Rocco came through his surgery with Dr. Monhil very well today. He will stay at the clinic until Wednesday or Thursday then Daniela will take him home with her to convalesce. As soon as the vet says he can fly, Rocco will head for Connecticut to live with two other rescued dogs and a mommy and daddy who will love him so much!
These little darlings, all rescued from Dead Dog Beach, are on their way to Miami on Friday morning and will all be (gulp) at my house for adoption! They are: Belle, Nadia, Laila, Nanette (and her 5 3-week-old puppies), Shannon, Kara, Krissy, Keri, Kenny, Yogi, Kody and Sasha. Kara, Krissy, Keri, and Kenny will have to stay at my house for about 10 more days until they get their second shots and get the "all clear" from the vet. And Nanette and her babies will be here until the puppies are weaned and have all their shots - they should be ready to go at about 8 weeks of age. And yes, I know you're thinking it and I'll go ahead and confirm - yes, I HAVE lost my cotton pickin' mind!
This is Rocco and he's a VERY lucky little dog! Two American tourists visiting the island and found this crying little dog in pain underneath a van at Luquillo Beach. They discovered that he couldn't move his back legs - they were either broken or paralyzed. I received an email later that day and was lucky enough to find Daniela in Luquillo who went to pick up the dog, which she named Rocco, and she brought him back to her home. When she was at the beach looking for him, people who saw her said that the poor dog had been crying and howling for 3 or 4 days! So Rocco saw Dr. Mercado in Luquillo this morning and it appears that the damage occurred from a dramatic blow such as from being hit by a car. He believes the spinal cord is in tact as Rocco can move his tail, but that a vertebra or bone fragment is pressing against the spinal cord. All the blood tests, including heartworm, came back negative and in good shape. So Daniela is on her way to an orthopaedic surgeon in San Juan to hopefully do whatever surgery is necessary today. Everyone send up good thoughts and love for Rocco - and for Daniela who is handling all the transport and stress of this ordeal!
I received an email a couple of weeks ago about a couple of tourists who had found a dog they wanted to rescue and they were looking for help on where to take him. Twig from Save a Sato, Gina Sein, myself, and others helped him get the dog to safety and have been following Brownie's progress (Brownie, the dog, has mange, anaemia, and heartworms along with other parasites and ailments). Brownie is under the care of Dr. Moore in Lajas and will stay there until he's well enough to travel to the states for adoption. During this ordeal, we urged Mr. Saletan and his wife (Brownie's good samaritans) to write a letter to government officials describing their sadness at the conditions in which they saw strays while on their visit to Puerto Rico. Here is his very well-written letter that will be sent to Governor Acevedo Vila and others. This letter should spur every tourist, and citizen, for that matter, to take a few minutes to write letters of their experiences and disgust at the "normal" treatment of animals in Puerto Rico:
December 25, 2007
In December of this year, my wife and I visited Puerto Rico for the first time, coming from our home of Houston, Texas to San Juan, where we spent four days, followed by six days of travel by car along the northern, western, and southern coasts of the island.
Without doubt, we were astonished by the natural beauty of the island and its forests, mountains, and coasts. And we were very impressed by the warmth of local residents, by their hospitality, generosity, and willingness to explain, listen, and share in virtually all our encounters with them.
But as impressive as those things were, the one single thing that made the greatest impression on us was a series of negative experiences, not positive ones: the crisis regarding your stray animal population. We were profoundly stunned, even outraged, to see innumerable stray animals in poor health everywhere we looked, in every town, on every beach. And we were left wondering: how could a society that is so warm and helpful toward visiting tourists (who in their own way are like stray animals, i.e. sometimes lost, often looking for where to be fed or where to find shelter) be, on the whole, so thoughtless, inconsiderate, and utterly unconcerned about its domestic stray animal population, especially dogs and cats? This is a national disgrace for Puerto Rico, one that must not be tolerated any longer, as it will only get worse (exponentially worse, as the animal population explodes) the longer it is ignored.
Tourists coming to visit an island this beautiful and spend time with people this hospitable expect those same people to demonstrate a certain standard of common decency, kindness and concern toward all living things – including dogs and cats and other stray animals. To behave otherwise is, if I may be so blunt, barbaric and inexcusable and reflects very poorly on your society. It makes Puerto Ricans a worldwide disgrace in the eyes of tourists who will either see firsthand or read about how you treat (or more accurately ignore) your stray animal problem, making this a tragically unnecessary public relations fiasco for Puerto Rico. You have so many things to be proud of about your culture, your history, and your geography... so why would you continue to let this very serious problem of animal neglect cloud that otherwise positive image?
Things are very different on the mainland U.S. There, certainly not everywhere but in most places, people act far more humanely toward animals, whether pets or strays, and demonstrate this humanity in four important ways:
1) caring for found strays – people on the mainland often will take time to interrupt what they are doing and care for, or seek veterinary treatment for, a stray animal showing evidence of abuse, disease, or malnutrition
2) spaying and neutering – people on the mainland routinely bring strays in off the street to animal shelters and to veterinary clinics in order to have them be spayed and neutered, knowing that if they do not, a mature female cat and her offspring can produce over 420,000 cats in about seven years, and a mature female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies within six years, which means that the stray animal problem if left unaddressed, gets exponentially worse with each passing day of human inaction. These animals do not understand population arithmetic and they cannot stop themselves from reproducing; only humans can do that for them, and it is a just and compassionate act to bring in a stray animal to be spayed or neutered in order to prevent exponentially more stray animals from having painful lives filled with neglect, malnutrition, disease, and suffering. Even pets you have in your home need to be spayed and neutered, too, so that when they venture outside your home they do not go sexually reproduce, creating thousands more stray animals that will roam the streets.
