The challenges associated with running a charity are vast and varied but one challenge that the Forget Me Not Canine Centre has faced in the past few weeks carries an emotional toll that surpasses the rest.

This past year FMNCC has successfully rehomed 27 dogs and has managed to do so without a facility to house them. The charity relies on the selfless commitment of foster families who open up their homes to dogs whose history is largely unknown and who often have not received the preventative healthcare, such as vaccinations, to afford them a safe start in life. In the past few weeks these foster families have experienced first-hand the devastation of a disease called Leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is an often deadly bacterial infection that is spread in the urine of infected rats, which then contaminates soil and water. It can live in the environment for weeks to months when conditions are optimal, as they are in warm climates such as Bermuda. Dogs can become infected from contaminated soil and water or from direct contact with infected rats.

What makes Leptospirosis even more of a concern to the general public is that it is a zoonotic disease — meaning that it can also be passed on to humans. In humans it causes symptoms that can range from mild and flu-like to kidney and liver failure, or in some severe cases, meningitis can occur.

What makes intake of rescue dogs particularly difficult is that an infected dog can appear fine in the morning and by that evening be vomiting, lethargic, drinking and urinating excessively, and can appear yellow on their skin or mucous membranes (gums). In many cases, kidney and liver failure follow in less than 24 hours. Treatment is intensive and expensive, outcomes are uncertain, and the suffering is real.

So what can you do to prevent it? First and foremost, ensure that your dogs are up to date on their vaccinations. Dogs should receive Leptospirosis vaccinations every year as part of their core vaccines. Secondly, population control of the main disease carrier — rats. The prevalence of Leptospirosis within a rat population is 30 per cent worldwide, but in high-risk areas it can be as high as 80 per cent of the rat population that carry disease.

To minimise rodent presence, ensure proper sanitation on your property — keep your trash secure and use safe and humane methods for controlling the rat population. When using rat bait, always ensure that it is safely and appropriately stored where pets can not ingest it.

Households with backyard poultry or composting areas should take particular care in rodent control. Lastly, if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, take them seriously and seek veterinary advice as soon as possible — in vaccinated dogs where symptoms are caught early, treatment with antibiotics is an option. If you have come into contact with a dog with confirmed or suspected Leptospirosis, seek advice from your doctor.

Currently FMNCC quarantine happens in private homes. Homes with families, children and other dogs. Volunteers are doing their best with the resources they have but unfortunately when disease is present, good intentions are not enough and it is no longer fair for these families to shoulder the emotional burden. In order to continue the work that FMNCC set out to do, we now need a facility to be able to carry out quarantine before placing dogs into foster homes.

We need a central, dedicated space that is:

• Appropriate for isolation and disease control

• Secure, with controlled access for trained volunteers only

• Easy to clean and sterilise with proper drainage

• Separate from foster homes, removing risk to families and resident pets

• Close enough for volunteers and vets to access safely and efficiently

This is not about convenience. It’s about safety, responsibility, and prevention.

A quarantine facility allows us to:

• Monitor dogs closely during the highest-risk period

• Respond immediately to symptoms

• Protect foster families, their children and their own dogs

• Prevent wider environmental contamination

• Continue rescue work without putting people at risk

This is the missing piece. If you can help with land, an existing structure, funding, materials, or professional expertise, please reach out. The solution is achievable — and urgently needed.

There is nothing more devastating than losing a dog to a preventable disease. With appropriate vaccination of puppies and responsible breeding of bitches that are up to date on their vaccinations, this disease can be prevented. Protect the children and elderly, protect your family, vaccinate your dogs.

• Dr Gemma Petty is a board member of Forget ME Not Canine Centre. For more information, go to https://www.forgetmenotcaninecenter.com/