JUNTOS Vieques - What would the animals say?

I will start off this post by making you cry :(

So, that's a pretty moving video, correct?  Words cannot describe what I saw in Vieques as far as the animal population is concerned.  I have a few tear inducing pictures on my phone that I refuse to post.  I'm a nurse...and they are that bad. 

I know how it is here in the Midwest.  We hit deer all the time and it's nothing to see a dead one on the side of the road or mounted on the living room wall.  Down on the island, their equivalent is their paso fino horses that have free range.  On more than one occasion, we saw some horses get plowed into by cars.  It was awful, to say the least.  I'm told that they all have owners, but who knows.  Pedro, our Bioluminescent Bay tour guide explained that the owners just know where their horse hangs out and if he wants to ride it, or use it in some way, he will take off on foot with a rope and snatch up the animal.  Some of the horses did have stamps on them that would help identify them. 

Can you see why people might hit these beauties?  Sometimes they are in the middle of the road just as they are here...So sad!

What in the heck is a heavily "furred" Husky doing on a freaking Caribbean Island, for goodness sake?????

This Husky found us on Sun Bay Beach.  He dug out a nice soft cool hole behind Curt's chair and hung out for the day.  He didn't beg us for food and he wasn't too stinky.  From the looks of him and the chip laying by his mouth, he isn't starving like so many others.  Later on that night, we spotted him on the Malecon while having dinner (Happy Hour) at Bananas.  I know why he looks happy...People feed him all the time!  They even buy him burgers!  Everyone seems to love this  pup.  Funny thing is, we saw him three more nights in a row doing the same thing.  This guy knows how to get around!  He's a smart one! After doing some asking around, we are told he has an owner, and about twice a week, he makes his way home to check in.

I found this little group of about 6 dogs (not all are pictured...there was a gorgeous pointer in the mix) in the middle of nowhere off the road.  I walked down an embankment to get the perfect beach picture and there they were, just chilling out, laying in the cool sand, and catching the afternoon ocean breezes. 

            The dogs...Oh goodness, this is where my heart breaks.  I'm a dog lover through and through.  If you have me as a friend or have me on Facebook, you would know just how much I love my dogs.  I have three...one mixed, a full blooded Dachshund, and a mix that was rescued. What I would do after eating out in Vieques, is I would save all of my leftovers and give them to a stray dog I saw that was skin and bones.  The majority of the dogs are very timid and just need food, water, and lots of love.  They are definitely island dogs.  The demeanor of these animals is completely different than the dogs back home.  They seem much more laid back and easy going.  pobre perro....

           The cats didn't seem to be as bad off, but there were soooooo many of them.  There was one local man that Curt and Lorrie knew about that they just HAD to show us.  Before our reservations at Coqui Fire, we decided to check him out. It was one of the highlights of our trip.  Not because of the weather, the beaches, or the food...but because I got a glimpse of how good people can be.  This man, we heard, spends the majority of his social security check (keep in mind that these are US citizens on a very poverty stricken island) on food for the cats.  The cats knew when it was time to feed.  The cats seemed to come out of nowhere and were beginning to line up, as we got closer.  When the man came out of his home, he had a bucket and a teaspoon.  He gave each cat a small portion of food.  You would think that this would spark a feeding frenzy, but it did not.  All of the cats simply waited their turn and lined up as the man walked up the sidewalk.  The cats seemed to be patiently waiting on the man and they were very loving toward him.  It's like they knew they were there because of him.  Some chickens with their freshly hatched chicks joined in on the fun.  At one point, a car came down the street driving a little too fast and the old man ran out into the middle of the road and slowed them down.
He is their savior
     
Note the chick in the middle of the road...

To end with, I'm going to go all Bob Barker on your arses...Have your pets spayed or neutered, people!  Google Vieques Human Society and donate...Of any humane societies, this one truly and desperately needs our help!  If you ever visit the island, you can donate a bit of your time and take the dogs for walks, adopt an animal, or give extra change to the cups sitting at many of the area businesses. 


XOXO...Becky