Comments on: Animal Humane Group Provides Care To Puerto Rico’s Stray Dogs

By: Dineace

Dineace — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:47:18 +0000

I’ve been there to witness it first hand. It’s horrid. We spent 3 years there and the deplorable conditions of these animals was enough to turn my stomach. I’ve met Gwen Davis and she is an excellent human being. She’s volunteered alot of time and care to these animals and this was looong before this article was published. I was lucky enough to foster a few dogs while there. It’s a very gratifying experience. If shelters(continental U.S) are accepting these animals they are doing a service to animal kind. They aren’t forced to accept them. I have two of these dogs myself, brought back from our 3 year tour(foster dogs that were not placed before we left). They are the BEST dogs we’ve ever had. And they’ve been with us more than 7 years now. The stray animal population on the island is the worst I’ve seen in my travels (as far as the continental U.S. is concerned) I don’t want to see the other islands. It’s too heartbreaking.
Dineace M

By: barb schultz

barb schultz — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:33:31 +0000

I just came back from a rescue mission {3 puppies) from st croix and next year I hope to do Pueerto Rico! God Bless Richly the people of save a sato I know a few of them and tyhey do a wonderful job so PLEASE support them financially the more money, the more they can do Thank You Barb Schultz of Pgh Pa

By: Christina

Christina — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:10:44 +0000

I applaude the efforts of anyone who is willing to help animals who are so obviously and desperately in need of care-you are the true heroes in my mind. Unfortunately these dogs are born into situations where poverty and corruption run hand in hand. They pay the ultimate price for this world being overpopulated with people, some of which care more about individual power than individuals. Ultimately Puerto Rico and other islands need their own animal shelters staffed with people who can care for the animals, not just kill them. How can we make this happen? One person doing something courageous, like Ginny, each one of us can reach out and help. If enough of us do that , then change becomes imminent.
Please reach out to your nearest shelter and offer to help in any way possible. Visit saveasato.org and tell the governor of Puerto Rico that you will NOT give him your tourist dollars until something is done to help the THOUSANDS of dogs currently suffering on HIS island. We all can do something.

By: pat

pat — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:13:58 +0000

trucorgi, i respect your point of view, but Puerto Rico isn’t a foreign country, it’s a US territory, and i feel that the animals there deserve our help. i have to admit that i don’t understand the politics of animal rescue and shelter. i don’t know who the individual leaders are and i don’t know where each organization stands on all the issues. i understand only the look of desperation in the eyes of these dogs.

By: trucorgi

trucorgi — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:27:50 +0000

I became aware of this trend during the California MNS debate. Everyone should take a look at the big picture on this before they decide itâ€™s a great idea. Keep in mind that Newkirk has said that if Americans are to have pets they MUST be refugees from animal shelters and the streets. Peta supports this HSUS does not. They don’t often disagree so this should be a red flag. This has been going on for a couple of years now and it is estimated that already 14,000 imported strays are coming into our shelters from groups like this. Thatâ€™s a lot of dogs. Most are young or puppies. At the same time animals rights activists are working very hard to outlaw all hobby breeding in the US. They will tell you that every puppy bred by a responsible breeder takes away a home and condemns a shelter dog to death. When asked if importing strays from foreign countries has an effect on â€œover populationâ€, they will tell you it does not. http://www.naiaonline.org/arti.....insane.htm

Let me just say that I support helping Puerto Rico or anyone else. That help should be to feed, provide medical care, sterilization, vaccines, training, public ed, even building adequate shelters (and God knows Peta could do that if they wanted to), not importing these animals so that the US shelters can operate as publicly funded pet stores. Shouldnâ€™t we all be happy when our shelters are empty? In certain areas shelters will not allow small dogs to even go into foster care or the rescue program of their breed because they want them in the shelter saying they are easy to place.

By: RUFF McGruff

RUFF McGruff — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:16:04 +0000

This story reminds me of a movie that I saw last June called Sun dogs. I saw it at Cinevegas and it has stuck with me since then as such an inspiring movie , especially for dog lovers. The film is a documentary about the first ever Jamaican dogsled team. In the movie they take dogs from shelters around Jamaica and give them a chance at a new life. These dogs, just like the ones in this story about Puerto Rico, had no homes and were most certainly on the verge of euthanization. Joining this team gave them a second chance and they all look so happy to be on the team running together. I suggest everyone check it out if they’re looking for a film that finally cares about dogs.

By: catmom5

catmom5 — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:47:54 +0000

This was similar to the situation I encountered on Tahiti and neighboring islands in the South Pacific. These poor animals are in need of so much. I tried to get vet care for one in particular who had been attacked by others and had an ear dangling and blood dripping down her neck. However, there was NO ONE who would even see her. When I tried to find a way to get her back to the USA for care I was told that they will not allow their animals to be removed from the islands and taken to other places. (I was on a cruise at the time so couldn’t do much of anything.) I hope and pray that this situation is changing for all these lost and abandoned creatures who are simply trying to survive.

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:03:09 +0000

This is a great thing. From my experience, these dogs aren’t overcrowding already full shelters, but are instead bringing dogs to places where there aren’t many for adoption. In MA, they don’t have a lot of abandoned dogs (cats, yes). A former roommate spent six months looking for a dog to be a playmate for the one she already had. When she finally found one, the dog had been flown in from Puerto Rico. The shelters in the area also bring up “Dixie Dogs” from the southern states where overpopulation, abandonment, and euthanization is a problem. Either way is great.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:02:06 +0000

Many kudos to Ms. Cornett and Dr. Davis and other vets for volunteering! However, I have to agree, with reservation, with the Humane Society this time. The main land’s animal shelters are already facing overcrowding. Some shelters are making spaces for more animals by killing others. Taking in more abandoned ones will most likely pressure the kill shelters to hurry their deeds.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:42:42 +0000

What a wonderful cause for the poor abandoned canines and any little puppies who would be born into such a horrible and neglected life. Those poor starving doggies who were dumped needed an angel like Ginny Cornett to desend and heap love and care upon them. Thank God for you Ginny and other people who have helped these orphaned fur babies.