Mans' Best Friend?

This post is for all those dog lovers out there.  Which by the way from my reference point being a "Coloradan" born and raised should be everyone…. I wanted to address an important issue that can't help but be noticed everywhere here in Chile, that being stray and estranged dog's.  Everywhere and I do mean everywhere you look there are dogs walking the streets, sleeping in the middle of side walks and just about anywhere else.  Many have serious health conditions and others are starving and wander in a trance like state from place to place eyes glazed and wanting.  There are so many that you can't help after a certain amount of time building up a sort of tolerance.  It's an extremely sad, inhumane set of affairs here in Chile for these animals.

Now don't get me wrong there are many Chileans who aid and work towards protecting these animals.  My Uncle Greg stated himself that he has seen folks set up small living arrangements and hand feed their canine friends many times over.  I witnessed this myself  as I was entering the grocery store today. There was an elderly gentleman providing some food to some nearby dogs.  I approached him and we chatted for a moment.  I started to speak in one of my beginner forms of Spanish when he just grinned and said in perfect English,"where in the states are you from son?" I was so surprised by this I started to reply in Spanish and then quickly snapped into English  realizing that the conversation would benefit more in my native tongue at this juncture in my limited Spanish acquisition.  He stated that routinely he has fed some of these dogs in the area.  He went further to describe how important an issue this really is for Chile and yet how little attention it draws from the Government.  I nodded in full agreement at what he was saying and left him with a word of gratitude for his generous works and we parted ways.

I currently live with a wonderful little adopted street dog fittingly named, "Chico".  My Aunt and Uncle found him hiding behind a vending machine directly outside their local gym.  He was trying to stay as warm as he could by nestling close to the machines motor.  Something inside them said, "he is ours  now".   And so Chico  has found a permanent loving home.

There is a lot that can be done on an individual basis here whether  adopting or donating time and food  to these animals.  Chile is the fastest developing country in all of Latin America.  Yet like all countries is still plagued by unsightly circumstances.  Government involvement on a large scale must be implemented.  For now the populations keep rising and more often than not these dogs suffer.