The History of the Esther Honey Foundation
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In 1993, while vacationing in the Cook Islands, Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen so enjoyed the company of her motel's resident canine, Honey, that she contacted Cook Islander Tom Wichman to make a donation in Honey's name to a new animal welfare group that he and Elmah McBirney were organizing. The ensuing conversation was enlightening and troubling
as Wichman reported the following information:
► There was no veterinarian for the country's thousands of dogs and cats.
► The cats appeared to be malnourished and suffering from a variety of diseases.
► The dogs were suffering from parasites, skin diseases and untreated injuries.
► There was no spay-neuter program.
► Authorities were shooting dogs for population control.
Wichman asked Ragan-Anunsen if she would be willing to find a veterinarian who would volunteer their services to the Cooks Islands and she agreed to try. He pledged to secure donated clinic space and arrange home-stay accommodations for the potential volunteer. Ragan-Anunsen returned to the United States and formed The Esther Honey Foundation,
Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation (Named in honor of her grandmother, Esther, and
the inspirational Cook Island companion, Honey.) and contacted colleagues from her years
of work with US animal protection organizations.
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Starting an Animal Clinic ... from the forceps up!
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Ragan-Anunsen wrote to Wichman and asked him to fax a list of the available veterinary equipment that would form the foundation for the new clinic. Wichman faxed
a one-word reply, "forceps."
In addition to the absence of equipment and supplies, Wichman's two year effort to find donated space for the clinic and housing for the potential volunteer was disappointing. To prevent further delays in getting the desperately needed care to the Cook Islands animals, the newly formed Esther Honey Foundation accepted full financial responsibility for the clinic and for housing the volunteers. In September 1995, the Esther Honey Foundation (EHF) signed the rental agreement for a small residence in the village, Arorangi, Rarotonga, that would serve as a veterinary clinic as well as a home for the EHF volunteers.
The Foundation, with the help of its amazing partners and supporters, sent EHF's first team of veterinary professionals and all the medications and supplies required to establish the Cook Island's only companion animal hospital, The Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic.
To this day, the clinic provides the only palliative, emergent and preventive veterinary care to the island nation of the Cook Islands.
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Honey & Friends
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According to the Lonely Planet guidebook on Rarotonga and the Cook Islands, "The oldest archaeologically dated item in the Cook Islands is a dog skull dated at 2,300 years old, found on the island of Pukapuka." Many traditional Cook Islands dogs appear to be Dr.
Seuss-like creatures (See Discover Magazine on our site's News and Articles Page Click Here ) with full sized bodies on stubby little Dachshund-like legs.  Their dispositions are extraordinarily sweet and they are, by necessity, highly resourceful. These intelligent, charming animals love to interact with the tourists and assume the role of welcoming ambassadors for the islands. Dogs, such as Honey, who are connected with a tourist accommodation, learn to assess each new motel guest to determine which parties are most likely to provide dog snacks and meals during their stay. The congenial companions form bonds that last for the customary two week vacation stay and as the second week draws to a close, the dogs are back to greeting the motel van to secure the next two weeks' meals.
Ragan-Anunsen's experience with Honey during her 1993 vacation is typical of other island visitors' then and now. After arriving at the motel, one of the first friendly faces to greet Ragan-Anunsen was Honey's. The Raro dog escorted the woman to her room and soon became a constant companion. Each morning, Honey walked with her new friend to the road that encircles the island and waited for the arrival of the island bus. After each day of enjoying island activities, Honey was waiting to accompany her temporary guardian across the same road to watch the sunset. Strolling along the ocean's edge, they waded together in the warm waves until nestling down on their blanket to watch the sunset. Honey carefully, but confidently, took her place at the blanket's edge and the two quietly watched the sun ease into the Pacific Ocean. Honey stood guard at the door throughout the night and joined Ragan-Anunsen in the morning for a breakfast of fresh papayas and coconut.
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MORE THAN A DECADE OF SERVICE:
Partners, Volunteers & Supporters
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The New Esther Honey Clinic & Volunteer Residence
AUGUST 2006 Rarotonga, Cook Islands: The keys to the new Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic and EHF volunteer residence were officially handed to the clinic’s chief executive officer, Cathy Sue Ragan-Anunsen on August 24 by the Cook Islands Investment Corporation Property Manager, Patricia Barton. Anunsen arrived on the island to help prepare the new clinic and residence following a presentation at the World Society for the Protection of Animals Pacific Member Society Workshop in Fiji. She and EHF Property Manager, Elmah McBirney, faced a bit of a challenge. The three bedroom house, beautifully refurbished by the CIIC team, had no furniture or kitchen appliances and the majority of the clinic medications and supplies remained in boxes from the recent move. The two women rolled up their sleeves and with the help of generous local businesses and a NZAID grant, the empty house was furnished and the supplies sorted for the adventurous and kind Australian Veterinarian, Jeff Ogg, arriving at the end of the week.
