Poor Dogs in Mexico

[nowwown]

We were vacationing in Cancun and took a side trip to Chichen Itza (Mayan sacred grounds/pyramids). We took a local highway back to the hotel and went through many small villages.

 

It's sad enough to see little children hawking fruit and vegetables at the roadside. It was even sadder to see all the pregnant, or just pregnant, lethargic, skinny mongrels that laid in the street, the sidewalks, wherever. The people can't afford to feed themselves, let alone these dogs. So most looked half-starved, and just hanging around while the people near them just totally ignore them.

 

What an awful life for these poor dogs. It made me grateful for all I have and for being able to give my family and dog a safe, secure, heated/cooled home, with ample food and water, plus all the activities and fun stuff we can do.

 

We saw hundreds of these dogs in these villages. They're ignored and just treated like the landscape. How awful.

[Guest WoobiesMom]

I hear the puppy mill "industry" is big there. Villagers breed little designer dogs and drive across the border with them hidden in the door panels, etc. to sell to the silly women in southern CA. Saw it somewhere on tv. Sad.

[Pearse]

We were vacationing in Cancun and took a side trip to Chichen Itza (Mayan sacred grounds/pyramids). We took a local highway back to the hotel and went through many small villages.

 

It's sad enough to see little children hawking fruit and vegetables at the roadside. It was even sadder to see all the pregnant, or just pregnant, lethargic, skinny mongrels that laid in the street, the sidewalks, wherever. The people can't afford to feed themselves, let alone these dogs. So most looked half-starved, and just hanging around while the people near them just totally ignore them.

 

What an awful life for these poor dogs. It made me grateful for all I have and for being able to give my family and dog a safe, secure, heated/cooled home, with ample food and water, plus all the activities and fun stuff we can do.

 

We saw hundreds of these dogs in these villages. They're ignored and just treated like the landscape. How awful.

 

You may want to consider if perhaps you might be projecting your prejudices as to what a dog is and what a dog needs on to another culture. Perhaps read Ray and Lorna Coppinger's "Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution" in which they argue that the dogs you saw in Mexico are closest to the original dogs from which all of our pampered pet dogs are derived. I don't agree with everything in their book but it's a good read.

 

I'm sure that if you asked the average dog, you might find he/she would prefer to be ignored by humans.

 

As for ample food and water, a dog without access to either would not survive for long in the Yucatan, which means that the ones you saw are getting both. Skinny they may be, but your average wolf or coyote is pretty much as skinny as those semi-feral dogs roaming around rural Mexico. Most of the ones I met when I was there were pretty well socialized to other dogs and humans compared to most that I meet around here, so perhaps not as ignored as one might assume.

 

It's just that in most of the rest of the world, outside the USA and some affluent urban areas of Western Europe, dogs are considered to be animals, not fur kids. In my opinion, in many ways that's better for dogs as a species than the infantilized existence we force upon them.

 

Pearse

[sandra s.]

I agree with Pearse...I'd much rather rescue the average perfumed (or even un-perfumed) lap dog who gets picked up and carried because the whole wide world is out to eat him, than the average "street dog".

[Lenajo]

something to be said for both sides, finished with the fact that you don't see one of those dogs with a behavior problem or a neurosis. It's a tough life, but it's not as "bad" as PETA and the furkid people would have you to believe. And considering the percentage of dogs in America that are obese, and dying miserably from it, a slightly thin dog isn't such a bad thing either.

[Shetlander]

Perhaps read Ray and Lorna Coppinger's "Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution" in which they argue that the dogs you saw in Mexico are closest to the original dogs from which all of our pampered pet dogs are derived. I don't agree with everything in their book but it's a good read.

 

Read it. Unlike the Coppingers, I'm afraid I just can't groove to the short, hard, parasite ridden lives of those dogs who are supposed to be so close to original dogs. I'd much rather see a fat, pampered darling in a "silly woman's" arms, even if that isn't how I choose to interact with my own dogs.

 

I'm sure that if you asked the average dog, you might find he/she would prefer to be ignored by humans.

 

The average Mexican dog? Because the average dogs I run into in the US seem plenty interested in attention from humans. My three certainly crave human company.

 

It's just that in most of the rest of the world, outside the USA and some affluent urban areas of Western Europe, dogs are considered to be animals, not fur kids. In my opinion, in many ways that's better for dogs as a species than the infantilized existence we force upon them

 

I've never called my dogs my fur kids and I'm insulted when someone tells me my dogs are my kids (pretty sure I wouldn't quickly replace a beloved child who died while I am always thinking the next dog down the line). Yet if I had the option of my dogs becoming street dogs scavanging for food or living an infantilized existance, I'd pick Door Number 2, even if they were treated like babies and became fat as pigs.

