The best airport in the Caribbean

One of the prerequisites for adopters of our rescued dogs is “yard must be securely fenced.” This is necessary for the protection of the dog (i.e. less likelihood of its getting onto the streets to be hit by a car, poisoned or exposed to other potential human-related hazards) and for the dog’s freedom of movement within a secure outdoor home environment.

Piarco International Airport would not pass our home check for dog adoption because their fence is not sufficiently secure.

On July 13, two "Piarco dogs" were “detected and swiftly removed from the grassy area on the western periphery of the airport,” according to a media release from the Airports Authority.

The presence of the dogs resulted in emergency diversion and delay of some flights.

Social media was rife with memes and attempts at jokes – some funny, some stale, some insensitive (e.g. Just bring the Chinese and there will be no more stray dogs).

Some saw it as an opportunity to applaud the Airports Authority for swinging into action for the safety of passengers and airport staff.

How many wondered about the safety of the dogs?

At the time of writing this article (July 14), I have not yet seen any public communication explaining what "swiftly removed" meant for the canines. What fate befell them thereafter? In a nation that does not have high animal welfare standards or adherence to/enforcement of related laws, one must wonder.

One person, in a social media comment, mentioned hearing that the dogs had been shot. When I asked about the source of that information, he said that it could be (and we both, sincerely hoped it was) a rumour. I shudder to believe that such a violation could have been allowed and, worse yet, kept silent within a brief media release. I, and I know, thousands of others throughout the nation, want to know what became of those dogs.

Just as there are people who think along the lines of “How can you worry about a skeletal dog when there are starving children in Africa?”... there are those who must wonder: “How can you be worried about the safety or wellbeing of stray dogs when aircraft could have crashed upon landing, killing hundreds if not thousands of passengers and airport employees?”

There are those who consider the wellbeing of animals ...those who consider the wellbeing of humans ...those who consider both ...those who consider neither. Perhaps one day TT will be a nation in which the leaders and majority of the population fall into the “consider both” category. Then I would say that we are a "developed nation."

Dogs are naturally intelligent. They do not need to be trained – we do. Most, if not all, good dog trainers will say: “I am not here to train the dog, I am here to train you.”

What deeper message were those naturally intelligent dogs delivering in their apparently casual foray into sensitive aviation territory?

Someone joked: “They were 'protesting!'” This is not far-fetched; dogs have many reasons for protesting – the way they are maltreated by so many in our society... the fact that laws of the land supposedly drafted to protect them are not enforced ...the fact that many police officers do not even seem to know those laws (especially the amended version) ...and that even if they do, they might not bother to follow up on reports because they laugh at or question the sanity of anyone caring enough to want justice for a "dumb animal" that has been fatally beaten, chopped, poisoned or starved to the point that it is a skeleton that heaves and gasps its final two breaths in rescuers' arms (a recent, tragically true experience).

In June 2022, the Airports Authority of TT announced that Skytrax (a UK-based international air transport rating organisation) had ranked Piarco International Airport the best in the Caribbean and third best in Central America and the Caribbean.

Based on my (and others’) experience with general treatment of animals flying from and within TT, animal welfare is clearly not included in the "best airport" judging criteria.

A progressive and urgently needed addition to "the Caribbean’s best airport," would be a highly trained animal welfare unit that humanely and compassionately handles situations like "the Piarco dogs" and ensures a safe and comfortable travel experience for animals on all domestic and international flights.