Tender loving care
Nawaqatabu has a soft spot for animals
THE love and dedication of raising a pet is a responsibility akin to raising a child with utmost love and affection.
Brittany Nawaqatabu is a young woman who takes animal cruelty seriously. She aims to ensure that all pets get the love and affection they deserve.
The 24-year-old is proud to be born and raised in Nadi, and living with her mother and elder brother she has always been exceptionally passionate about raising and caring for animals.
Education began at Namaka Primary School while her high school days began for a period at Jasper Williams High School before moving to Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College to complete high school.
She did her tertiary studies at USP where she majored in psychology and journalism. She graduates in April this year.
Growing up, Ms Nawaqatabu has always been surrounded by animals, although she’s disappointed with the way domesticated animals have been treated by fellow Fijians.
“There were lots of animals around me and my brother, and every now and then, wherever we were, I’d have a pet,” she said.
“If it wasn’t a dog, it was a cat. One time, we even had a rooster and a goat and another time we had a goldfish, so I’ve basically been surrounded by animals most of my life.”
She says as the years went by her love for being an advocate for the protection of animals increased. That allowed her to work with the Pacific Animal Shelter and Hospital (PASH) for three years.
“I worked with PASH from 2019 until 2022 in my free time. I had to balance my work to help those animals in need of immediate assistance and at the same time educate people on the importance of loving animals as you love your own child,” Ms Nawaqatabu said.
There were lots of animals around me and my brother
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“The challenges we faced while I was working with PASH was that often we’d have people come and dump animals at our doorstep. Sometimes they were small and still dependent on their parents.”
When she looks back to her university days, she says it is not easy being away from her family and alone in such a big city.
“I started uni when COVID hit, so I was stuck in my hostel. I couldn’t go home to see my mum, but with time I managed to pull through and complete my degree. Now, I’m working for something I’m quite passionate about.”
The animal advocate says her biggest achievement has been winning best online reporting, and she gives thanks to her mum for encouraging her to keep moving forward despite the challenges of life.
“My mother has been my pillar of strength and support throughout the years.
“She always encouraged me to finish school, to not drop out and, most importantly, for teaching me to be passionate with animals.”
Ms Nawaqatabu says fellow Fijians need to be more compassionate about animals and join with the Government to bring about new laws to protect animals.
“Often animals are adopted as a gift for Valentine’s or Christmas.
“You should be able to look after it, feed it and, if it’s sick, take it to the vet. Give it the love it deserves because that makes us human.”
Brittany Nawaqatabu