Stray Dogs

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Martin Hash
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Stray Dogs

Post by Martin Hash » Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:33 am

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They don’t eat dog meat in South America but that’s one possible solution to the inordinate number of canines roaming the streets of most villages and cities. Another answer might be an organized spay & neuter program, and if that is impractical then round the dogs up and euthanize them. Why no action is preferable to streets and sidewalks covered in dogshit, constant howling and pack fights, and the anguish of seeing a maimed or hurt animal crawling and whining in the public parks is beyond me?

Perhaps, as in India where cows are sacred, dogs in South America have a special place in the godly pantheon? I didn’t hear of any dog worship, nor did I see any of the local people adoring the dogs as civic pets. Also, stray dogs somehow know to accost tourists for food and attention. Somehow the dogs recognize tourists by their looks or their smell because the dogs are all over them, often following backpackers to their campsites then sleeping nearby. We had as many as a dozen dogs gathered around us at mealtime. They have no fear of getting under the table and threading through everyone’s legs to get a pat or beg for a morsel of food.

Interestingly, I noticed that stray dogs in various South American countries definitely look different. In the poorer countries the strays are mongrels of every breed and size, but in a richer country like Argentina, the dogs are more uniform is breeding, temperament, and more attractive. Brazil is obviously up-and-coming: dogs there are both handsome and on leashes. Why would the dog population mirror the human population? (This is a real question.)
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