S.N.O.B. stands for Spay/Neuter Orient Beach. We've been doing this one dog at a time, just as they show up on our beach, and to my knowledge we have adopted out every single one to mostly Americans and Canadians. But now we have the chance to help a French organization to assist in changing the attitude of islanders towards spay/neuter. A friend of ours, Ursula, has spearheaded this project by organizing the Prettiest Dog on the Island Contest-- see photo and story under Beach Report 11/27/05.

Last November Ursula solicited several sponsors and put together this contest idea in order to raise funds to create a low-cost spay and neuter fund to help sterilize island pets and strays in order to address the very real problem of the dog and cat population explosion. The contest was well advertised, the turnout was much larger than expected, the event was a huge success and much money was raised. Marie Moine, of Oyster Pond Nature organization, is helping to manage the fund and already has a thick pile of papers representing spays or neuters to show for it.

More about Ursula...Ursula is an island businesswoman and has been a friend since Christmas day of 2005. She's a very proactive person. She has lots of energy and lots of ideas, is an excellent organizer and has many connections on the island. She seems to know everyone! She writes a dog column for the French newspaper. She also places photos in the Dutch/English Herald newspaper of dogs needing homes and promotes them on her radio show. She's a one woman show and usually works by herself although she assists all the other animal organizations and she also assists the many vets to help place the animals they hold for adoption.

Ursula is the president of her rescue organization It's called I Love My Island Dog. She speaks English and can be contacted for spay/neuter help at 0690 27 00 10. She can be reached via email at ilovemyislanddog@domaccess.fr. If you would like to make a donation to the spay/neuter project, please call her or send your check to:

Ursula Oppikofer
Impasse Jeanne Hyman
French Quarter
97150 St. Martin

If you love your vacations to this island and care about the dogs and cats who struggle to survive here, maybe a donation in support of this very worthy cause would be the way for you to voice your opinion that...Every Litter Hurts, Spay is the Way, this IS the most humane way to address the problem of overpopulation. Thanks!

The painting donated for auction at the 1st Annual Prettiest Dog on the Island Contest has been reproduced and made into notecards. They are available for purchase.

The notecards were donated and 100% of the $5.00 donation will be placed in the spay/neuter project fund.