“Response To Letters To Editor Responding From Previous Letter to Andy Greaux’s Letter”

Editor:

Me and my wife Carol work very hard for whatever we want or need. We already live in poverty, yet others come and steal whatever they want that we have, and still do so relentlessly.

We have made ourselves available to volunteer our services for any type of community fundraisers and Christmas and Easter functions. What do we get in return? Scorn and abuse.

Two letters were written against us in the last Tradewinds issue. Well let me now clear the air and show what kind of people we really are. First of all, all our animals (pets/children) are treated by Dr. Jan Perkins and she has all their medical papers on file.

When I was told Zeus had heartworm, I immediately made arrangements with her to treat him for it and put down a $100 deposit on said treatment. The ACC refused to let her treat my dog and still kept him.

Carol and I get up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and all our animals are fed before we even have our coffee. All water bowls emptied, cleaned and refilled every morning as well as all cat litter boxes. Those in cages have a canopy overhead to keep them out of the sun and rain.

All food bowls are filled, and grain pellets/cracked corn or sweet feed is fed to the livestock. After breakfast, before I start my work day, I go out with the machete and cut tan tan and genip bush for the livestock to hold them throughout the day.

The same procedure is again done in the later afternoon/early evening. It’s a daily ritual — a priority in our lives. Our goats and sheep were wormed just five days before they were taken from us.

We still have not gotten our sheep back. They were raised from very young on cases of canned milk. We were buying six to eight cases of milk at a time and feeding by baby bottles with a dash of molasses in the milk to fatten them up.
A couple of times we went without dinner in order that our animals got their food. Cost of living here on St. John is high as we all know. So money is scarce, especially when the weather (rain) prevents you from making a paycheck.

Our animals come first above everything else. Where they go, we go. It’s unfortunate that we once had a home and tried to help some homeless people to help them get back on their feet. And the higher-ups above us threw us out as homeless people ourselves.

We have more knowledgeable skills than most people on this island, but with the negative bad talk that jealous people here have scorned upon us, we can’t seem to acquire full time employment.

We know all of those out there who have been using us, taking advantage of us, taking us for granted. You know who you are, and the next time you all ask for favors or volunteer work, don’t be surprised when you get no for an answer.
It seems to me now, that this island is playing tough, so we have now got to be tough too and play the game the same hard way it’s being thrown at us.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some really great people here. People who help us. Those people I know who they are and they know who they are. Those are the people I would gladly step out on the thin limb for. Anytime.
Talk is cheap. People aren’t blind. They only listen with their ears, but they see with their eyes and as the old saying goes, “seeing is believing.”

I have nothing to hide, so anyone out there with doubtful questions and want the air cleared, call me at 690-CATS (2287). I’m all ears.

Andy Greaux
A Truer Animal Lover