3) responsible transfer of pet ownership – it is not customary on the U.S. mainland for people to abandon or discard their pets when they are ready to give them up; instead, most pet owners on the mainland feel an immense responsibility to find a new owner who will guard and care for the pet they wish to give up. Abandonment is simply not humane, as these animals cannot live safe and healthy lives on the street, and killing an animal that is no longer wanted is barbarism, pure and simple murder – it is not a solution.
4) acquiring new pets from animal shelters – rather than purchasing a new household pet from a pet store or breeder, many people on the mainland try first to adopt their new pet from a local animal shelter, so that these shelter animals are not euthanized due to having no one who will adopt and care for them. These animals have been screened and given very thorough medical treatment at the shelters to ensure that they are behaviorally/psychologically suited for adoption and in the best physical condition possible. All of the pets my wife and I have had over the years have come from shelters, and all of them have been wonderful, loving animals.
My wife and I spent the final 24 hours of our Puerto Rico vacation trying to capture, and then get medical treatment for, a sato (photos attached) whom we had befriended at Balneario Caña Gorda in Guánica during our stay at a neighboring resort. There were about eight satos living at this beach, but this one was in the worst condition by far. Caring for this animal is not how we intended to spend our final day of vacation and relaxation in Puerto Rico, but to ignore and not help this sato get the medical treatment it so obviously needed was incomprehensible to us, and if Puertorriqueños were not going to do it, then we felt we must. The veterinary clinic of Dr. Debra Moore in Lajas, the Second Chance animal shelter in Villalba, and the island-wide organization Save a Sato Foundation were immensely helpful to us in providing appropriate medical care for this animal and arranging a foster home where he could be looked after until ready to be placed for adoption. We are happy to report that the health of this adorable little mutt is improving rapidly. With each passing day of his recovery, his naturally sweet disposition and affectionate personality come shining through, like the brilliant sun emerging from behind passing storm clouds.
Sincerely,
Louie Saletan and Jennifer Wood (lsaletan@earthlink.net) Houston, Texas
Sandra found these three tiny ones yesterday at the beach. They were obviously starving. We just took 5 off the beach the day before and there are no funds to rescued these puppies. If you can help, please let us know.
Yesterday, Sandra found Fred dead. He had been at the beach for a few months and was kind of "grumpy", as Sandra said. He was old but Sandra says it doesn't seem he died of old age; she suspects illness or poison. Goodbye Fred, you will be missed, grumpy or not.
Take a good look at this dog. He was found wandering in Luquillo. He is anaemic, has severe mange (obviously), and heartworm, along with other internal parasites. He is in considerable pain and his immune system is so suppressed due to the mange that there's a better than good chance that his little body won't be able to take it and he will die. This does not happen overnight - it takes time for a dog to get in such bad shape. Who let's an animal get into the condition? And if he was wandering the streets for a while, many people had to have seen him and they just kept walking. If this were the only case like this I'd heard about, I could possibly let it slide - but it's one of many many many that I know of. What is wrong with people? This is just criminal.
The black puppy rescue (plus a white fluffer-nutter)
These 5 pups were rescued this morning by Sandra - all had been abandoned at Dead Dog Beach. Sandra took them all the Dr. Reyes where he'll check them out then they'll go to foster care. Sandra and I had talked yesterday about getting Shannon and the 3 puppies but then this morning when she went to pick them up, she found 2 little kids throwing the tiny guy in the last picture into the ocean! She took the puppy (that's why he's all wet) and found the kids' parents who said they were trying to stop the kids from doing that to the puppy. I'm not even going to start on that because I'll just say mean things. Anyway, these 5 darlings will need to be fostered in Puerto Rico for 3 weeks before they can come to the states. Anyone interested in sponsoring, fostering or adopting them, let us know.
Riley is doing so well in her new home!!! Here's what her new mom has to say:
In the spirit of Christmas (although I'm a practicing Jew so I only celebrate non-religiously) I just wanted to write you a note, thanking you again for bringing Riley into my life. She is such a wonderful girl, and everyone in my life has taken to her so quickly! She is such a sweet and loving dog. I know my morning's would not be the same without Riley getting all excited for her breakfast, and then to go for our morning walk through the trails behind my house. She is so cute when she wants attention. She paws you, rolls on her back and talks, it's one the more adorable things I've seen. I also know exactly what you meant about squirrels! Riley is teaching me about what curious creatures they are. This morning we spent 20 minutes in the dog park, watching a squirrel in the tree, and oh man, when the squirrel came down, off she went! She has this huge personality, and I'm really loving to get to know more about her every day. She still hasn't quite figured out how she feels about the horses, she doesn't seem to mind them, always is interested and exploring around them! She is such a curious little beastie. She loves when my working students go to Dunkin Donuts on Saturday as she gets a munchkin when they come back. Every other Sunday, Riley and I walk to Panera down the street, where my close friend is the store manager. Well I asked him for a piece of bread or cheese for Riley and she ended getting a mini cheese and prosciutto sandwich. Talk about a lucky girl! She's getting to be just a little bit spoiled by everyone here, but she certainly deserves it. Thank you so much Christine (Steve, Rosina, and everyone else who helped bring Riley into my life)! I feel so lucky to have such an amazing girl in my life. Happy Holidays!
