A VISITING veterinarian has offered her services to the Rota Mayor’s Office and the Rota Municipal Council in addressing the island’s stray dog problem.
Rota Municipal Council Chair Jim Atalig told Variety that he and Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog met with Whitney L. Collins, DVM, MSc last week to discuss how she could help Rota reduce the number of its stray dogs.
“We also discussed grant opportunities,” Atalig said. “There is hope in this situation and I am grateful to people in the community and even from off-island such as Dr. Collins who heard about our long-term problem.”
Atalig said they have scheduled another meeting with Dr. Collins who will be on Saipan to conduct a visiting clinic this week.
Collins, who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the U.S. and its territories, has been working with the Saipan mayor’s dog control program and the Guam Animals In Need, and offers veterinary outreach services.
She said she heard about the “dog crisis” in the CNMI two years ago.
“I started working on my licensure so I could try to become involved. I learned more about the situation in Rota upon my arrival to Saipan in January 2023,” she added.
Atalig said the meeting with Collins was “positive and brings hope to a challenging situation.”
As of last week, his office had discovered 500 sambar deer killed by stray dogs.
The stray dog problem on Rota cannot be addressed due to lack of funding for, among other things, a dog shelter and veterinary services.
Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog, left, and Rota Municipal Council Chair Jim Atalig with veterinarian Whitney Collins.
