Quito Strays - Cultural Difference
While searching for information on the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano my wife Lorie stumbled across this story about an American student at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito who has set up a shelter for stray dogs in Quito. As I read the story I was struck by the seeming cultural difference over the role of dogs in society between the US and Ecuador.
In the US there seems to be, in my estimation, a movement to elevate the role of animals in society to a place equal to or sometimes above that of people. For example, in the comments thread that accompanies the article, one commenter who questioned the idea of seeking homes for Ecuadorian dogs in the US while so many Ecuadorian children lived in poverty was immediately flamed. I must say that I was horrified by the anger and vitriol of the responses that followed.
Yet, while I recognize and understand that dogs and human beings have a long history together, I cannot help but worry that some of these efforts might be just a little misplaced.
"There's no animal control program in place in Ecuador," said Toni Bodon, executive director of Stray from the Heart, a New York-based dog rescue group that has teamed with Amigo Fiel to help find homes for the dogs - and accepts donations for the shelter in Ecuador.
"The only animal control program they have is to poison dogs," she said. "They send out government employees with poisoned meat and then go pick up the dead dogs in a truck. It's a horrible situation."
An animal protection movement is just emerging in Ecuador, Cole and Bodon said. Petitions are being signed and more people are getting involved.
My meager experiences in the neighborhoods of Quito Sur lead me be believe that there are better ways of utilizing the meager resources of the Ecuadorian government than to create an animal control program that seeks to find adoptive homes for the dogs of Quito.
6 comentarios:
I agree, there should be better ways to spend money. Education, health, nutrition... students from San Francisco University live another reality, what a shame
Charlie,
My experience with undergraduates is that they all seem to live another reality.
Although I can’t access to the article yet I was remembering an article where Umberto Eco was regarding the two most astonishing impressions of two people from Africa, after a visit they made to Europe. One of these was that Europeans take dogs for a walk. It is like in the US. It is a very interesting perception because of the poverty, as you said. However, it is very hard to judge cultural practices. In Quito we have dog hotels, dog hair style centers, day cares for dogs, etc. Of course, that happens in wealth neighborhoods. In some senses it sounds terrible, especially if you compare that with the rates of children mortality here. But again, it is not as easy as giving the money you spend in your dog to the children that need…
And it is good to remind that in the Andes we still eat guinea pigs…
Seems I was wrong to think that the pampering of dogs (or animals in general) was an exclusively US phenomenon...maybe it is more of a wealth issue than a cultural issue.
Also, my thoughts and feelings about the treatment of dogs may also be a reflection of my personal belief that animals should have some sort of job that they do for or around the household (which is a view I developed from my grandfather, Cesar Millan, and the Amish church). Plus, it makes me uncomfortable to see a dog wearing a sweater (they already have a coat, I argue).
Yes John, I agree. It is very cool the interesting chat that came from your article. Thanks. I was thinking in all the singular cultural expressions that came with wealth... And the strategies for improve life with less.
Pablo,
Thank you for the snacks that you sent back with Chris. I especially like the cebolla chifles, and Lorie enjoyed the Amor cookies. I had an exclusively Ecuadorian lunch today; tuna, chifles, and chocolate. All that was missing was the Inca Cola.
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