In honour of World Stray Animals Day, Aqua Mania Adventures will once again host a Sunset Sail aimed at connecting animal lovers and raising funds for local animal welfare organisations on St. Maarten on Saturday, March 30.
World Stray Animals Day is recognized on April 4, a date chosen in 2010 during the Dutch National Stray Animal Conference. The date, April 4, is significant because it is exactly six months from World Animal Day.
Aqua Mania Adventures has teamed up with the Animal Welfare Foundation, SXM Paws, and Animal Defenders to generate awareness about St. Maarten’s strays, and more specifically fixing, adopting and fostering stray animals. The pinnacle of this effort will be the World Stray Animal Day Sunset Sail on Saturday March 30.
Proceeds from ticket sales, along with profits from T-shirt sales at the pre-sail gathering, and contributions of dog- and cat-food brought by attendees, will greatly benefit the island’s abandoned animals. The funds collected will be distributed among the aforementioned animal welfare organizations on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, all of which rely heavily on private donations and volunteer support to aid stray animals.
The genuine plight of these animals, that are abandoned daily around St. Maarten and left to fend for themselves, is truly pitiful. The foundations are alone in their struggle to combat the ever-growing tide of reproducing strays.
Among these organizations is the St. Maarten Animal Welfare Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the humane treatment of animals. Central to their mission is humane education, which has been a priority since 1992. Since that year, the Animal Welfare Foundation has provided humane education materials for every primary-school child on the Dutch side of the island. They also host awareness activities and public service information.
All three foundations encourage residents to sterilize their animals to prevent reproduction. These organizations have sponsored thousands of sterilizations for strays and pets, especially for residents of limited means.
Animal Defenders operate through a network of volunteers and supporters, who work to provide medical care, food, shelter and advocacy for animals in need. They also engage in education to promote responsible pet ownership and raise awareness about animal welfare issues on the island. They manage several feeding stations around Dutch St. Maarten, with dedicated volunteers replenishing food multiple times a day.
SXM Paws is also a non-profit organization dedicated to the animals of St. Maarten. This organization focuses on various aspects of animal welfare, including rescue, rehabilitation and adoption off-island to carry out its mission of improving the lives of animals on the island.
Michele Korteweg, one of the organizers, highlighted the importance of supporting animal welfare initiatives, given the vast number of stray animals on the island and the challenges associated with spaying and neutering. Helping out daily can be as simple as:
…calling Animal Welfare and reporting strays and animal abuse and neglect.
…volunteering with one of the organisations (even as a visitor, you can visit the SXM Paws Shelter and walk the dogs or spend time with them).
…calling SXM Paws if you are travelling off island and can accompany a puppy to its new home.
…donating money, food, towels, pet supplies and leftover medications to the organisations as often as you can.
…picking up injured animals and taking them to the vet.
…keeping food and water in your car and stopping to feed animals in need.
…encouraging spaying and neutering and sponsoring someone who cannot afford to fix their pet.
Aqua Mania has a history of dedicating their memorable sunset sails to good causes. This will be the second annual sunset sail dedicated to benefit the wellbeing of animals on St. Maarten. Over the past eight years, Aqua Mania Adventures has organised a very successful Pink Sunset Sail in support of breast cancer, to take place this year on October 5, 2024.
Prior to the sail, participants will have the opportunity to engage at a pre-sail gathering starting at 3:30pm. Here, the participating foundations will host informational booths and sell their merchandise. Attendees can interact with animals, enjoy refreshments and snacks and donate towards pet food.
The Sunset Sail will commence at 5:15pm, offering participants a 90-minute coastal sail with an open bar, snacks, breath-taking scenery, and the satisfaction of supporting the animals on the island. Adults pay $50 per person, children ages 5-12 can join for $25, and those under 4 can attend for free.
Participants are encouraged to bring bags of pet food to donate or contribute financially towards much needed supplies, during the event.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to support – book your spot now, buy tickets for a friend or family member, or even a colleague and help the stray and abandoned animals of St. Maarten https://www.stmaarten-activities.com/tours/world-stray-animal-day.
Please support and enlist the aid of these organisations to help St. Maarten’s Animals:
Animal Welfare P: +1 721-520-8887 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SXM Paws P: +1 721-520-8398 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Animal Defenders P: +1 721-553-3116 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