And here's a video of her being a little Christmas elf!
Giovanna seems to have found a wonderful home, complete with a boy to love on her! This is Jayden lounging around with pretty Giovanna. Two adorable babies!!!
Take a look at that beautiful girl!!! This is Pumpkin - she was known as Shakira formerly. Pumpkin was adopted by a family in Vero Beach, Florida and you can see that she is fitting in very well there! They love her and even put her picture on their Christmas card!
Beautiful Riley has arrived safely and soundly at her new home near Boston. She's living on a farm with lots of room to run, friends to play with, and people to scratch her belly. Here's an email from her new mom, Julia:
Riley is doing wonderfully. She seems to be mostly over all the excitement from yesterday, and is settling down nicely. She is still trying to figure out what all this "snow" stuff is. Yesterday she was playing in the yard with my roommates dog, and she tried to go walking through one of the unplowed areas, well she fell right into the snow, so of course she just laid down and sat there for a bit before trying again! It was a very funny sight to watch. This morning it's snowing again! Sometimes she tries to eat the snowflakes. Hmm what else, she loves the couch by the fireplace. It's her favorite place to hang out right now. A nice place to take a little nap :) She is so well house trained. She goes right to the door whenever she wants to go outside, although sometimes I think she just wants to go for a walk, but that's fine by me! Well here are some pictures of her!
Duque was apparently poisoned sometime on Wednesday. Sandra had reported on Wednesday that he was acting lethargic and salivating profusely. When he seemed even worse yesterday morning, she took him to the vet for care. Duque was given medications to hopefully counteract the poison and by yesterday afternoon, seemed to be looking and feeling better. But this morning, Sandra found him in very bad condition and took him in to be euthanized.
In the last week, I have received many emails from people asking for help with stray dogs they find around the island. Some requests are from travelers, some from locals, all are heart-wrenching. I, and other rescuers, work with those who find the animals and we try to find a vet who can see them and a place for them to board in recovery. And then we have to decide whether the dog is adoptable or not. If it is, we work it into a future shipment to come to the States for adoption. If not, the poor creature has to be returned to the streets (after being sterilized, of course). And I do not have the heart to turn people away when they call for help. WHY AM I HAVING TO DO THIS??? Why are everyday people having to spend their hard earned money and hard-to-find spare time, and having our hearts break all along the way, to take care of these animals? The responsibility lies in the hands of the people of the island of Puerto Rico. Each one of these dogs pictured below is on the earth because of humans. Why is no one taking responsibility for their actions? Why isn't the government of Puerto Rico teaching its citizens to be responsible pet owners? Why does it seem like no one cares? Why???
Que bella, no!?! I received this request from Liz with Amigos de los Animales. There is "no room at the inn" a mi casa but hopefully someone else will be able to take in this little lost lamb:
I think I'm going to have a hard time placing this little kitten because she's a tad feral. She was brought to our store by an elderly woman who was trying to rescue her from the superintendents at her apartment building. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to evaluate her before Diaz Martin accepted her.
She's very sweet, has never used her claws on me at all - even when I bathed her to rid her of the huge number of fleas she had - but she's timid. Most likely she would come around at some point, but not in the way that most first time pet guardians would want. I don't quite have the heart to spay her and put her back on the street now that she's been in my house for three or more days, but I also cannot keep another cat.
Interestingly, she looks just like my other boarding kitten Ritz. She's orange and white, and maybe just a tad older than Ritz - about three months or three and a half, I think.
If you know anyone that wants to take up the challenge of a feral kitten with possibilities, please email me at elizabeth_kracht@yahoo.com. Again, she's very sweet, will be fully vetted and spayed...
I just had to post this recent message I got from Lannie's new mom, Terry. (As a note, I played the video and both Thor and Ellie thought it was FASCINATING!!!)
Thank you for the photo. God bless you all for rescuing Lannie, who has to be the sweetest, most affectionate, most loving dog ever. She is so happy, loves to be petted and hugged, sleeps with me at night, and now has added a new twist to the "Doggy Dance of Joy" that she does with Toby and Augy every day when I come home. Toby and Augy make these pitiful yelping sounds while they do the dance of joy that would make one think they'd been abandoned for days, even though my kids get home long before I do and they give the dogs lots of hugs and attention. Now Lannie has taken up the mournful yelping along with the dance of joy with the other two to let me know how awful it was while I was gone. I'm going to have to video this little performance and send it to you. It is hilarious!!
Another new thing Lannie does is stand up on her hind legs with her front paws on the base of the television and her face pressed up against the TV if she sees or hears something she thinks is interesting. She also lays on my bed with me and actually appears to be watching television with me. I played a little YouTube video of a chihuahua dressed up in a dress singing with its owner, and Lannie was absolutely fascinated!!! Here is the video:
Lannie and I have watched this video several times and it is one of her favorites. I will send some more pictures of Lannie very soon. I think she is happy with us. I cuddle her all the time and kiss her and now when I stop she leans on me and presses her face next to mine. We love her so much - thank you so much for sending us such a wonderful gift!!!!!
I got a call from Tamaire from El Faro de los Animales in Humacao, Puerto Rico saying she had heard we were looking for a short-term foster situation for Boris before he goes to the States to his new home. The facility offered to take him in and board him for the 2 weeks we need before he flies out! And we talked about working on getting some of their rescues into the States for adoption and that they could continue boarding some of our dogs during their 3-week wait period before flight. I want to thank the shelter administration for this very kind and generous offer and I hope we will be able to work together on this and other projects in the future.
Napo came in Thursday night and is so sweet! I just love him! He's so gentle and relaxed most of the time but he was loving playing with the girl dogs I had here. As I suspected, Thor wanted only to get this male intruder out of his kingdom. I wanted to place Napo at the Boca shelter but they could only take one larger dog and I had to pick Kasey over Napo b/c she was with her puppies and is still has full nipples and is very thin because of the pregnancy/nursing. So I went to the Treasure Coast shelter to check out if he would work there. I love that shelter but only take dogs that have no issues whatsoever b/c Treasure Coast is not a no-kill. Once the dog passes the initial tests, there is no time limit for it on the adoption floor - it's just that first part that always scares me. So I brought Napo to meet the shelter director and their dog trainer/behaviorist. And though I hadn't seen a tooth or heard a bark out of him at all, he gave them the "i'm not so crazy about you so stay where you are" deal with all the barking, growling, and staring down. So they both said he wouldn't be a good idea there b/c he's a bite risk - which means that he stands a good risk of being euthanized if I surrendered him there. I do like that the shelter works with me on these animals and tells me these things. They said they could accept him and put him in foster care for socialization but if there were no foster homes available, it's back to the "big sleep". I know I don't want that for him. So I moved on to another option. I took him to this place called The Bark Park. It's mostly a doggie day care facility but they do boarding and training as well. Their trainer, Joe, had done such a fantastic job on a rescue some friends of mine had, I decided to see what could be done there. It's a really great place and they get lots of interaction with humans and other dogs and get lots of outside time and nap time, etc... It's a pretty swanky place. And it's not cheap but what you get for your money is really great and Deena and Joe are really neat people who definitely love dogs and do the best for them. So I took him there this morning and will be working on options for him and can hopefully move him to somewhere else by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. In the meantime, you can see him on the web cams at the Bark Park site - click on "for live cameras click here" - Napo is in the medium dog room at the bottom right. The room on the left is big dogs and the three shots at the top are the ittie bitties. I just looked for him now but he's probably outside playing. I'm still working on home adopting him by putting up flyers and posting on petfinder and craig's list. He is a terrific dog and he's very smart, too - I know he'll eventually - and it won't take long - find just the perfect home for him. He's a great boy and I'm so glad I get the chance to be part of his forever placement.
Puerto Rico to improve treatment of animals after international condemnation, tourism loss
The Associated Press Published: December 11, 2007
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican officials launched a campaign Tuesday to improve the treatment of animals after allegations of inhumane killings of cats and dogs drew international condemnation and led to millions of dollars in lost tourism. The island will build new shelters and create animal protection units within every police department, said Terestella Gonzalez Denton, executive director of the island's tourism department.
"We want to tell the world that Puerto Rico is a civilized society," she said. Dozens of pets were seized in October from housing projects and hurled from a bridge to their deaths. An investigation by The Associated Press later showed that such inhumane methods of killing pets and stray animals were routine, with thousands of animals brutally slain.
Hundreds of angry tourists have sent letters to Puerto Rican authorities, Gonzalez said, and more than 50,000 people from around the world have signed an online petition calling for justice for those responsible.
Tourism officials estimate that Puerto Rico has lost more than US$15 million (€10 million) as a result, an amount equivalent to about 5 percent of the island's average monthly tourism income. They worry more people will shun the island.
"We don't have exact figures of the current total loss, but we understand it could be even higher due to the widespread play of the news reports," Clarisa Jimenez, president of Puerto Rico's Association of Hotels and Tourism, said in a statement. Last week, a judge charged the owner and two employees of the private company Animal Control Solutions with animal cruelty in the October pet massacre. Charges were also filed against the company. After the AP report was published, authorities said they would broaden their criminal investigation.
Wilma Rivera, the director of Puerto Rico's animal control agency, said Tuesday that she has at least US$1.5 million (€1 million) available to help municipalities build shelters. More money is expected to come from grants and other sources, she said. Puerto Rico's police chief has promised to train officers and establish animal protection units, Gonzalez said.
The only department currently offering such services is in Carolina, a suburb of San Juan. But Sgt. Carlos Davila said residents there are still surprised when officers investigate animal mistreatment.
These two dogs were found in Luquillo and are in very bad shape. A kind soul was able to rescue the girl but could not catch the boy who is in even worse shape. She is trying to get help to go catch the boy and hopefully will be successful. If you can help pay for the vet bills for either of these poor little ones, please respond.
Lannie, who was at Dead Dog Beach for over 4 years, finally has the home she deserves. A wonderful family in San Diego, CA heard Lannie's story and immediately offered to take her in. This little girl has been through so very much and can finally sleep peacefully at night, knowing she has security and a full belly. I asked her new mom, Terry, to write a little about the experiences with Lannie:
"Ginny asked me to write a paragraph or two about Lannie. Lannie has had a hard life, no doubt about it. She is an older dog, and I'm not sure how old she is, but she has those little telltale white hairs around her muzzle (like the ones on my head that I paid my hairdresser to cover up yesterday.) So I guess you could say that Lannie and I are both ladies well into our middle-aged years.
