preferred but this will certainly be more expensive than large umbrellas.
- = long-term investments that deliver immediate savings.
NB. This is a very global calculation and still needs to be calculated with the project manager after inventory of already present goods.