Arecibo Animal Activists Meet With Mayor's Office

Local Animal Activists met outside Arecibo City Hall on Monday August 25th to protest the rounding up and killing of street dogs without so much as a time for owners to claim their pet from the pound. Activist leaders meet with the Vice Mayor to discuss a moratorium on collecting dogs in areas where rescuers are working on trap, neuter and release programs to curb birth rates in dog populations, and what is the latest story about the public Arecibo Animal Control Shelter.

Inside the government officials gave their requirements for co-operating with the activists to not collect and euthanize colonies of dogs being cared for by the activists.

Outside a hard working cadre of activists spoke to people passing City Hall asking if they supported mass killing of animals living on the streets or if they supported a more humane way such as tarp, neuter and release.

Citizens on the street supported the humane treatment of animals by signing the petition.

The activist leaders questioned the current status of the Arecibo Animal Control Shelter, which has sat vacant for the last four years. Talk continues about the reopening of the shelter.

On a personal note, I have to tell you how impressed I was with the strength and heart of the dedicated people I met in Arecibo on Monday. I salute you for your effort. 

SPAY IS THE WAY

Puerto Rico cannot become Auswitch Island for dogs! As long as the population is controlled these people can continue to live with their dogs as they have historically! This is not new; this is how people have lived with dogs since they've been roaming the island.
Living in 2010 we get to make a choice. Do we want to kill them off? Do we want to spay them?
I say, "Spay is the way!"
There are not enough shelters in Puerto Rico! These bitches are breeding every heat cycle; we can't wait for that.
If you want to learn something you didn't know about dogs come to Puerto Rico. Dogs have a barking language, a society that when its not compromised by over population is stable and fascinating.  This is the best behavior lab you will ever see!
For those of us interested in dog behavior, this is a gold mine. I am starting to see more of the effects of scarcity of resources as the dog population in my neighborhood grows.
If any of you, who read this blog, are interested in helping, I need advice. I need help in figuring out how to help these dogs. I am not asking for money! What I want is your input on what steps to take next.
Here is what I have so far:
1) Hook up with van MASH units. Who are they, where are they?
2)Central Supply- What equipment to we need to treat sick dogs,
   spay, euthanize as necessary? How much will it cost per spay?
3) Medication- Antibiotics? Anesthesia, Vaccinations
4) Funding- Where do we go? I am getting that pilot projects will be necessary
    to prove ourselves.
5) Donations of vaccine, equipment.
6) Volunteers-
7) Collars- color coded for the year the animal was picked and vaccinated.
8) Vets to do the deed. 
This is the beginner list, please, give me your thoughts. If any of this happens it will be because a bunch of caring humans got together.
Thanks!!

A Day In A Life

  These days I don't know too much of anything; how in the world is it that I was such a smart teenager?
  Last Saturday's animal summit was informative, however due to my minimal Spanish I missed alot.
  One of the panelists, a very pretty lady with big kind looking eyes, talked about a large number of dogs being killed at the shelter each day. I remember how sad it made me feel, thinking about putting the needle into the arms of sweet doggies. I bit my lip to keep from crying. "How can you think you could become an animal control officer, you'd have to do what needs to be done.", I chided myself, "Get a grip."
  The lady's warm, sweet demeanor won me over to thinking that they knew what was best and I'd better learn to deal with it. After all I am a new comer and know little about how things are done here in Puerto Rico. I respect the work the panelists are doing, so I let it go to the universe to guide me.
  Today we took our good friends.to the coast. We love showing off our island. We ate at El Anzuelo Grill & Cantina in Isabela across the road from the ocean. Food was good, price ditto. A nice young couple run the place and could not be sweeter. After lunch we hung out on the beach and watched a young man teaching a boy how to ride a horse. Actually the boy was a good rider, we enjoyed watching both of them.
  Later we went to the Eclipse at Villa Montana an open air restuarant right on the beach to watch some surfers ride the waves. Beach dogs are regulars at Villa Montana. There are always different dogs there, never the same, so I am guessing that dogs are picked up at some interval.
Today's trio of canids were vocal young min pin x chihuahua females. They knew everything that happened on the beach or they zoomed down to investigate. Everyone was greeted with low head postures, rapid low tail wags,ears folded back. In a wink they'd be too excited to control themselves so they'd rear up on hinder legs waving front paws in the air, then just a quick back to submissive control and up again. 
 The way they would work their ears to zero in on sound was beautiful to watch. Before long we forgot about the surfers entirely. The minis greeted a couple of beauties strolling the beach, then became fascinated by fishermen. A guard walked on the beach and pet one. 
  I began to have a conversation with the girls. The dark one decided rather early than she didn't want to bother with me. The most I could get from her was an occasional glance. The two light girls came over and got some head petting. Lip licking & little tails flying we visited briefly before they darted to the next point of interest.
  One light girl wouldn't come close enough for me to hand her a tostone, so I tossed it to her, she missed. The look on her face as she picked up the now sandy tostone was pure communication. She held her lips so far away from her teeth, she looked like the joker. A quick head shake did not dislodge enough sand for her, so she dropped it and walked away.
   The other light sister got close enough to take the food from my hand. We got along so well until I ran out of tostone.
  Pretty much I think we'd all agree that the life of a stray is hard, but its a life.
  As I watched these beautiful little dogs napping on pillows, I reflected on what one of my classmates told me today. She said that the large number of dogs that were euthanized each day were brought in the same day an instant death sentence, no hope of redemption or adoption.
Could I round them up and.....