When Liz asked me about adopting Lannie, I was so thrilled and excited! I knew she was one special dog, and she is.
We picked Lannie up at the Air Freight building at the airport on December 5th. Lannie was huddled towards the back of her kennel and looked tired and scared. I knelt down and said "Hi Lannie!" several times and she gradually inched forward and licked my hand. We were surprised that Lannie looked so much smaller than she appeared in the photographs we had seen of her. As soon as we got her home we took her out of the kennel (I didn't know how she would react in the car), and she instantly responded to being cuddled and kissed. She growled at our greyhound, Toby, and our Yorkie, Augy, just to let them both know that she was a world traveler with many experiences and wasn't going to put up with any silly stuff from either of the other residents at her new home. Within eight hours, all three of them were sleeping with me in bed. Lannie loves to be hugged and petted, and rolls over on her back so we can rub and pet her chest. She also loves being scratched very gently around her ears and under her chin. She loves being kissed, and she gives kisses back to us!
Lannie only has one eye, but when she looks at you with that eye, you feel that she is looking into your soul. I loved her instantly, and so did the other members of my family. When I came home from work the first full day Lannie was home, Toby and Augy greeted me at the door with their well-rehearsed "Doggy Dance of Joy", and guess what?! They taught this dance to Lannie, and she was jumping and twirling with them (while trying not to get stepped on by Toby, who is something of a klutz.) Seeing her do this brought tears to my eyes. She knew this was her new home! Toby did something for Lannie that he's never done for anyone before. He has his own love seat in our room where he sleeps, because he is a very large dog and likes to sleep diagonally in our bed, which leaves no room for us. He is very possessive about his love seat, and he doesn't like anyone else to sit on it or - heaven forbid - another dog to sleep on it. Yesterday Lannie hopped up on it and went to sleep. Toby saw her and jumped up on the love seat, very carefully, and made himself curl up so he was small enough not to disturb Lannie!!! Amazing!!!
I know Lannie has had many hungry days and nights in her life, but she is a dainty eater who shows a lot of restraint and always leaves some of her canned food in the dish to eat later. I have to put her dish up and save what she doesn't eat for later so Toby doesn't wolf it down. I keep a big dish of dry food out for all three dogs, and Lanny eats just a little at a time, several times throughout the day. If she could hold a napkin, she would be the kind of lady who would daintily wipe the corners of her mouth.
My son, Gabe, brought one of his dogs, Korben, over for a visit and Lannie did her usual "I'm a tough girl" introduction. Korben is a little larger than Lannie, has absolutely no social skills, and is a puppy with energy to spare. They ran up and down the hall playing and running, and jumping on each other, and they had the best time! Lannie got tired and jumped up on my bed and I had to explain to Korben that Lannie wasn't a puppy and liked to take naps.
I promised Lannie the day we brought her home that we would make up for every unhappy, lonely day she has ever had, and we will. I continue to believe that dogs are wonderful, almost mystical creatures that are more highly evolved that most people. There are countless dogs like Lannie out there. Some of them are old, and tired, and maybe not as cute as a puppy, but we all know that youth and beauty are fleeting. Dogs with a heart and soul like Lannie will love you and be your best friend for life. Please consider adopting an older dog, or a special needs dog, or any dog that desperately needs a home. Your life will be so much richer for sharing it with a dog like Lannie."
Rebeka is very pregnant. She hasn't been at the beach for very long and may have been dumped there due to her pregnancy. We need to get her off the beach asap so she can have the puppies in safety. If she has them at the beach, they are susceptible to all sorts of harm.
Look how sad our little Riley looked when she was at the beach. But look at her now!!! She is in foster care with Christine in Orlando, Florida and is doing so well! She finished her heartworm treatment at the Orlando SPCA but just wasn't adjusting well to shelter life - go figure after over 4 years running wild and in fear at the beach! Christine says Riley is a beautiful, happy, sweet, loving girl and she'll be a great addition to a family! We were originally under the impression that she would be too feral to be adoptable and were looking at sending her to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. But low and behold, she's a total keeper!!!
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Puerto Rican judge has charged the owner and two employees of a city contractor with animal cruelty after the company allegedly took pets from a public housing project and hurled them off a bridge.
Julio Diaz, the owner of Animal Control Solutions, and workers Lucas Montano Rivera, 18, and Roberto Rodriguez Ceballo, 28, were each charged with three counts of violations to the U.S. territory's laws against animal cruelty. Charges were also filed against the company.
The three defendants, who face cruelty charges that carry maximum prison terms of nine years, were released Wednesday evening after each posted $3,000.
"We are going to prove that we are not guilty," Diaz said as he left the court in suburban San Juan.
The charges involve the October massacre of pets seized by municipal officials and animal-control workers from three housing projects in the town of Barceloneta under city rules prohibiting pets in the projects. Some 80 pets were seized, and only a half-dozen survived the 50-foot fall from the bridge, some with serious injuries. The dogs and cats apparently were drugged before they were killed.
