AS a child , Sabria Hector developed a passion for animals, often rescuing and caring for those abandoned.

“I had hamsters as a little girl, then eventually a turtle, then a dog, then a rabbit, then a cat, and a couple of birds I tried to rescue here and there. The only one I still haven’t had yet is a snake. But I’ve rescued and fostered tonnes of kittens and puppies, especially in the last four years,” Hector shared.

For the past two years, she has been at the helm of Montego Bay Animal Haven, a facility for animals who have been abandoned, mistreated or re-homed.

“Our animals can’t speak or advocate for themselves, so it’s our duty to be that voice. The role of the Haven is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home stray animals in Jamaica,“ she said. ”Usually, it’s the worst of the worst that wouldn’t survive without serious medical care and human intervention. Of course, maintaining the health and well-being of our 130+ animals is our number one priority. However, our other goals include providing additional free spay and neuter clinics across the island, educating the younger generation on being kind and compassionate towards animals, and improving the lives of stray animals in the country.“

Located on the border of Hanover and St James, Montego Bay Animal Haven last year prevailed in the category of Compassionate Dog Shelter/Charity in the True Pet Industry Awards, held at the True Pet Expo.

“Winning the award last year meant that people recognised and appreciated our efforts with strays across the island. True has been very active in bringing more awareness to us and our cause and helping to change the way our society views pets and animals on a whole,” Hector said. “A lot of people tend to say, ‘why should we care about animals when there’s homeless people and starving children to care about’, and I always respond by saying, ‘you’re allowed to care about more than one thing/cause and it costs nothing to be kind’.”

Hector said the biggest challenge of her job is having to turn people away because they just don’t have the space or resources to take in every animal .

“Another challenge is dealing with the emotional effects of seeing/hearing about horrible cases of abuse or neglect or cruelty. It does take a toll mentally, especially when some of the horrible images or videos are going around on social media,” she said.

She added: “This situation is very concerning to us, it often feels like we’re fighting a losing battle. It’s very difficult to rescue animals from these cruel/abusive situations and not be able to hold the perpetrator accountable for their actions. This is primarily due to the lack of adequate animal welfare/cruelty laws. We have seen a slight increase in people taking care of animals or being concerned about their welfare, but unfortunately, the overwhelming majority doesn’t think their lives are worth caring about.”

Hector grew up in Kingston and attended several institutions including Hillel Academy. She also studied at Berea College in the United States.

“I always knew I wanted to have and rescue animals as a big part of my life, but I also grew up in the theatre, so I did (and still do) dream of the stage — managing the Lion King on Broadway. But I always said if I ever won the lottery, the first thing, I’d do is open my own animal shelter,” she said.