Fury at Puerto Rico pet killings

[Doberman's]

Grrrr!!!!!!! This is awful!!!!

:mad::mad:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7042792.stm



Fury at Puerto Rico pet killings

Officials covered corpses with lime to curb the stench
Dozens of cats and dogs living in housing schemes in Puerto Rico were reportedly thrown off a bridge by animal control workers.
A contractor hired by authorities in Barceloneta to enforce a no-pet policy has been blamed, said Associated Press.

Animal Control Solution was tasked to take the pets to a shelter, not hurl them off a bridge, the agency said.

Outraged Mayor Sol Luis Fontanez said he would sack the contractor. Animal Control Solution deny any wrongdoing.

"This is an irresponsible, inhumane and shameful act," the mayor was quoted as saying.

'Sedatives'

Animal Control Solution was reportedly paid $60 (£29) per animal collected and another $100 (£49) for each trip to a pet shelter in a suburb of Carolina.

Residents told reporters they saw the animal control workers inject the animals during raids on Monday and Wednesday.

Many were already dead when they threw them, but others were alive

Local resident

When questioned, the workers claimed the jabs were sedatives for the drive to the shelter.

But witnesses said they saw the pets and strays being thrown 50ft (15 metres) from a bridge in the neighbouring town of Vega Baja early on Tuesday.

"Many were already dead when they threw them, but others were alive," Jose Manuel Rivera, who lives next to the bridge, told AP.

[KatzNK9]

OMG, that's horrible!

[lovingpaws]

:mad: That's awful. At least the mayor spoke up and seems something will be done about it.

[happysaz133]

That is terrible. How can they do that? :mad:

[Doberman's]

People are cruel and inhumane that is the only reason I can see for this happening.

[applesmom]

The article isn't clear on what prompted this massacre in the first place.

I was left with the impression that they're removing dogs from the equivelent of ghetto areas regardless of whether they're pets or strays.

Many countries have feral dog problems and dogs are often shot and killed right on the streets in an effort to keep the numbers down and protect the citizens from injury and disease.

I've always assumed Puerto Rico was more civililzed than some of those countries but it doesn't look that way.

The over population of stray dogs and cats has long been out of control in Puerto Rico for lack of animal control and sufficient shelters. The sight and helplessness of suffering dogs and cats everywhere adversely affects the quality of life in Puerto Rico, including tourism, a large part of the island’s income. Sick animals spread diseases among themselves and can transmit at least six diseases to human beings. Dead animals are often left to rot where they die. Residents and tourists alike are demoralized by these sights. http://www.pareeste.org/history.html

Here's an eye opening article I came across while looking up the problem in Puerto Rico. What is our government thinking to allow this? We can't even handle our own local problems in this country much less take on someone elses. . http://www.roen.com/060619.html



A reader requested that I write about "Sato" dogs. They are stray dogs from the urban streets of Puerto Rico. There is at least one organization that collects them in Puerto Rice, imports them to the U.S., and adopts them out through animal shelters. My reader was concerned about the risk of these dogs bringing contagious diseases and parasites into the United States, and about the wisdom of importing stray dogs when there are so many unwanted strays already here.
There is, of course, a wealth of information on the Internet and I'm sure some of it is trustworthy. I have made phone calls and sent emails to several sources - volunteers and shelter workers, representatives of rescue organizations, government agencies, and private veterinarians, including some in Puerto Rico. Here's a summary.
Federal regulations stipulate that dogs be vaccinated for rabies within 30 days and are subject to inspection and possibly veterinary examination. These do not apply to Puerto Rico, because it is a U.S. Territory. State requirements do apply, and they vary widely, from Texas and Arizona, which apparently have no requirements, to Hawaii, which is considered free of rabies and has very stringent requirements. Most states require a health certificate signed by a veterinarian and proof of current rabies vaccination.
A physical examination by a veterinarian can verify that a dog is apparently healthy but it cannot assure that the dog is not carrying a disease. It doesn't mean the dog is not contagious. It does not mean the dog won't get sick tomorrow, or in six months. The dog someone adopts may come with some baggage.
The incubation period for rabies is 3 to 8 weeks, possibly up to 24 weeks. (If a dog carrying rabies bites someone, and the dog does not show symptoms of rabies within 10 days, it is considered safe to assume the dog was not contagious at the time of the bite. It could still be carrying the rabies virus.)
Dogs that are apparently healthy can also carry canine distemper and parvovirus and many other diseases, including internal parasites, and be contagious for weeks or months, or more. And there are many internal parasites that may cause no symptoms. Many of the diseases and parasites that are endemic in Puerto Rico are rare or unheard of the United States. For some, there is no vaccine available.
As an example of what it takes to be a certain as possible that a dog is not carrying a contagious disease, to import a dog into Hawaii, a veterinary health certificate plus vaccinations for rabies and several other diseases are required, and the dog must be quarantined for up to 120 days. If certain conditions are met - including at least two rabies vaccinations, with the last one no less than 90 days nor more than 36 months before import, and a special blood test for rabies - the quarantine may be reduced to 5 days or less.

A bill is pending in Massachusetts (House Bill 3650) that would ban importation of dogs into Massachusetts from outside the mainland United States. According Rep. Kay Kahn, "The Puerto Rican strays have come with ehrlichia and babesia, giardia, various skin diseases and even rabies..." and "Over 14,000 feral dogs from Puerto Rico have been shipped to US mainland shelters."

There may be a shortage of stray dogs in some areas, but there are still many unwanted dogs in shelters throughout the United States. It would seem to me that before we reach out overseas, we should put our own house in order. And I'm surprised that as much as Americans care about our pets we are so lax about import regulations.

[lovingpaws]

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime."

Meaning that helping them implement their own s/n plans (and rescue groups go to other countries to help people who've asked or needed). Any many countries have people who care about the animals and want to do something, they just need some direction.

The recent Israel/Lebenon war brought together some people in both countries united by their love for dogs/animals. They looked beyond the hatred, and the animals gave them something in common to share and relate too.