September 6, 2010

Street Dog Welfare in Latin America

Humane Society International

Every country across Latin America is about 40 years behind developed nations in terms of street dog welfare, whether the animals are exposed to the draught of the Sonora desert or to the freezing temperatures of the Patagonian winter.

There are some drastic differences in how various governments address stray overpopulation; for example, various Ecuadorian municipal officials recognize that street dogs are their responsibility, and they collaborate with local animal welfare organizations to bring about change. By contrast, Nicaragua has municipalities as well as public and private entities poisoning and killing street dogs indiscriminately because, they say, there is no leadership and no initiative for finding a solution to their overpopulation of stray animals.

For some countries, action seems to spring from desperation. If people complain about health and security issues relating to the overwhelming number of street dogs, or if there is a rabies outbreak, dogs will be culled or taken to a municipal shelter, where they will await the death penalty by electrocution, edible poison, or an injected cocktail of badly mixed drugs that will cause excruciating pain before death finally arrives.

Creating change

HSI focuses on building and strengthening the capacity of local groups so that they can bring about change within their communities. In Nicaragua, for example, HSI is working with a local organization which, through basic treatment and spay/neuter, offered an alternative to the mass poisoning of street dogs in the municipality of Masaya. Culling was the traditional method used to curb the overpopulation of strays; however, Masaya officials were relieved to learn that there are humane approaches to the problem. Having one organization step up as a leader and present a solution that prevents cruelty to animals has changed the community’s perspective on the “nuisance” of street dogs.

Enhancing veterinary skills is the best way to prevent unnecessary animal suffering. Now that Latin American countries are slowly turning towards a spay/neuter approach, HSI is striving to ensure that the local veterinarians supporting the efforts of animal welfare groups are properly trained and are comfortable in their surgical skills. In Ecuador, HSI has offered training for veterinarians helping three different groups. All three organizations have already lined-up contracts in their cities to provide vaccination services and free or low-cost spay/neuter to street dogs and dogs living with low-income families.

Addressing the problem of unwanted litters in low-income communities is also key to our efforts and we will continue to provide responsible owners with the opportunity to sterilize their pets.

In Latin America, HSI is supporting work with street dogs in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Venezuela.