Before
I get started on today's blog post, there is one thing that I feel
the need to address. The thing is, I am not writing this post because
I feel the need or want to bash or trash talk Peruvians. That is as
far away from the truth that it's possible to come. The case and
point are that I do live here and in many ways starting to feel like
a Peruvian myself, but there are some aspects of the culture that
less attractive than others. My reality is that I have a deep respect
for Peru and its culture, history and people. The fact is, this is
the main reason why I started my decade long history with the country
in the first place. So, in many ways, I do feel like treading
carefully when it comes to this topic.
Yes,
all cultures indeed have their good and bad sides, there is no
exception to the rule here. Since I have no interest what so ever
when it comes to stepping on anyone's feeling or for that matter
nation pride, I feel like threading carefully when I talk about this.
Remember, when it comes down to things, I am just a random guest in
this amazing country after all. At the same time, I want to be
completely honest about my experience as an expat here in Peru and
when that is said, bad things have to be mentioned as well, but it
has to be done with respect. So, if there is one thing that has been
frustrating me for the past 3,5 years, it has to be how animals, in
general, are being treated.
Because
if there is one thing that I am known for, both at home and here it's
my love for animals, big and small. Just to get that question out of
the way, no I am not a vegan or a vegetarian. I do love my meat and
at the same time, I do not see the link between diet and respect for
life. Anyway, back to the topic. Animals and their welfare have been
a passion for me for as long as I can remember. My clearest childhood
memories are with animals, cats, dogs, wild or farm animals the like.
Here in Huaral, I am being viewed as the weird gringo who goes around
feeding stray animals (cats and dogs) and for me, that's nothing bad.
Because as I see it, someone has to care for them
The
truth is that this is a topic that has been a source for a lot of
anger and sorrow, but also some joy. Especially when I am taking one
of my walks around the city and see all the malnourished and
abandoned “pets” running around looking for some food. For the
most part, I stop and try my best to spend some time with and feed
them if that is possible. My joy comes from the amazing gratitude
they show when they are being served food, a bit sceptical at first
but after a few hands fed pieces all of that gets tossed aside. This
is usually followed by jumping and playing around if I have the time
to stick around until they are done eating. The thing is that I have
much more compassion with animals than I have with humans.
There
is one thing that I do feel like clarifying here. Because it's not
like I am in any way indifferent to human suffering, it's not like
that at all. That's not the case, but as I see it. For the most part,
fully grown adults can fend for themself most of the time, but a
stray dog or abandoned pet wouldn't be able to fend for themself in
the long run. I do get emotional when I am being confronted or
witness to an individual who has ended up in a rough patch will do
what I can to help there as well. I would also donate to
organizations who help the homeless if that is possible. For me, my
passion lays with stray dogs and cats. That is something that has
come to the surface after I moved here to Huaral.
I
have lost count on how many animals (cats and dogs) who have passed
through my door for a temporary and safe haven. It has to be around
50, even my Gin-gin (ginger cat) is one of these cases. They have
come in all sizes and ages, from tiny newborn kittens to fully grown
pit bulls. The last one started as these has to go right away to
sorrow when they left for their new home. The pit bulls were rescued
from a dogfighting facility of some sort and were badly malnourished
on top of being badly treated, but they became my best friends during
the stay. This is also why I had to go on a break when it came to be
a foster home or temporary home, it broke my heart every time one of
them left.
So
the thing that I do not like about the Peruvian culture or mentality
is how they treat their pets or for the most part lack of treatment
and especially the big dogs. Because every single dog that I see in
the late afternoon or night seems to live at best of cases as a
semi-stray dogs type of lifestyle. They are indoors during the
daytime and gets kicked out when the sun goes down and the household
is getting ready for the night. This is a mentality that I do not
like at all. In my world its pretty simple, if you take on the
responsibility of a pet, its a 24-hour type of gig and not just when
its fun or convenient for the owner. I do see this as cruelty to
animals, the poor dog needs his family day and night.
This
type of treatment of pets that angers and frustrate me to such a
degree that I feel the need to do so much more to help. I hate seeing
these poor dogs walking up and down the street hungry and cold
looking for food and a place to sleep. If I could and had the
financial means to do so, I would start a type of animal rescue
foundation, with facilities and all, just to take care of them. The
sad truth is that I am not able to do that on my own, so if there are
some people out there who has the same bleeding heart for animals as
I do, give me a call or send me a few lines. I would love to work
with you in whatever way we can. Not that I am begging for donations
or anything, just saying.
As
mentioned, this is a side of Peru that I dislike a lot, but at the
same time. I am not saying that all Peruvians are like this. I know
many that takes pride in their pets and takes really good care of
them 24/7, but then you have the worst-case scenarios. Like when
their dog or cat get babies (puppies and kittens) and they end up at
the roadside or by the riverbank in a plastic bag intended to starve
to death. I have had a few of these in my home, both kittens and
puppies. These are scenarios that anger and frustrates me and one of
the reasons I want to get deeper involved in animal care type of
work. You know, offering shelter, veterinarian service and such to
people who cant afford to pay for it themselves.
My
biggest wish or dream is that I could get to such a degree involved
that I could make a decent impact and difference in this. You know,
take care of the unwanted and provide healthcare service to the
wanted, with that castration and sterilization of existing pets. I
have tried my best to raise awareness around this, on social media
and such, but with no luck at all. I know, there are so many good
causes that fight for the same attention, animal rights and welfare
isn't among the top receivers of such, sadly. Anyway, I am not giving
up on it and I will for as long as I can, to keep on with what I am
doing. Just the response from them is enough for me.
I
have many, so many stories to tell when it comes to my experience of
acting as an emergency home for abandoned pets. I could with ease
write a dozen blog posts on the topic and the first one that comes to
mind are the two pit bulls we had. I was so worried and sceptical at
first. You know the myth about these dogs being so dangerous and
unpredictable, but this was something that lasted less than a couple
of hours and from that moment on, pure joy or for the most part pure
joy. For the entire time, we had them I had to sleep on the sofa in
our living room, every night was a fight for space. Not to forget the
time that the female pit bull confiscated my dinner and dessert.
Kjempe bra innlegg! Er så viktig å sette lys på dette problemet! Dyr har også følelser og skal behandles med respekt! Dessverre er det mange så har bruk og kast mentaliteten når det kommer til de stakkars dyra! Du gjør en god jobb, forsett med det! Bra blogg, bra mann! -Linda-
ReplyDeleteTusen takk @Linda, koselige ord å få i fra deg. Jeg er bare glad i dyr og det gjør meg frustrert å se hvordan enkelte kan behandle sine kjæledyr. Når det kommer til bloggen, må si det er morsomt å drive på med dette. Så tusen takk for de varme ordene og så håper jeg å se deg her igjen i fremtiden!
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