Chile Forum

About three weeks back there was a notice around in the centro / provedienca area about a rabid bat ( now there is a name for a rock group) being caught in the area. Animal control came round and gave injections to all the mascotas in our condo. I told my cats they were getting free meds, they thought I meant 'nip. There was disappointment. And recriminations. Soon after that I noticed a decline in the perro population in the area. Coincidence?

I have heard that people that have a dog they want to get rid of they take it on vacation to the coast and just leave it there when they go back home. That may be why there are more strays in El Tabo right now.

Suposedly Ñuñoa has been rounding up strays and putting them in a facility they have opened, but it is unclear as far as what they are doing as far as finding home and if some are being euthanized.

Strays are commonly dumped near where I live, out of the city. They are definitely being rounded up-there are no more strays-and there always has been. But I have never seen anyone doing it-they are very good, maybe at night

Also, took a drive in the foothills where we always saw a lot of strays but not a one there. The municipalities got money from the central govt to do as they wished. How strange we will be saying in years to come how many strays there used to be in Chile.

I have heard rumours that around the election time they have been clearing dogs of the streets and that it is forbidden now to feed the dogs between STG and Cajon del Maipo, locally called "Calle de los Peros Abondonados". Indeed there were some animals lovers pulling over to feed the abandoned pets ( there were some beautiful dogs, I actually took one of my dogs from there) but that seems to be over now.
Also the animal shelters are horrible. I have worked in one as a volunteer for a couple of months, and it is arguable that dogs sometimes would be better of in the street than forever locked up in a cage of 2x3m.
It is too bad, but Chileans just don´t have the same concept of having a pet. Not to mention the machismo about castrating male dogs....(as if it were there own balls).

xxx

Suzanne wrote:Not to mention the machismo about castrating male dogs....(as if it were there own balls).

*Bite fist* This gets me so worked up. They won't castrate their dogs and then so many of them let their dogs roam the streets during the day. Grrrr!

Those volunteer groups that fix street dongs should extend to fixing those free-running dogs with collars too.

fixing street dongs! too funny. that beats the duckings

There is a volunteer group here who does work with street dogs too, but they need recovery time and that means a couple of weeks in a foster home then turfed back on the streets.

Secondly, collars aren't much help, our dog's collar has been nicked off his neck three times.

I think you mean dogs with "owners" who let them run free - again, they need recovery time and cooperation from the owners. It's not as simple as we would like. Funding and resources are a massive problem. Even subsidised sterlisations cost 14 luca, and these guys don't have 15 luca for their dogs. I've taken one to get put down even it was in such a bad way; they didn't want it to suffer but didn't have money for euthanising it.

consider also the dogs that don't roam the streets - there is a gorgeous golden retriever up my street who has never been out of their yard since she was a puppy. she's now nearly two and i'm watching her go mad. but that is the alternative to letting them roam! there are a lot of factors at play.

Along the lines of what was already posted by Chile2008, the beach is full of dogs, the street too and all they leave behind. While I like watching the dogs playing on the beach, the constant cleanup and turd tango while walking is getting old. Las Cruces has a group of locals who spay females left behind by vacationers but I fear this only encourages the dumping (by the owners that is). There isn't a warm fuzzy solution to this one.

It's that time of year in Pucon / Villarrica too. Stand by for bewildered unwanted Christmas presents being left here when everyone goes back to Santiago. Are there many things sadder than an abandoned puppy?