United States Ban Restricts Saint Lucia Dog Exports

Doris Jolicoeur dreams of “a day where there are no stray dogs to care for and no puppies abandoned on the beaches,” which she observed is quite a common practice in Saint Lucia. Doris and her husband, Don Jolicoeur, founded the Bruno Project Saint Lucia. Since 2016, the couple has taken on the responsibility of shipping hundreds of dogs (and a few cats) to loving families in Canada, the United States, and England. Many of these animals, once strays, attract the attention of visitors to Saint Lucia’s beaches, who might often see Doris Jolicoeur feeding them. However, this week, Jolicoeur informed St. Lucia Times that her dream of reducing the number of stray dogs, especially puppies on the beaches, might have hit a snag. She disclosed that, as of August 1, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has banned the importation of dogs under six months old. According to Doris Jolicoeur, the Bruno Project has had a busy year. It has worked with the Saint Lucia Animal Protection Society (SLAPS) to unite the dogs with caring families overseas. But all this has come to a sudden halt. “As of August this has changed...