Jose Arzola Mendez, attorney for the two animal-control employees, Montano and Rodriguez, said there was no evidence linking his clients to the pet massacre and said dogs and cats were confiscated by municipal employees of Barceloneta.
A $22.5 million lawsuit against Animal Control Solutions and city officials — including those who helped round up the animals — has been filed on behalf of 16 Barceloneta families whose dogs and cats were seized.
Barceloneta Mayor Sol Luis Fontanes, named as a defendant in the civil suit, has said that Animal Control Solutions, the municipality of Barceloneta and the public housing administration were involved in rounding up pets at the public housing projects. But he said the city's responsibility ended when Animal Control Solutions drove off with the animals in their vans.
Puerto Rican authorities said last month that they will broaden their investigation after a report by The Associated Press showed that thousands of unwanted cats and dogs may have been slaughtered in the tropical U.S. territory.
Liz from Amigos de los Animales rescued four more dogs from the beach today - Jacques, Loki, Tabitha and Daryl. I'll keep you posted on how they're doing. Thanks Liz and Amigos!
One at a Time: Travels prompt local woman's work to save stray dogs in Puerto Rico
By Blair Goldstein
JOURNAL REPORTER
Rebecca Rogers tried to ignore the stray dogs running along the streets and in the parking lots near her hotel in Puerto Rico.
Then she went to the beach.
What could have been the perfect image of paradise - a group of people picnicking near the ocean - shocked her out of her complacency. Next to her picnic table were dead and dying dogs.
Rogers, who lives in Pinnacle, said she left the beach, went to a grocery store and returned with bags of dog food, which she ripped open and left for the dogs.
Since she left the beach almost two years ago, Rogers has spent her time and money working to save stray dogs in Puerto Rico. This year, she has fostered five Puerto Rican dogs, two of which are still at her home.
“I know it’s one dog at a time, and that that’s all I can do for the dogs in Puerto Rico, but at least these dogs are happy now,” she said.
Rogers began regularly traveling to Puerto Rico as a product developer for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. about two years ago. She said she had no idea that the island had a problem controlling stray dogs.
According to The Associated Press, Puerto Rico has at least 100,000 stray dogs and cats and no island-wide spaying or neutering programs.
The situation recently got national attention after a government contractor was accused of seizing 80 dogs and cats from three housing projects in the town of Barceloneta and killing them by throwing them off a bridge. A $22.5 million lawsuit has been filed against the government contractor and city officials.
Rogers said that the problem with strays in Puerto Rico is large, but she felt that she could make a small difference.
She started slowly. At first, she would buy bags of dog food when she arrived in Puerto Rico and put the food out for strays. She stocked her car with dog treats to toss out of the window.
Then, a co-worker told her about a nonprofit organization called Manos por Patas, or Hands for Paws. The group works mainly in the southeastern city of Yabucoa, where Rogers spent most of her time.
Her job used to bring her to the island about four times a year for a week or a month each time. She said she no longer travels to Puerto Rico for work, but plans to go back on her own.
Rogers started giving money to Manos por Patas about a year and a half ago.
The organization was started by Ginny Cornett, who lives in Florida but also travels regularly to Puerto Rico for work. Cornett said that she started the nonprofit organization in 2006 to help stray dogs find good homes and to encourage the Puerto Rican government to start a spay and neuter program.
To date, she said, the group has helped spay, neuter and vaccinate hundreds of dogs and has sent more than 200 dogs to American homes.
“There is a lot of money and time and love in these dogs,” Cornett said.
Rogers has always been an animal lover.
When her two children were young, she said, they had every pet imaginable, from iguanas to goats.
Currently, she has 14 dogs and four cats on her five-acre property, including two Puerto Rican rescue dogs, Chandler, a 1-year-old yellow Labrador mix, and Olga, a 11/2-year-old bird-dog mix.
They are the last of the five dogs that Rogers has taken in this year.
Rogers said she has provided a foster home to local dogs in the past, but for now, she feels compelled to help the strays in Puerto Rico. She said she wants to foster more dogs from the island once Chandler and Olga find good homes.
“It’s really rewarding when you get one on its last leg and you help turn them around and get them adopted,” Rogers said. “I couldn’t save them all, but at least I know I am doing something.”
■ Blair Goldstein can be reached at 727-7284 or at
Lest we get all "high and mighty" here in the States...
Difference is, steps are being taken to help, not to shun responsibility.
Sun-Sentinel.com
Mandatory pet neutering is best option left for county's tragic overpopulation crisis
Nicole Brochu | Columnist
They were barely bigger than a breakfast sausage, four tiny kittens, peacefully suckling their momma. They were about a week old, too young to even open their eyes to see what the cruel world had dealt them.
By the time you read this, they are dead. Their contented momma, too.
So is the shy pit bull with the plaintive eyes and the telltale battle scars across his nose. So is the porky gray cat, obviously pampered once, until she was abandoned to a life of hiding in the back of a shelter cage, too depressed to even look at curious visitors.
Their sad end is not unique. Every day, unwanted pets meet their demise in the euthanization room at the Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control shelter. More than 18,000 died that way last year alone.
Don't blame the broken-hearted workers there. They put the needles of sodium pentobarbital in the veins of these lost souls, but they aren't the ones who mapped out this heartbreak. They're just the unlucky soldiers left to do fate's dirty work.
