Esther Honey Foundation Inc

TO DELIVER A SCIENTIFICALLY-PROVEN, PERMANENT AND COMPASSIONATE SOLUTION TO THE OVER-POPULATION OF SOUTH PACIFIC ISLAND DOGS AND CATS BY OFFERING AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY VETERINARY SERVICES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SPAY/NEUTER AND HUMANE EDUCATION.

BY THE END OF 2018,- THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION HAD CONTRIBUTED $9,261,784.11 MILLION USD IN VETERINARY, EDUCATION, SHELTER SERVICES, DRUGS, AND SUPPLIES TO THE COOK ISLANDS SINCE 1995 WHEN THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED THE COOK ISLANDS' ONLY VETERINARY CLINIC.- THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION RECRUITED MORE THAN 500 VETERINARIANS, HUNDREDS OF VETERINARY PROFESSIONALS AND ANIMAL ADVOCATES WHO TRAVELLED TO THE COOK ISLANDS TO TREAT MORE THAN 45,000 PATIENTS, STERILIZE MORE THAN 17,000 DOGS AND CATS AND PROVIDE VETERINARY, EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES TO OUTER ISLANDS DURING 117 EHF VET TREK CLINICS. THESE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED AT NO COST TO THE COMMUNITY.- EHF'S SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN SPAY/NEUTER CAPTURE/NEUTER/RELEASE (CNR) PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE DOG POPULATION ON RAROTONGA (AND MANGAIA) PRIOR TO THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE RAROTONGA LOCAL OFFICIALS' SHOOTING PROGRAM THAT THE MAJORITY OF AUTHORITIES AGREE, IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SUCCESSFUL CNR PROGRAMS.IT IS ESPECIALLY DAMAGING WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT COMMIT TO SPARING DOGS THAT EHF AND OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE INVESTED TIME AND FUNDS TO SPAY /NEUTER.IN DECEMBER 2015, THE COOK ISLANDS INVESTMENT COMPANY ISSUED A MEDIA RELEASE PRAISING THE WORK OF THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION AND ANNOUNCING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AGENCY (OUR PROPERTY OWNER SINCE 2006) AND EHF THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY A SUITABLE SITE FOR ESTHER HONEY'S NEW CLINIC. THEY WANTED (WHAT WAS) OUR CURRENT SITE DESPITE THE PROMISE WHEN WE MOVED IN THAT IT WAS TO BE THE FOUNDATION'S PERMANENT HOME. A NEW SITE WAS AGREED ON AND CONFIRMED AGAIN IN WRITING BY THE CIIC LAWYER IN FEBRUARY 2017 THAT THIS SITE WAS BEING HELD FOR THE RELOCATION OF THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION ANIMAL CLINIC.THIS AGREEMENT AND CONFIRMATION WERE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AFTER EXTENSIVE SEARCHES OVER THE YEARS, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ALL THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER SUITABLE SITE FOR A VET CLINIC ON THE ISLAND. ESTHER HONEY AT ALL TIMES ACTED IN GOOD FAITH AND TRUSTED IN THE GOVERNMENT'S STATED AND WRITTEN COMMITMENT.THREE MONTHS LATER, HOWEVER, THE CIIC NOTIFIED EHF THAT THEY HAD DECIDED TO HAND THE SITE TO A NEW GROUP WHO, WE LEARNED LATER, AND EMAILS CONFIRM, HAD BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO UNDERMINE EHF. AS A RESULT, AFTER 22 YEARS PROVIDING VETERINARY CARE AT NO CHARGE TO THE COOK ISLANDS, THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION ANIMAL CLINIC WAS "HOMELESS" AT THE END OF THE YEAR. A US VETERINARIAN AND HIS WIFE TRAVELLED TO RARO TO VOLUNTEER AS THEY HAVE MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES SINCE 2000. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, IT WAS CLEAR TO THEM THAT MAJORITY OF THE FOUNDATION'S BEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT DRUGS AND SUPPLIES HAD BEEN REMOVED WITHOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S KNOWLEDGE OR PERMISSION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PARTICIPANTS REFUSED TO RETURN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS' WORTH OF VITAL VETERINARY EQUIPMENT EVEN WHEN PHOTOS AND SCREEN SHOTS CONFIRM THAT THE ITEMS WERE TAKEN AND BY WHOM. CONSEQUENTLY, 2018 AND 2019 HAVE BEEN YEARS OF TRANSITION FOR ESTHER HONEY. WE HAD HOPED TO KEEP OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO OUTER ISLANDS' ANIMALS THROUGH THE CONTINUATION OF OUR EHF VET TREKS PROGRAM STARTED IN 1996. WE ORGANIZED A TEAM OF THREE SENIOR EHF VETERINARIANS AND SUPPORT STAFF WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS TO TRAVEL TO AITUTAKI TO CONDUCT OUR 34TH VET TREK TO THAT ISLAND. AFTER LONG DELAYS IN RESPONSES, WE WERE ADVISED THAT THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO ACCOMMODATE OUR TEAM EVEN WHEN REMINDED THAT OUR DOCTORS WERE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SECURE THEIR OWN ACCOMMODATIONS IF NECESSARY AND CONDUCT THE CLINIC AS THEY HAD DURING PREVIOUS EHF VET TREKS.SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO MEET THE CHANGING REQUIREMENTS TO PROVIDE SERVICE WERE ALSO THWARTED. SADLY, IT WAS THE 100 + ANIMALS WHO WOULD HAVE BENEFITTED BY THE SPAY NEUTER AND HEALTH CHECK SERVICES. WE HAVE ALSO CONTACTED COLLEAGUES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY THE BEST MATCH FOR ESTHER HONEY AND THE COMMUNITIES WITH THE GREATEST NEED.IN 2019, THE ESTHER HONEY FOUNDATION CONFIRMED THE NEED FOR VETERINARY SERVICES FOR TWO OF THE COOK ISLANDS' OUTER ISLANDS. ON ONE OF THOSE ISLANDS, LOCAL OFFICIALS WELCOMED THE PROPOSED ASSISTANCE AND WORKED WITH ESTHER HONEY TO DETERMINE MUTUALLY AGREED UPON DATES.UNFORTUNATELY, CONTINUED INTERFERENCE PREVENTED THESE PROJECTS FROM COMING TO FRUITION.PLANNING FOR AN ADDITIONAL PACIFIC ISLAND VET TREK PROGRAM WAS THEN INITIALED. (THESE PLANS WILL CONTINUE WITH DATES DETERMINED ONCE COVID-19 BORDER CLOSINGS ARE LIFTED.)OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SOUTH PACIFIC COUNTRIES IN NEED OF VETERINARY SERVICES. THE COVID RELATED BORDER CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS IN THIS REGION RESULTED IN OUR TREATMENT SERVICES REMAINING ON HOLD THROUGHOUT 2020.WITHOUT ACTIVE TREATMENT PROGRAMS THERE WERE NO VOLUNTEERS OR FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES.