When Lora Lee Mason moved to the Marshall Islands, she was horrified by the reality of living in a country where stray dogs were fed to prisoners and people relied on dogs as a source of protein. It’s a poorer country where poverty abounds, so she understood why it was happening, but couldn’t help wanting to do something about it. So, she started a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Marshall Islands Organization for Animal Welfare (MIOAW). She used social media to her advantage and set up a Facebook page that supporters soon flocked to and began sending in donations. Now, she has written a memoir called The Dog Lady, which will be published soon.
Photo Credit: Huffington Post
Her goal is help people that are interested in keeping dogs as pets and/or guard dogs meet their needs. She encourages people to bring in stray dogs if the dog truck is heading out for a pick-up and assists dogs in need with veterinary care. She admits to having very little formal training and dreams of the day when a veterinarian will move to the Islands and stay there, but utilizes other sources until then. In 2013, she organized a vet clinic called the Pacific Partnership 13 Humanitarian Visit that helped over 500 dogs get treatment within a single day, which was long overdue with the last one having taken place in 2008. She is currently trying to organize another for this coming summer.
Photo Credit: Huffington Post
She is not alone, however, in her efforts, as other ex-pats volunteer with her organization and locals have really been coming around as well. One young student is interning with her in hopes of becoming a veterinarian one day, while another held a charity movie night to help raise funds for it. She has become known as the “Dog Lady” and finds it to be a 24/7 job, because people will always call her concerning dogs. But, she’s not complaining and is proud of all of the successes the organization has achieved thus far. Here’s hoping for many more, Lora!
Photo Credit: Huffington Post
To learn more about MIOAW and maybe even donate, visit their website here:
MIOAW Majuro
MIOAW Facebook
References:
1. Huffington Post