The truth is, there are just too many lost and discarded animals in Palm Beach County. The overcrowded shelter on Belvedere Road isn't big enough to house them all. Every day, between 50 and 90 animals make their way through the shelter's doors. On any given day, a building meant to house no more than 300 pets packs in 500 to 700, sometimes 900.
More telling: Most are not sterilized. And if animal advocates know anything, it's that problems beget problems, literally.
More than any single reason, that's why Palm Beach County is in the fix it's in. That's why, despite subsidized sterilization services and an aggressive public awareness campaign, the pet overpopulation crisis is only getting more out of hand. That's why a mandatory spay and neuter program is the next logical step.
It's a sad day when government has to require people to do what any responsible pet owner does without prompting. Having dogs and cats spayed or neutered is the best thing for them. It reduces their risk of disease and injury and gives them better quality of life.
Of course, it's not the responsible pet owners Animal Care & Control Director Dianne Sauve is worried about. It's those who don't keep a good rein on their animals. They're also the ones least likely to have their dogs "altered." Oh, God wouldn't want that, they say. You're not doing that to no dog of mine, the macho among them say. I want my child to see the miracle of birth, others say. Whatever their objection, it comes from a place of ignorance and, ultimately, neglect.
Sauve likes to say that to experience the miracle of birth, you must also be subjected to the tragedy of death, especially when the two all too often go hand-in-hand.
Just take a trip to Sauve's shelter, as some 27,500 animals did last year. Some were dumped, with all the delicacy and anonymity of a load of trash, in an overnight drop-off. Others were picked up as strays, roaming the streets without a home or much of a chance. A number were taken from irresponsible owners, after exhibiting signs of neglect or abuse.
A good many, though, were walked or carried through the front door, often by regretful owners who wait the typical two hours in the crowded lobby to hand over a pet they just can't care for.
The shelter's compassionate workers do their best to find the pets a home and make their last moments comfortable. But the reality is not pretty. The vast majority of these animals never make it out alive.
Because space is limited, only the cutest and sweetest with the best hope at pulling at the heartstrings are selected for the adoption program. The rest are deemed too dangerous, too damaged by abuse (like that shy pit bull), too young to be sterilized (like those teeny kittens), or unlikely to find a home (like that abandoned cat).
This is what apathy has wrought in the dark corners of the county's pet world.
Will mandatory spaying and neutering end the madness? Not likely, but it's bound to help.
When all other appeals for reason fall on deaf ears, money talks. Faced with stiff fines, or allowed to walk away without penalty once the animal is fixed, most will do the right thing. A bonus: Those unsavory, unlicensed puppy mills will have no place to hide. Legitimate breeders, and those who want to keep their pet intact, can be exempt under certain conditions.
Would such a program, under consideration by the County Commission, amount to government overstepping its typical boundaries? Maybe. But I've seen the alternative, and this is far likelier to map out a happy ending.
What's the worst that can happen? A bunch of people are forced to fix their pets like they're supposed to? I'd take that over a bunch of dead kittens any day.
This is Mandy. She was rescued by Maritza. Here's Maritza's story about Mandy:
I rescued Mandy from the Kennedy Shelter, she was very shy and we worked together at home. She lived with me about 3 months and was doing ok before I sent her to the SPCA with Tongolele (I asked Christine specifically of Mandy and Moca because I wanted to be sure they could work a little more with them. Moca needed more help than Mandy. Chris told me it was ok because they have an animal behaviorist that could work with them). From the shyness Mandy started playing and having fun with other dogs I had at home. She was very close to Tongolele. I suppose they were separated and Tongo was adopted because I never saw Tongolele on the site. And maybe with the last experiences (the travel, again in a shelter, without Tongolele) she got back to her "shy mode". But Mandy loves treats a lot, she is very friendly with other dogs and she barks when she wants attention (like a Schnauzer I have). She is not food or toy aggressive; even though she was frightened she never growled or tried to bite. She should be place in a home with other dogs or in a home where she sees people all the time. She may never be an effusively wagging tail dog, but once she knows and has confidence that she won't be hurt she will seek for you and be a great companion. Please keep me posted, and tell me if you need help. I promised Mandy she will be ok and I am extremely grateful you are taking good care of her.
Mandy has been at the Orlando SPCA shelter for a few weeks and is doing okay but is becoming more shy and reticent and it would be best for us to take her out and home adopt her. If anyone is looking for a shy but sweet girl to make their family complete, please let us know.
Boris and Nanette were taken to Dr. Reyes office today. He says they both look in good shape though Boris definitely needs a shaving! And little Nanette is pregnant! We'll find out how far along tomorrow and decide what to do. Boris weighs about 10 lbs and is about 1 year old. Nanette is about 15 pounds and is between 8-10 months old. They'll be moving to foster care soon and if anyone would like to sponsor their rescues, please contact us.
