Animal Protection
In Spain and especially in the Canary Islands animal rights issues are totally ignored. I live in a picturesque valley but the cruelty of animals here is beyond the wildest imaginings. These are country people who keep dogs tied up in chains and they throw them food when they remember. I go out walking with my dog and have to keep my head covered with a peaked cap and I wear dark glasses to try and block out the sights that are to be seen. I arrive home in tears a lot of the time. I’ve decided that I have to do something. This can’t go on.
What has really been the straw that breaks the camel’s back is that just across the way from my house there is a white dog that is chained up to a derelict building, he has been there for about 2 weeks, I am having nightmares about him. He cries all the time. I just have to do something. I went to the local council today and asked them if they had a campaign going to stop mistreatment and cruelty to animals. They said that they didn’t. They are campaigning for people to adopt dogs from the dog pound. I told them about the situation where I live and pleaded with them to start a campaign. Thankfully and surprisingly, they totally agreed and have asked me to help them put together a pamphlet to raise awareness of the rights of animals. I am so relieved that at last something might be done. They will publish the pamphlets and broadcast on radio. I have a week to get some ideas together for the pamphlet and we meet next Friday to discuss it and get the publishing done. If anyone reading this knows of already existing campaigns or pamphlets and banners that can be copied and used, can you please get in touch.
Also would be grateful for any advice or a simple ‘go get ‘em’ chant ! : )) My dilemma is how to approach the owner of the white dog, I can go up and be nice and friendly and point out how the dog needs more care etc and offer to find him a home or I can go there all guns raging and show them the write-up of the law or I can just go straight to the police and report them. There are repercussions to be had from all acts but there is no way I can let that dog just sit there chained and starving for much longer. I will be talking to the Animal Protection Society
here in Gran Canaria to seek their advice.
What has really been the straw that breaks the camel’s back is that just across the way from my house there is a white dog that is chained up to a derelict building, he has been there for about 2 weeks, I am having nightmares about him. He cries all the time. I just have to do something. I went to the local council today and asked them if they had a campaign going to stop mistreatment and cruelty to animals. They said that they didn’t. They are campaigning for people to adopt dogs from the dog pound. I told them about the situation where I live and pleaded with them to start a campaign. Thankfully and surprisingly, they totally agreed and have asked me to help them put together a pamphlet to raise awareness of the rights of animals. I am so relieved that at last something might be done. They will publish the pamphlets and broadcast on radio. I have a week to get some ideas together for the pamphlet and we meet next Friday to discuss it and get the publishing done. If anyone reading this knows of already existing campaigns or pamphlets and banners that can be copied and used, can you please get in touch.
Also would be grateful for any advice or a simple ‘go get ‘em’ chant ! : )) My dilemma is how to approach the owner of the white dog, I can go up and be nice and friendly and point out how the dog needs more care etc and offer to find him a home or I can go there all guns raging and show them the write-up of the law or I can just go straight to the police and report them. There are repercussions to be had from all acts but there is no way I can let that dog just sit there chained and starving for much longer. I will be talking to the Animal Protection Society
here in Gran Canaria to seek their advice.
posted by Liz at 2:13 PM
7 Comments:
Hi Liz-
That's great. I wish you luck and courage! I hope that the pícture of the dog above is good news - what happened?
Liz, at this point I'm not sure I have any useful suggestions to offer you, but I will be thinking about it and I just wanted you to know that I am totally with you. I also live in a picturesque valley of Tenerife and the situation is the same. My neighbours have dogs tied up and there are times when this causes me serious disturbance. I've dared to tell them nicely why it's bad for the dog, to no avail. I've been pointed and said that it's cruel: still no response. There is no local pound, people abandon animals in the area and the police say they will do nothing, because they have nowhere to take them. My friend worked for an animal charity on the south of the island once and when she came across animals in situations like the white dog, she didn't bother to talk to the owners (my experience would suggest this is futile too), she would get cutters and just rescue it. There was a campaign that could be relevant, in the US, I think it may have been the Humane Society, which was against tying dogs up on chains. I will try to search for it, because that could provide a list of reasons / objections. Why not put those beside a photo of the white dog in all it's horror?