MEITAKI MA'ATA EHF is grateful to our many generous supporters who helped make the clinic move possible. Elmah McBirney and the Cook Islands Tourism Office staff, CIIC’s Chairman, Mr. Julian Dashwood, Patricia Barton & staff, the Government of the Cook Islands, Titikaveka site landowners, Mr. Trevor Pitt, NZAID, Cook Islands Steel, The Furniture Center LTD, CITC, Sue Fletcher–Vea & Tom Vea Puaikuri Reef Lodges, Debbie & John Moore Muri Beachcomber, Shane Solomon the Sunset Reefcomber, CI News, Esther Honey clients & the Rarotonga Community for its continued support. The Esther Honey Foundation also owes a debt of gratitude to the Agriculture Minister and his staff for their assistance at our previous site and to the staff at the Rarotonga Hospital for their ongoing help and generosity.
Spending several weeks on Rarotonga provided an excellent opportunity to talk again with local supporters and to learn from person after person how the Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic, its volunteers and its donors, have helped to improve the lives of Cook Islands animals. The person who best described the significant difference our combined efforts have made since EHF's arrival in 1995, is the person who has been there from the beginning, Tom Wichman. Tom enumerated the achievements for the animals that he has witnessed over the past decade in an interview with the Cook Islands Herald. (See excerpts from the Herald article on this page.) It is clear that, together, we've made the impossible, possible. |
►To Donate to the Esther Honey Foundation: Click Here
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EHF does not sell, rent or lend the names or email addresses of our supporters. |
Top of Page |
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"THE PROGRAM IS
A GREAT SUCCESS..."
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"HSI (Humane Society International)
has informally published the
proceedings of the Island
Nations Conference and
in this document, four organizations
report on successful programs.
The one which will be of most interest
to you is the first. Cathy Sue Ragan- Anunsen founded the Esther Honey
Foundation in 1993 to provide
veterinary care for the animals of
Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
The program is a great success,
reaching out to other neighboring
islands and making a huge difference
for the animals.
Not only has her project served as
a model for others, but she has been
incredibly generous in sharing
information and giving encouragement
to others who want to establish a similar
program elsewhere.
She is a wonderful example of
what can be accomplished
by one caring,committed individual."
Janet Frake,
Humane Society International
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Read Rosanne McKenzie's story
about The Esther Honey Foundation
Click Here
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In an interview in The Cook Islands Herald,
Cook Islander Tom Wichman discussed
the improvements in animal health that he
has witnessed since Esther Honey arrived
in the Cook Islands a decade ago.
Excerpts from that interview follow:
►THEN:
Sick animals, shootings and bad publicity
“Eleven years ago,” Tom said, “cats and
dogs were breeding and many were sick
and dying because there was no treatment
available.
The police started shooting dogs.
If they (the dogs) didn’t die immediately,
they ran
and the police would shoot them again
or beat them to death
to finish the job.
It caused us very bad publicity with
the tourists, many of whom were
animal lovers.”
►NOW:
Improved care & health
Now there is a very big difference.
“People take better care of their animals.
When an animal is sick, they know
who to call, Esther Honey.
We come and pick the animals up.”
Good for tourism
“We receive letters from tourists,
saying how good the work we are doing is.
It is very good for Rarotonga’s image.
Tourists tell me it is really sad
how other countries treat their animals.”
Humane Education changing attitudes
Tom pointed to EHF’s Humane Education
program and the role it has played
in changing attitudes.
“From the beginning, EHF volunteers
have gone into the schools to talk
with the children” about compassionate
and respectful animal care.
“There is a new generation growing up…”
he explained, “We teach them that
animals have feelings and need to be
fed and watered every day not just
now and then."
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Read Betsy Miskimins'
"The Color of Compassion"
a story about volunteering at
The Esther Honey Clinic
in Doris Day Animal League's,
ANIMAL GUARDIAN
(Click Here)
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Island Ambassador |
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Client and patient arriving at
EHF VET TREK™ Aitutaki
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