When my humans visited the Cook Islands a few years ago, they discovered the Esther Honey Foundation - this is a wondeful charity that was set up by an American lady tourist named Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen who was on holiday in the islands . Cathy-Sue was befriended by one of the lovely island dogs that roamed free – a dog named Honey (like me! 
) -
“Honey escorted Cathy to her room and soon became a constant companion. Each morning, Honey walked with her new friend to the road that encircles the island and waited for the arrival of the island bus. After each day of enjoying island activities, Honey was waiting to accompany her temporary guardian across the same road to watch the sunset. Strolling along the ocean’s edge, they waded together in the warm waves until nestling down on their blanket to watch the sunset. Honey carefully, but confidently, took her place at the blanket’s edge and the two quietly watched the sun ease into the Pacific Ocean. Honey stood guard at the door throughout the night and joined Ragan-Anunsen in the morning for a breakfast of fresh papayas and coconut.”
Cathy Sue was horrified to learn none of the animals on the islands had any veterinary care. So when she got back to the US, she set up the Esther Honey Foundation (named after her grandmother and Honey, the island dog) which established the Cook Islands’ only veterinary hospital with a completely volunteer veterinary team, drugs, supplies and equipment. The EHF also run spay and neuter programmes in the region. In the 14 years since, the charity has provided skilled and compassionate veterinary care, emergency services, humane education and shelter to thousands of Cook Islands’ animals – and is now a valued member of the International Humane Society.
Do visit the EHF website and find out more about their work! (http://www.estherhoney.org/).
You can also support them by taking part in the International Spay Day 2009 Pet Photo Competition. It’s free to enter and by entering your pet, you will spread the message of the importance of spay/neuter. Please be sure to enter the Esther Honey Foundation as your charity in Step 4! Then invite your friends and family to vote for your pet! (go to http://photocontest.humanesociety.org/contest.html?page=viewIndex&contestId=1&clearSearch=1&paging=0 - and search for your pet’s name).
I’ve got Hsin-Yi to enter me already!
What a nice thing for her to do. Al doggies and kitties need a doc once in a while. We will enter as soon as we can get mom to find a good picture. Mom also wanted us to tell you she is sticking with blogspot for a while so you can link her if you want. We are so excited to be friends with you.
Boxen and Bella
What a great cause! Thanks for letting us in on that. Honey looks so funny and innocent in the photo posted in the contest. Apparently there are a lot of dogs named Honey. Took us a little bit to find you.
What a great story and great khause!
Much nicer to see a nice hooman and not some of the khrappy ones that get the press anymore!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
Well done Honey for publising such a great cause. I’ll check it out.
Hi Honey, thanks for highlighting about this foundation. A really great cause, bless Cathy Sue for her kind heart.
That is soooo neat! Good luck in the contest….we may have to check it out.
Nala
GREAT HONEY!!!
thanks for sharing with us this important news!!!!!!!!
What a great cause!!!!!!! Honey looks so funny and sweet in the photo posted in the contest!!!!!!!we sure vote for her!!!!
we love you a lot dear friend!!!!
have a wonderful weekend!!!
Lots of love and kisses
What a lovely story, we’ll definitely pay them a visit…it’s a great cause and we do love a good contest
) We might add a little bit about this in our next post if it’s okay with you? Spread the luurve!
We were wondering if you saw our Great Dane friend Annie, you probably missed it unless you scrolled down….think we’ve mentioned her before…she looks like you, Honey….a tall, leggy blonde! Slobbers xx http://dughallmorbeagles.blogspot.com/2009/02/camera-critters-introducing-annie.html
Hi Honey!
Thanks so much for telling us about this Foundation -- it sounds wonderful! We are going to go check out the links.
Love Clover xo
P.S. Have a great weekend!
That sounds like a great foundation. I’ll go check out the website. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Butt sniffs,
Solid Gold Dancer
Thanks for letting us know about this foundation! We have just popped over from the Dughallmor beagles blog.
We will visit the link. As others have said it makes a change to read about humans doing good things for animals.