PAW-LITICS: Election campaign posters recycled for humane society use

PAW-LITICS: Election campaign posters recycled for humane society use
Election paraphernalia of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Free National Movement (FNM) is used for cages housing animals at the Bahamas Humane Society. (BHS)

BHS general manager calls for public to join the cause; hopes for new govt to lend more cooperation

“We still have a lot of animals; we still need animals adopted [and] we still need the support”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Coming off of the country’s recent general election, the Bahamas Humane Society (BHS) is turning election fever into an animal care initiative, calling on political parties, supporters and spectators alike to donate their leftover election paraphernalia such as campaign posters.

The BHS intends to use the now-defunct posters, some of which are still scattered across the island more than a week later, as linings for kitten and puppy cages at the non-profit animal shelter.

Political posters are used as linings for kitten cages at the Bahamas Humane Society. (BHS)

According to BHS General Manager Percy Grant, a volunteer was the one who conceived the idea to use the campaign posters as cage linings.

The volunteer, who was tasked with cutting out cardboard linings at the shelter, noticed during the general election campaign that the posters were the same size as the cardboard linings she had to cut.

Grant told Eyewitness News: “Well, one of the volunteers — who is to cut cardboard for cat cages, actually — saw them and just had the idea.

“They’d look the same size she was cutting, and she thought: ‘Well, hey, let me try it out.’

“She did and it worked and we reached out after the election to see if we could use them.”

Grant noted there has been a favorable response from the public since launching the initiative and called on supporters to engage further with the non-profit.

“People have been bringing the campaign posters to us and we’ve been using them for the cages,” he said.

“Because of the amount of newspapers we were using for the cages and because of the multitude of animals that we have here, now that we have the posters, it makes it a little bit easier right now.

“We’ve been getting a positive response from [this], but we’re hoping that people will help us more by coming in and adopting animals.

“We still have a lot of animals. We still need animals adopted. We still need the support.”

A pile of PLP election posters outside the Bahamas Humane Society, where they will be used to construct cages for the animals being housed there. (BHS)

Grant also offered an additional way for people to support the shelter that has been operating since 1924, making it one of the oldest non-profits in the nation.

“We have a wonderful thrift shop where we sell household items and other gift items. People could come down and they could shop in our thrift shop,” he explained.

“All of the proceeds go directly to the animals.”

When asked how the BHS feels about being able to capitalize on the current political climate to aid in animal care, Grant gave an optimistic response, noting the change in government could benefit the non-profit.

“We’re hoping that this is a new day and we’re hoping that we see a bit more cooperation from government agencies — like the police areas dealing with our public veterinary health, like cruelty to animals,” he said.

The BHS will be accepting campaign posters from all political parties until there are no more left.


Written by Eyewitness News Intern Gabrielle Sterling