Residents complain… ‘Palmiste Park gone to the dogs’

SASCHA WILSON
Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt

Concerns have been raised that Palmiste Park in south Trinidad has become overrun with stray dogs.

Stakeholders and users have complained that stray dogs are loitering in the park and around vending booths on the southeastern side, waiting for scraps or rummaging through rubbish bins at night.

Several events—including the recently concluded Ramleela celebrations—are held in the park, attracting scores of visitors, many of whom have to be careful not to step in dog faeces. The Rapidfire Kidz Foundation Playpark, located in the venue, also draws many visitors, including children.

Foundation President Kevin Ratiram told Guardian Media the dog situation has become “dire and unbearable”.

“Over the last couple of months, dogs have taken over Palmiste Park,” he said. “People come to the park every day to picnic, exercise, and recreate. Now they have to deal with dogs and filth all around them.”

He added: “We maintain our Playpark to the highest standard. We hired a park keeper who comes every morning to empty the bins and rake the gravel. The dogs now sleep in the Playpark at night, on the slides, leading to a foul odour. We now have to spend money to install wire mesh on our gates and sanitise the equipment.”

Ratiram revealed that he recently sent an email to the Ministry of Agriculture informing them that the situation is critical.

“But in this country, no one acts unless disaster strikes. If a child were to be attacked by dogs, the next morning a million state agencies would awaken from their comatose state to show how effective they are. It is downright frustrating to voluntarily help the community with no support from the authorities,” he lamented.

Terrence Honore, president of the Palmiste Historical Society, agreed that the situation is worrying.

He said a resident had been tasked with trying to catch the dogs, but revealed that this resident does not want the stray dogs to be euthanised. He believes that most of the dogs belong to residents “who allow their dogs to stray into the park”.

Honore noted, however, that the issue is that the park does not fall under the responsibility of any particular body.

Meanwhile, Pundit Surendra Maharaj, who was involved in the Ramleela celebrations, said the dogs sleep on the benches and even snarl at passersby.

“As a regular walker and Ramleela organiser, we implore the authorities to urgently capture and safely house the dogs to prevent impending injury or disease to park users, especially the young and elderly,” Pundit Maharaj said.

He added: “We also call on individuals to exercise responsibility and have their dogs spayed or neutered to prevent uncontrollable populations.”

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