Article on Dead Dog Beach in San Juan Star

By Peggy Ann Bliss
Special to The STAR
Best Friends

One of Puerto Rico’s biggest scandals has been turned into one of its biggest miracles, and an excellent catalyst towards turning its tourismimage around.Don’t thank the Tourism Department. Thank Liz Kracht, a young Californian who came to the island with her Puerto Rican partner to open a healthstore in Punta Las Marías. She recently met with Yabucoa Mayor Angel S. García, to open his eyes to a scar on the face of his south coast town caused by greed and inhumanity, with innocent animals the primary victim. After what Kracht described as a fruitful meeting, his honor promised to meet with her monthly, to provide first aid, if not a total cure for the oozing wound. The story of Dead Dog Beach has reached all the corners of the states through the Internet, and has become a beacon for hundreds of animal protectors abroad. These concerned statesiders have joined forces to help Kracht and her cohorts rescue, spay and neuter, cure, socialize and home some 60 animals already.The beach has become synonymous with the indifference and cruelty ofwhich large corporations, governments and young hoods are capable. Canadian Steve McGarva and Puerto Rican Sandra Cintrón, who live nearby, had begun feeding these dogs and cats about a year ago. Even with the help of Salinas animal protector Mary Eldergill and a few other volunteers, the job was overwhelming. Unsterilized, the animals kept reproducing, and people kept dropping off more. Sometimes they tied unwanted dogs to a tree without food or water; sometimes, they doused them with kerosene and set them on fire. A nearby hotel was poisoning stray animals and dumping their rotting corpses on the beach. But Kracht enlisted Chris Rodríguez of Amigos de Animales[mailto:amigosdelosanimales_finca@hotmail.com and http://www.petfinder.] and Leisha Swayne, a cruelty investigator from Red de Protectores de Animales,[www.protectoresdeanimales.org and mailto:leisha@protectoresdeanimales.org] Wanda Vélez, a manatee expert and dog and cat rescuer, said two manatees had been shot there with bows and arrows. The meeting this week with Mayor García netted many important results, according to Kracht, who arrived armed with suggestions and statistics. Although García said the land belonged to several government agencies, he offered to get a temporary shelter and launch a community campaign. Once he was working with the groups, he said he could request funds. At the time of the meeting 55 dogs and eight cats had already been rescued, but 40 remained. Edi Vázquez of Save-a-Sato took in some of the dogs, including a white pup named Flora and another stray named Harry. Kracht keeps a flow of observations on her blog Classandcircumstance.blogspot. com., where readers can see pictures and progress on the 90 dogs, including their new owners in the states.The worst of the survivors was Jess, heavily scarred from having hot oil poured on him. Nina and Nicole were hairless from mange. Pet Partners in New Jersey enthusiastically offered to take the dogs, who are highly prized in the states because of their size. They even have waiting lists for Puerto Rican terriers, as they are affectionately called. The shelter is a new outlet for unwanted Puerto Rican dogs, in addition to several on the East Coast already allied with Save-a-Sato. One horrified visitor to Dead Dog Beach was veterinarian Monica List fromthe World Society of Protectors of Animals based in San José, Costa Rica. List, who got an eyeful of the starving dogs and decaying corpses also discovered a burial ground of dogs at a nearby hotel. “It is guaranteed: your heart will break upon arrival,” she writes BestFriends. “The lush vegetation that leads down to the white sands reeks of death… Dead dogs and cats are disposed of in this ill improvised dump…Some are simply tied to the palm trees and left to die of thirst and hunger in the scorching Caribbean sun. Many heartless owners find this a convenient way of getting rid of unwanted pets. “But there is also life and hope at Dead Dog Beach as Steve and Sandra, feed the ever-growing population of dogs dry kibble and fresh water. Nina and Nicole are the first to pop out from behind the bushes. In April, Steve says, they were so weak they could barely stand. You can tell they were once a full bodied Rottweiler and German Shepherd, respectively. “Burials are also a part of their daily routine, as an international oil company and a local hotel poison the animals and leave them to die on thebeach. List, who says the missing link is education, has offered to help orient the people and the politicians of Yabucoa about Cruelty Law No. 67. Cristobal Colón is the legislator for this district, while at-large representatives Jorge Colberg and Jennifer González can be called on to look into situations like this anywhere on the island. But it seems the only way to get any local action is to hear it from statesiders. Several groups have rallied to the cause, including one out ofMassachusetts with a postcard campaign to Gov. Acevedo Vilá. For moreinformation, call or e-mail this column. A new stateside group called Manos por Patas/Hands for Paws, has organized a raffle of a super week in Puerto Rico for two with the help ofClarisa Jiménez, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and Fundación Valentina, which protects abandoned cats and dogs. Ginny Cornett, of Jupiter, Fla., is selling chances for $10, which could net the winner two round-trip tickets to Puerto Rico on American Airlines, a total of six nights divided among three hotels: Sheraton in Four Points, Caguas, and Palmas del Mar, Humacao, and Holiday Inn in Isla Verde. Also in the package are a week’s car rental from Hertz, a luxury dinner at Antonio’s in Condado and a lunch at Fleria’s Greek restaurant in Santurce. Keisha Salko, an animal rescuer in Humacao, offered free hang gliding and paragliding lessons, while Sheraton offered greens fees for two at the Flamboyán Golf Course in Palmas del Mar. The drawing will be Dec. 31, with prizes valid through November 2007. Tickets may be purchased online at www.handsforpaws.org.