Hi, check out our website at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
We work exclusively for chained and penned dogs, and it sounds like you need a lot of help over there! Tammy
Thanks Sarah - unfortunately not such good news - will do a blog entry on what happened.
Pamela, thanks for telling me of your experience - it's terrible isn't it? I'm so tempted to invest in those cutters and just go about freeing dogs but am too cowardly to do so : (( the country people here can be so vengeful - Vladi, my husband, was telling me about an English girl who was killed in Tejeda in the centre of the Island because she denounced the people who were mistreating some donkeys -this happened about 15 years ago but really things have not changed here! I'm still holding out for the local council to maybe get a campaign going - will fill you in on that in a new post.
Thanks again for dropping by and sorry about not seeing your comment before this - I've sorted out the tick box that I had accidentally ticked to make me censor blog comments!
Tammy - thanks, I'll check that site out.
Liz
Dear Liz,
My name is Muriel Alberta Mae. I am the president of TARA Animal Respect Association in the south of Gran Canaria. For over twenty years I have observed the brutal treatment of generations of animals on this otherwise paradise island. Although there are many individuals and a handful of registered animal charities that rescue and rehome abandoned animals and fewer who sterilize feral cats, it seemed none were addressing proactivly the causes of widespread abuse and abandonment. In fact the problem worsens each year.
The purpose of TARA, founded two years ago, is to end overpopulation of dogs and cats on Gran Canaria, to stop abuse and abandonment through programs of humane education for children and adults, to promote low-cost sterilization, and to improve and enforce the animal protection laws of the land. In short, we address the problem of the ignored, short-chained dog in the back yard through education, sterilization, and legislation. One could call it a cultural transformation method. It is a slow process with an eye on future generations of animal savvy adults. We also rescue and rehome dogs, cats, and other animals as funds, volunteers, and animal-kind homes become available.
TARA has begun an elementary humane education program in one school, which has garnered much interest by education groups from other countries. Several island schools have asked for it as well. Our goal is one day to have our program in every Gran Canarian school curriculum aged 3 to 12. Once polished, our programs will be made available for free to all English and Spanish speaking countries around the globe.
We can arrange to have Canarian veterinarians speak to adults at community gatherings about responsible guardianship of their animals.
I live in the center of the island and see everyday the suffering of too many animals. To approach the owners directly is tantamount to attacking them and their property and can solicit serious reprisals.
Remember wife and child abuse run rampant on this island. Cruelty to animals is part of the same dysfunctional, self-perpetuating human syndrome. Animals are on the front line, the first receivers of abuse. The Canarian government cares about human suffering but its justice seems to stop at people--if its allocation of funds means anyting. In other words, there is no budget for animal welfare other than getting unwanted ones off the street and out of sight or out of life.
Therefore the problem of cruelty must be addressed by many NGO`s working in tandem. The problem we face is bigger than any one group, let alone one individual, to tackle.
I invite people who are interested in dealing with the larger issues of law and developing specific campaigns, public awareness, and education concerning the anaemic state of animal welfare in Gran Canaria to work with TARA to make our island a paradise for animals too.
Please come see me at the TARA CAR BOOT SALE every SATURDAY 9AM-2PM at Paradise Lost off the Balito exit between Patalava and Puerto Rico.
My email is info@tara-animales.org
Sincerely yours,
Muriel
Muriel, thanks for your message...it is so good to hear about your organisation...I tried to e-mail you but your e-mail doesn't work...maybe I will make the car boot sale this Sat. or next...I'm with a bug just now so will see how I am feeling tomorrow.
cheers
Liz
Good luck ...!
http://twitter.com/live_arico
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