Blogging About Critters Since 2007

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The Pet Killing Fields of Puerto Rico

Looks like throwing live unwanted pets off bridges is only the tip of the iceberg according to this AP article.

Back roads, gorges and garbage dumps on this tropical island are littered with the decaying carcasses of dogs and cats. An Associated Press investigation reveals why: possibly thousands of unwanted animals have been tossed off bridges, buried alive and otherwise inhumanely disposed of by taxpayer-financed animal control programs.

Witnesses who spoke with the AP said that, despite pledges to deliver adoptable strays to shelters and humanely euthanize the rest, the island's leading private animal control companies generally did neither.


And then here is my favorite part:

The AP could find no sign that any of the municipalities checked to make sure the companies dealt with the strays humanely.

"It wasn't our responsibility," said Edwin Arroyo, special assistant to the mayor of Barceloneta, which paid Animal Control Solutions up to $20,000 per year and in October hired the company to remove banned pets from housing projects — allegedly the ones that wound up at the bottom of the bridge.


OK, who's responsibility is it? They're paying them 20 grand to take care of this. Ever hear of oversight? Remember this response next time you hear any drivel out of Puerto Rican officials trying to counteract the negative publicity.

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