About Us
The first Band of Mercy was established at Wood Green in England in 1875 by the late Mrs. Smithies, to whose earnest philanthropy this movement owes its birth. After her decease, it was continued by Mr. & Miss Smithies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Today it is under the direction of the Ladies Committee of that body.
At the conference of the Bands of Mercy held in London, at the Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, on January 31, 1883, it was resolved that the R.S.P.C.A. would be regarded as the governing body of the union, but responsible only in matters of a general character. The individual Bands would retain freedom of direction and responsibility in all matters relating to local proceedings, including finances.
The Band of Mercy was the precursor of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Tobago, functioning between the last two World Wars and into the mid 1950’s. In the mid 1950’s a group of expatriates, notably, Mrs. M. Preston Watson and Mrs. Sibyl Johnson, formed the Society and became an “Associate Sister Society” to the Royal Society of the United Kingdom.
Upon the independence of Tobago in 1962, the resident Society automatically became affiliated with the Royal Society. At that time affiliation was given to all indigenous animal welfare societies which had been overseas branches of the Royal Society.
It was not until 1968 that the resident Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals became the Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and was properly constituted.
In early 1975 the Tobago Society joined the Trinidad Society and became the Trinidad & Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The association has continued since then, and although the Tobago Branch is autonomous to a large degree, the Council of the T. & T.S.P.C.A. in Port of Spain oversees the three branches: North Trinidad, South Trinidad and Tobago.
From its inception until the middle of 1984, the Tobago Branch of the T. & T.S.P.C.A. operated a small shelter at the Works Department compound situated at the Old Government Farm, Scarborough. To their credit, the Directors of Bacolet Estate Ltd. leased the Tobago Branch of 
the Society, 10,000sq.ft. of land on Friendsfield Road, Bacolet, for 30 years at an annual pepper corn rent of $25 per year. The Deed of Lease was signed on the 30th December 1982, but it was not until some 18 months later that the present shelter & clinic were erected. The Works department, who were anxious for the Society to vacate their premises, provided the labour and materials. At that time there were 14 kennels and a cattery all in good working order and a staff of three dedicated workers.
In early 1975 the Tobago Society joined the Trinidad Society and became the Trinidad & Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The association has continued since then, and although the Tobago Branch is autonomous to a large degree, the Council of the T. & T.S.P.C.A. in Port of Spain oversees the three branches: North Trinidad, South Trinidad and Tobago. From its inception until the middle of 1984, the Tobago Branch of the T. & T.S.P.C.A. operated a small shelter at the Works Department compound situated at the Old Government Farm, Scarborough. To their credit, the Directors of Bacolet Estate Ltd. leased the Tobago Branch of the Society, 10,000sq.ft. of land on Friendsfield Road, Bacolet, for 30 years at an annual pepper corn rent of $25 per year. The Deed of Lease was signed on the 30th December 1982, but it was not until some 18 months later that the present shelter & clinic were erected. The Works department, who were anxious for the Society to vacate their premises, provided the labour and materials. At that time there were 14 kennels and a cattery all in good working order and a staff of three dedicated workers.
The leasehold (over the 10,000 sq.ft.) came to an end when a Deed of Conveyance at freehold, was signed on the 19th November 1999, between the Society and Arthur Chin Lee the new owner of Bacolet Estate. A price of $41,000TT plus legal expenses was negotiated & the transaction completed. The Tobago Branch was grateful to the R.S.P.C.A for a grant of £7,000 as well as a similar grant from WSPA which enabled them to build 8 additional kennels and a communal cattery of 3 large walk in cages. To the 24 kennels were added 11 more two years later giving us a total of 35 kennels. The Shelter is also the proud owner of a Conference Room all funded by a grant from the Council.
A further 14,050 sq.ft. were purchased at leasehold for 190 years from the Mt. Pleasant Credit Union, (the present owners of Bacolet Estate) in 2003 at an annual rental of $120.This property boundary (a total of 945ft.) was fenced to a height of 6ft. by donations from Mr. Mike Willis, Mrs S. Fernandez-Smith, Mrs E Stanley, Mr Peter Taut and others.
The Tobago Branch of the Society became an Associated Member of the Royal Society in England in September 1999. On the 2nd November 2000 we became a Member Society of the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
Throughout the existence of the Society in Tobago, Dr. Jason Dickinson, Veterinary Surgeon, has closely allied himself to the Society in rendering medical help, not only to the animals in our care, but by operating privately from the Shelter. The Shelter is thus very much in the public eye.
In closing, it must be understood that, as a Society, we rely upon donations to augment our own efforts at fund raising.