Shakira, who is now named Pumpkin, has a wonderful new home! She is living with a family in Vero Beach, Florida and is living a terrific life. Here is an email I received from her new dad:
Pumpkin is adjusting, and is doing well overall. She’s only peed in the house once (as punishment to Ellen, we think); otherwise, she’s been fine with the potty issue. She can take-off like a bolt of lightning (she is unbelievably fast and has great endurance). Ellen will soon be shopping for a harness because Pumpkin is extremely clever and knows just how to wiggle out of a dog collar—even after it’s been tightened a lot. It’s a good thing you watched her with your cats, because Pumpkin seems very interested in wildlife and really wanted to go after the ducks and geese in our lake. On the other side of things, Pumpkin has been giving and getting affection nonstop ever since last Wednesday, and she seems happy and at home. Heather and Zoe are slowly getting used to her; they only want to pet her once in a while at this point, but love watching her all the time and especially love it when she lays-down under their seats at the kitchen table (for some reason she does this a lot, even though they’re not feeding her). And Pumpkin loves meeting other dogs. She wants to meet every dog she can find. But mostly—after she’s been tuckered-out with some exercise—she wants to cuddle with Ellen and myself and seems most happy when she’s resting with us and we’re petting her as she’s giving us doggy affection.
Our beautiful Lannie is going to a wonderful home in San Diego, California! Lannie, who has been having a hard time at the SPCA shelter in Orlando, Florida, was originally scheduled to go to Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. But a woman named Terry, who lives in San Diego, heard Lannie's story and her heart just wouldn't let her walk away. Liz from Amigos de los Animales knows Terry and what a wonderful heart she has for animals. Terry was originally going to take Fanny, the blind Chihuahua who died of distemper late last month. We are all sad to lose Fanny, but her passing opened the door for Lannie. Lannie, and her buddy, Riley, are two girls who have survived so much. And now Lannie is getting a great home. We hope we can find something as wonderful for Riley.
All of these little angels have found their forever homes! Dane is going to be living the city life in NYC! Jocelyn, Shakira, Isabella (formerly Ishtar), and Giovanna all have new homes in Florida. And Lannie, darling, sweet Lannie, is going alllll the way to the west coast to a new home in San Diego! We're so happy for all these little special pups and especially for those loving and generous enough to take them into their homes.
Sabrina gave birth to NINE adorable little bundles of joy yesterday at http://www.tricountyhumane.org/ in Boca Raton, FL. Sabrina was at the beach for only a few days but managed to get herself "in the family way" anyway. She came to my house for adoption but I had an inkling she was preggers and the vet confirmed it with an x-ray. Tri-County generously took Sabrina in and she gave birth about 10 days later (yesterday). Eight of the puppies have no tail - only stubs.
Sandra found Spencer and Karina dead, apparently from poisoning. Weekends seem to be the time folks like to go out to the beach and have a good old time killing animals.
WOW!!!! The Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah has agreed to take Lannie - and possibly Riley as well!!!! They did a great story on the Puerto Rico situation a couple of weeks ago so they are well aware of the nightmare of the situation. They can take Lannie for sure and are considering Riley but need to test out her aggression issues to make sure it will be the right place for her. Now we just need a place for them to be fostered for about a week somewhere in central Florida and then they'll fly out to the West!! Thank you so much to Katie Block and Rosina Fabbo for making the contacts with Best Friends.
I'm sure everyone knows who Thor is - he makes sure of that! He is a very special boy who was rescued from that horrible beach. He had to suffer at that beach for months before he was able to be rescued. He arrived there with a broken front leg - we have no idea how it happened. The break was right above the elbow and whenever he took a step on that leg, the lower bones shifted over the upper bones causing obvious pain for him (and it looked awful to those who saw it!). He was rescued in June 2007 and was in foster care until he came to me in mid-August. He had surgery on his leg in September where the vet fused the bones together with grafts and had to put 4 rods THROUGH his leg to hold everything together. The rods came out a few weeks ago and though he'll never have much use of the leg, he will not have the pain and the tissue degeneration he would have had otherwise.
So anyway, Thor has issues that make his placement difficult - we have to find that one just perfect person for him. He is very attached to me since I've had him for so long. I actually found a wonderful placement for him last week and the couple loved him very much. But the second I left their house, leaving Thor behind, he sat in front of the door with his binky-bear in his mouth, crying for me to come back. He cried through the night and into the morning and the couple, a wonderful retired couple, just couldn't bear breaking his heart like that so they asked me to take him back.
Now, I LOVE Thor and would keep him myself but he is just too attached and possessive of me to allow me to have the foster dogs in my house that I want to have. He makes life miserable for them and I know it's a lot of stress on him as well. So I need to find a better place for him.
Thor is very very sweet and VERY smart. He has more personality than I've ever seen in any one dog. He loves his toys and thinks that a dirty sock or a wad of paper is just the most wonderful plaything ever! He loves to play catch with a tennis ball or rubber bone and to sit in the window and warn me of impending danger - like the mailman or my neighbor walking her dog. He is totally housetrained and well-behaved. He does have a barking issue, though, which needs to be addressed and I'm not sure how. He barks mostly for attention - like when I'm writing in my blog trying to find him a good home. But also whenever there are noises outside or dogs walking across the street - or a slamming door on the television. He is okay with cats and female dogs but just doesn't want the competition from other males. He's neutered and up to date on shots. He is also wary of men but I think will be fine over time with one who loves him and treats him kindly. He would be fine in an apartment or house and would love to have a fenced yard in which to wander but also walks well on a leash.
If you can give Thor the home he needs and deserves, please contact me.
Rocco came through his surgery with Dr. Monhil very well today. He will stay at the clinic until Wednesday or Thursday then Daniela will take him home with her to convalesce. As soon as the vet says he can fly, Rocco will head for Connecticut to live with two other rescued dogs and a mommy and daddy who will love him so much!
