The title of this blog will give you a hint that this is a story about dogs. Shortly after our arrival in Santiago last August, we noticed the dogs on the streets. Coming from Canada where dogs are either on leashes or enclosed in yards, it was very unusual for us to see them wandering around or sleeping on the sidewalk seemingly unattached to anyone. That was the beginning of what has become not only a love/hate relationship with the dogs of Chile but also a growing confusion about why the situation has been allowed to get so out of control.
Our first night in Valparaiso brought the dawning awareness of just how bad the abandoned dog situation here really is. We realized that if we wanted to live in this city, we would have to accept a number of realities regarding dogs. I will give you a brief outline of what some of these "realities" entail.......Valparaiso has as many as 70,000 abandoned dogs (this number comes from a quote in "El Mercurio", a reputable daily newspaper). "Survival of the Fittest" is the code by which they live......some are starving, some have been injured by cars and are limping, some appear near death with clumps of fur missing and open sores on their bodies, some appear quite healthy and happy. They all have fleas and fleas transfer from dogs to humans (more on this later). They sleep through most of the day sometimes when we see them laying on the sidewalks, we have to look twice at some to make sure they are alive.
This guy was in a panic trying to go down an "up" escalator in a local grocery store. One may ask what he was doing in the grocery store in the first place??
They come to life at night to bark and roam the streets in packs (they roam together during the day sometimes too; once, when we were in Concon, what started out as a pair of dogs following us, grew into a pack of 10 dogs within a few minutes). Interestingly, most of the dogs are very passive, and we have only felt threatened a few times by a dog that nipped at our heels while walking to our friend's house (it is of note that this particular dog has an "owner"). Here is the offending dog.......I must say that once we became assertive with him, he backed right off and he is now our "friend".
This is his buddy.....they are kind of a "Mutt and Jeff" team, and they are the self-appointed protectors of the street. Although this guy is bigger, he is a real sweetheart.
The following photo is of a very "special" (try to put a heavy dose of sarcasm on that word) dog in our neighborhood. This guy barks almost non-stop day and night, and we have given him a "special" name that we choose not to print! (Again....an "owned" dog!!!)
Norm and I love dogs. We do not own a dog, but we admire them for their beauty and intelligence. I have often made eye contact with street dogs here, and there is no doubt in my mind that there is more going on in their heads than we give them credit for. The street dogs do not behave as we think they should. These dogs have a sadness and wisdom in their eyes that speaks volumes of what their lives are like. They rarely wag their tails, and often, they keep their tails tucked between their legs. They do not run and/or play with people, and I have seen them cower in fear from people and vehicles speeding by them. However, I think for some of them, their lives are very happy. They seem to exist with people in a relationship that displays their understanding of their place in society. The dogs do not beg for food, and when it is offered to them, they take it very politely and seem grateful for whatever they get. I have come to see some of these dogs like people who live on the street......they make the best of their situation but some fare better than others.
We have been amazed by the intelligence of dogs many times since being here. Maybe some of you have heard about "The Hero Dog of Chile" (a direct quote from "The Valparaiso Times" online newspaper). This abandoned dog risked his own life to try and save his "partner" dog who had been hit by a car on a busy freeway.
Our friends have told us the story of a dog they "met" in Santiago while dining in an outdoor cafe, only to be approached by this same dog again the next day many miles from the original spot. We have had dogs "guide" us down streets, staying with us for many blocks, often looking back to make sure that we are still following.
The most memorable and heartbreaking personal story of a dog encounter (and cat too, but I will tell you about that later) occurred a few weeks ago while we were with our friends. We visited the Polanco ascensor which is in a part of Valparaiso that definitely shows signs of poverty, but it is not the worst area we have seen. While walking down the hill, we noticed a mother dog with one puppy (the puppy was maybe six weeks old). It was obvious from its condition, that the puppy likely wouldn't live very long, or the mother either. As we walked on, we saw another puppy lying dead on the sidewalk. Very sad....but we had to agree that the dead puppy was the lucky one.
Remember I mentioned the wisdom of dogs? Well......later that same day, we were waiting for the bus in Vina del Mar......A dog approached me while I sat on the bench. He came directly to me, making eye contact, and sat down in front of me. I talked to him saying that I couldn't pet him because of his fleas, and before I knew it, he placed his paw on my knee. He seemed to be acting as a "street dog ambassador" saying that while life can be rough for some dogs (like the mother/puppy we'd seen earlier), some dogs are doing OK. I eventually touched his paw, and that seemed to be enough......he then laid down at my feet, and rolled over so we could all scratch his belly. He kind of reminded me of "The Littlest Hobo".....those of you under the age of 30 likely won't know what I'm talking about!
Speaking of Vina......It has been mentioned in previous blogs that the cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar are geographically close, but that is where the similarity ends. Vina is a city totally dedicated to tourists and the wealthy of Chile. It is beautiful, and abandoned dogs do not add to the ambiance.....so apparently, in Vina, they deal with the dogs differently...our friend said that they euthanize them.
Now, I have mentioned that the dogs here have fleas and that fleas can transfer from dogs to humans.....so I have a policy of not petting the dogs. This is very difficult because so many of them just cry out for human contact. However, if you have ever had a flea bite (or two or three.....or 10 or 20), you will know that you don't want to expose yourself to unnecessary risks (just as an aside for those of you thinking of coming to South America....fleas are more attracted to fair-skinned people!).
Cats also have a rough go of it around here, but in general, they seem to do better than the dogs. On the same day that we saw the dead puppy, we also saw two litters of kittens that were obviously very sick and likely not long for this world.
This little one was in really bad shape......
The dog situation can be a very volatile topic here in Valparaiso. A few years ago, the city decided that something needed to be done. We aren't sure what they planned, sterilization or euthanization, but it was enough to set off a violent reaction from an animal rights group......they started setting off bombs! The dog pound is over crowded, and it has been difficult to convince the current city council to come up with the necessary funds to build a new one (we have heard from a reliable source that the money is there, but.....). Two local women have come up with their own solution (which really isn't a solution at all) by taking in stray dogs (see photos).
Photo by Gardner Hamilton
"More than 550 dogs and 100 cats have been housed for the past three years on a small residential property on Merced Hill in the Chilean coastal city of Valparaíso. Neighbors have complained incessantly about the putrid smells and unsanitary conditions that impact the surrounding residential area." Wes Kimbell, Valparaiso Times
A happy ending to "A Dog Day Afternoon"....something is finally being done to address the abandoned dog situation here in Valparaiso. This poster, which we have now noticed in several communities, advertises "free canine sterilization".....
The headline story in "El Mercurio" (January 9, 2009) tells of a sterilization program that will utilize mobile clinics to go into neighborhoods and sterilize up to 20,000 dogs over the next two years. That still leaves 50,000 others.....but I guess it's a start!
I like this photo of our friend, Bill. It shows how special the connection between a dog and people can be. This is not his dog, but rather, another situation where the dog has chosen to "spread the love" and adopted Bill and his wife, Alethea.
So, that is a little bit of life with the dogs of Valparaiso......at least from our side of the dog house!
I'm off now to try to find Norm......
Love, Charlene
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