Puerto Rican Street Dogs

Hello Puerto Rico,

The rich island culture includes the boriquas living with dogs in much the same way as you do today. Better to feed a street dog the leftovers than the rats in the garbage cans, does not begin to describe the relationship the island people have with their feral dogs.

Street dogs sound the alarm, when night walkers slip down the road. With dogs on the porch, no rats are near my house. Watching the behavior of free ranging dogs is one of my favorite pastimes. Given that this is also a historical relationship, I thoroughly get the lifestyle choice; part of Puerto Rican heritage, like cock fighting.

All of the wonderful activistas on this island working their butts off cannot shelter and adopt out all of the free born creatures.  Trap, Neuter & Release works, if people care.

 It doesn’t take much to keep an animal from starving. If people are kind to the animals by feeding their leftovers, the loyal dogs protect their providers. When I see neighborhoods with healthy looking dogs on the street, I believe that Puerto Rican People do love their Satos/street dogs. Other places I see dogs so hungry I stop my car to feed them. If the people of the island want Satos/street dogs, they need to share what they have with their neighbor dogs. Allowing a fellow creature to starve under your nose is so unworthy of us. We are better than that!

For some people it is better to enjoy a Sato/street dog than to have their own dogs. Some people should not be allowed to have a dog. Those are the… ,oh, what is that word in Spanish that adequately describes the people who would discard their dogs on the side of the autopista, a sixty-five mile an hour death trap, oh yeah, pendejos.

The last two times I've traveled the toll way from San Juan to Arecibo, I’ve seen freshly abandoned animals. It’s easy to spot the newly tossed dogs. They look like they don’t know what they’re doing, confused and scared in varying degrees sketched on their faces. Animal lovers of Puerto Rico, if you seen this cruelty, take pictures. These heartless fiends need to be exposed.

All of the hard work of dedicated human beings undone by unfeeling cruelty should not be tolerated in a loving society such as Puerto Rico Photograph atrocities such as abandonment; report to cruelty investigators such as Alma Febus. You can also go to the police. Become part of the solution. 

Escape From the Shelter by Chi-Ping

        Never go for car rides. That’s what the street dogs told me. I told
Blondie this, but she wouldn’t listen. That bitch loves to ride in the car. Last week we were loaded up and taken to a shelter in Pinones.

Friendly dogs welcomed us. It’s a good place. We’re all well treated here, but I don’t want to be a shelter dog.

I wanted to go home, so as soon as I got the chance, I scooted out the gate and ran for freedom. I didn’t know which way to go. I headed south along the ocean. My caretakers were in hot pursuit, but I was faster. The sun beat down on my black coat, but I didn’t let that slow me down. I trotted across streets looking for the way home. These boys just didn’t give up. I didn’t have a second to get my bearings, so I kept moving. The road ended at a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Big waves splashed below. I didn’t know what to do. As I stood there trying to figure out my next move, one of the boys scooped me up. A well delivered stinging nip didn’t cause him to put me down the way I’d hoped. He handled me gently, so I didn’t bite hard, maybe, I should have. I want to go home. I didn’t know how happy I was, now all I can think about is my home on the hill with poppy and mom. Yes, she’s my human mom. I love them. I just want to go home.

 Before long I was back in the shelter. The boys were cleaning again. The other dogs stood around or were playing. How could they stand being ripped from their homes? Why weren’t they as upset as I was?

The dogs at the shelter were starving on the street when Adri picked them up. They were very happy to be here. When Adri walks through the kennel all the dogs look at her with adoring eyes. Adri is a loving lady. I like her very much, but I want to go home. I never want to go on another car ride again in my life. I told Blondie.

Mom comes to visit every other day. Sometimes she spends the night with us. She said that poppy is in the hospital. We’ll go home when he gets out. I can’t wait. Meanwhile Adri pets me under my chin and tells me how beautiful I am. Life in the shelter isn’t bad, but I can’t promise I won’t run away again.  

Going to the Shelter

Frankie hasn’t come to live with us yet. Kirt, my husband has been hospitalized in San Juan. Daily treks between the hospital and home to take care of the dogs were a burden, but these are my dogs. I couldn’t just leave them out all day, even if I had to drive a hundred sixty miles each day.

Adri invited the dogs and me to stay with her for the duration of Kirt’s hospitalization. The lady with the big heart took in more strays, one human and two canine. With a fifteen minute drive I can visit the girls, enjoy some down time and get back to my husband.

Blondie, my experienced street girl walked into the yard of dogs greeting the biggest first. Chi-Ping’s hackles raised and her tail tucked. It was clearly an oh, shit expression. She searched the fence for a way out, found none and began to look around. I knew she was terrified. I can only guess at how she had been kept before she came my way. Being a fifteen pound dog in a yard with big dogs is probably intimidating enough without baggage. Street dogs know how to get along, so I didn’t worry when I left to go back to the hospital.

The doctors make rounds about five in the morning, so it’s easier just to stay the night rather than take a chance of missing them. When I returned the next morning, the girls were in the house with Adri’s canine cadre. My furry friends from my last visit greeted me with my girls, who looked comfortable in their environment. After a quick shower I noticed that Chi-Ping was waiting at the door, another clear expression. Blondie stayed close to me.

