I have seen several reports
talking about the problem of stray dogs or “satos” in Puerto Rico which has
become so severe that there is a beach now commonly known as “Dead Dog Beach”. Here
is one particularly good article by Cesar Millan (of “The Dog Whisperer” fame)
reviewing a documentary on the problem with a couple of particularly interesting
insights.
Firstly, as in many other
places, the finger of blame is pointed at backyard breeders out to make a quick
profit from the mass production of puppies. Often these farmed animals lack the
upbringing that would turn them into good pets and they end up getting
abandoned by their new owners. However, even more significantly the “surplus”
puppies, those that do not sell immediately, get dumped by the breeders
directly, sometimes even before they are weaned giving them virtually no chance
of survival. In terms of numbers of abandoned dogs this seems to be by far the
biggest problem in Puerto Rico. It may well also be happening in other
countries but does not get the same attention as abandonment by pet owners.
Secondly, he highlights
how the macho attitude of many Latino men results in a strong reluctance to
neuter their pet dogs for the perceived loss of masculinity. Thus, the
population of potential breeders is kept higher than necessary and the chances
of unwanted puppies becomes greater.
Understanding such
subtleties in the mechanisms that lead to stray dog problems can only be a good
thing and help us see beyond the standard arguments of how to deal with the
stray dogs themselves. We should stop focusing on the strays as the problem.
The problem is our behaviour.
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