In front of horrified screaming tourists and their children who tried in vain to stop him, Davino Shakell Howard drowned his dog Sparky on 09/13/2022. The tourists who had witnessed that returned home traumatised from a spoilt but expensive vacation only to be horrified a second time when they learnt the outcome of the court case in January 2023: The culprit got nothing but 12 months on probation by Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes! The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 2007 states that upon conviction an animal abuser will face a fine of up to $1000 or imprisonment for up to twelve months or both. Attorney Lalu Hanuman: „The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is 18 years old and no one has ever been fined even a dollar or been sent to prison for even a day.“ Justice H. Patrick Wells, No 10 Supreme Court, rejected a judicial review. He doesn’t believe in the economic impact of animal abuse on tourism unless proven by figures of the Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product provided by the Ministry of Finance, the planning institute and the statistical institute. (Sources: Barbados Today 02/05/2025, Daily Nation and The Nations Newspaper 02/06/2025)

We, the tourists, declare that we won’t set foot again on this splendid island unless the government takes responsibility, enforces animal welfare laws and punishes offenders accordingly!