When Adri returned from running errands, I could see the affection Blondie and Chi-Ping already feel for her. These are two friendly enough dogs, but not over the top suck up canines by any means. Other friends have sweet talked them without more than a polite response from the girls. Dogs fall in love with Adri more for her loving positive energy than her high pitched happy talk, which I must say is pretty darn good.

Frankie, Fearful Sato Puppy

A twelve week pointer, maybe pit mix, is coming to visit because he is an under socialized, scared baby boy that will poop and pee all over, when you come too near. Pick him up at your own risk. He bites as hard as he can, or so said the lady with the bruises.


Frankie had a nice young man named, Domenic, give him some quality time when Frankie was in the imprint stage, so this isn’t Frankie’s first kiss. Or bite for that matter.

I did some ttouch on Frankie the first day I met him with grand results; thank you Linda and Robin, my teacher. After Ttouch, Frankie began coming out of Domenic’s room where he was hiding. I never tire of seeing what those little ttouch circles produce. Linda Tellington Jones’ work is inspired.

Little Frankie’s eyes bulge out of his head with an overwhelmed expression. Bonita, who had seen her siblings stomped to death, had a similar look. In spite of loving contact during the imprint stage this puppy is overwhelmed and fearful, so it’s either circuitry or the poor baby was part of something he couldn’t handle. I won’t even try to imagine.

I have six weeks to work with him before I head to Trinidad for the 2013 Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference. If everything comes together Frankie can go to a forever home then, if not we’ll adapt to that reality.

Our girls, Blondie and Chi-Ping are blossoming in every way possible. My smart “Sato” girls are doing mostly what they want with coming in & out of the house. These confident girls don’t even wake if we drop something near them. If I don’t have treats on me, it’s mixed and variable if they’ll do what I ask. Confidence, not obedience has been my goal, since adopting them. I’ve thrown a big world at these two country dogs.

Dominance or more food will NOT be used in the next phase of deepening the relationship with my girls. I’m going to use what women have used since the drawn of time, jealousy. Yes, I know our scientists say that animals aren’t jealous; they just protect resources. I say that’s wrong envy and jealousy began in the lower species. It’s not a higher trait. Using my theory my girls will be so focused on me by the time Frankie goes.

Oh, heaven, I feel so trashy saying manipulation is the higher trait. Each dog is a learning experience, so I invite you to follow along and comment. Regards, Tricia

Earning Dogs' Trust

Hi,

Chi-Ping’s voice comes through clearly to me, as her body language tells her tale. Teeth on hands ready to bite or nip, whenever we touched her, was her standard behavior. The touch varietal didn’t matter: slow or fast, completely still, light to heavy pressure all the same. A hand resting only on her chi resulted in teeth on hand, ready to bite hard, if necessary.

Do people really con themselves into believing the dog likes to be tickled or handled roughly, when the dog puts its teeth on us, just because the tail is wagging like crazy? Sadly, this is the relationship many dogs endure. When I began touching Chi-Ping, she would sting my hands sharply. Clearly she took no pleasure from my touch, but kept coming to me asking to be touched. Hmm, there’s a push me-pull you.

The months we lived in New Orleans both dogs came in and out of the house several times a day. We had no access to a fenced yard from the house, so we developed a lovely leash routine before getting close to the door. They had no fear of going through the door. Both dogs raced around the small apartment in wild abandon when we came home.

 We returned to Puerto Rico. Deep lack of trust issues resurfaced for both Chi-Ping and Blondie. Blondie acted as if she were a “Sato” again. An invitation to come in caused her eyes to become big with fright, like she didn’t know what to do. At first I called her in, to me. She whined while stepping in place. A good rule of thumb is to NEVER ask more than another can give, so I went outside, thumped her and played with her as we often do. Blondie de-stressed and walked in with me.  Smile, I knew how lucky that was.

Blondie fears going in the house occasionally, but more often just refuses. The difference is most easily read by her ears. Ears forward, she wants to go in, but is afraid. Ears back means, “I want to stay out here.”

A trail of treats worked frequently with other dogs, so I gave her a few cheddar cubes, which she loves. Gobble, gobble up the trail she went. In the entry Blondie picked up the cheddar and looked right in my eye before walking away from the big stash of cheese just inside the door. Screw you and your cheese was clearly implied.

We worked through the fear issues to the point that when Blondie becomes afraid, I tell her what a good girl she is, and she’ll come to me. Blondie prefers to be in the house at night. Chi-Ping changes her mind from night to night. Before I went to San Juan she wanted to be out at night. Since my return, Chi-Ping sleeps by my feet. In New Orleans she would push her back between my breasts. Despite our sleeping proximity, I could feel our distance. I have yet to win her trust. Do you find it as interesting as I do that Blondie the street dog, who grew up wild, has less trust issues than Chi-Ping, who spent less than a year on the street?

I hadn't found my voice in a while. Staying with the wonderful Animal Advocate, Adrienne Galler Lastra gave the dog fix I’ve needed. Thanks, Adri. It’s good to be back. Tricia