[Maralynn]

something to be said for both sides, finished with the fact that you don't see one of those dogs with a behavior problem or a neurosis. It's a tough life, but it's not as "bad" as PETA and the furkid people would have you to believe.

 

Very true. The family dog when I was growing up was a GSD mix who lived most of her life outdoors (she did have a sung dry house for nasty weather, but wasn't a house dog). She had a happy, stable personality, was incredibly loyal and was an awesome dog for all of us kids - we could do anything with her. She roamed on our 180 acres, swam in the river, rolled in dead things and barked at noises in the night.

 

She lived a far different life than my BC's who go almost everywhere with me and have lots of one on one and training time (but they still manage to roll in dead things, go swimming and prefer to be outside playing or working in any type of weather), but you could tell by her attitude that life was good for her. And she remained healthy and fairly active for most of her 15 years

[SoloRiver]

Street dogs are not pet dogs. It doesn't mean you couldn't make a pet of one, but that dogs survive and reproduce in that environment according to how fit they are for it, therefore producing more dogs like them, which are adapted to a feral life. (It's called evolution; that's how it works.) This discussion reminds me of a neighbor I had in Philadelphia who spent a lot of her meager income on birdseed to feed pigeons. It made her happy, and I can't judge that, but she was so worried about the poor pigeons starving to death and I'd tell her, "Emily, if they were having trouble finding food, how would there be so many of them?"

 

In many parts of the world, dogs are like pigeons.

 

I'm a dog person too (obviously), but I find it a bit odd that you feel more sympathy for the dogs than for the children. I'm not saying it's wrong to feel bad for the dogs.

[Shetlander]

Street dogs are not pet dogs. It doesn't mean you couldn't make a pet of one, but that dogs survive and reproduce in that environment according to how fit they are for it, therefore producing more dogs like them, which are adapted to a feral life.

 

One of the things I find really interesting is how a pampered pet dog can very quickly act feral when on its own. Years ago I watched a show on Animal Planet about a stray German Shepherd that took several people a very long time and lots of cunning to catch. Once the dog was caught, it quickly became a sweet, compliant dog who seemed happy to be with people. I thought that was so weird, that something must have been off with tat dog. However, I heard the same thing about dogs who were left behind during Hurricane Katrina. They often acted very spooked and even feral with the people who came to rescue them. But once they were in custody, being handled, fed and watered, they reverted back to their usual friendly, "normal" selves. I really wonder what is up with that. Seems to be a survival mechanism.

[nowwown]

I'm a dog person too (obviously), but I find it a bit odd that you feel more sympathy for the dogs than for the children. I'm not saying it's wrong to feel bad for the dogs.

 

Hi, Solo River,

 

Please don't think that I had more sympathy for the dogs than for the children. I am a mom of four children, ages 12-21, one my birth daughter (12-year old) and three stepchildren. My heart breaks for the little poor Mexican children who only get rudimentary educations, then are expected to go to work full time at 11-12 years of age to support the family. Girls and boys get married at 14-15, start families right away and are too poor to ever rise above their lifestyles to get more education, more job opportunities, more of anything. And, most of the villages I saw had little or no running water, trash pickup, basic services that we in USA take for granted.

 

There's no way out of that for most of these children. No opportunity for more education, or even a chance to change their destinies. However, they are raised in "villages" of hopefully caring parents, siblings, family members and others, which is more than you can often say about American children whose grandparents and extended family are often coasts away from each other.

 

I guess my comments about all the ignored dogs also related to the attitude of the villagers that dogs weren't really pets, they were, as you put it, "pigeons". That to me is sad and in America, that would be considered abuse if animals were ignored.

[Guest LJS1993]

You know, Cesar Milan grew up in Mexico and supposedly had tons of these mongrels following him around the favela. I wonder what he would say about their meager existence.

Seriously though, as a guy who has plenty of family living in some very poor areas of Mexico I have to say the following. In many regions down south dogs are not viewed in the same way as we view them here in the United States. In many locations they are viewed merely as animals and not as the cherished members of the "pack". So please take into consideration that your values may not completely coincide with the values of many cultures and sub-cultures down in Mexico. With that said I have an Uncle down in Tecate that has a dog and seems to really like it. However, this Uncle doesn't have neither the time nor the resources to "pretty" up his dog. Nor does he have the resources and time to blend it some ridiculous raw meal or spend money on "Canidae" or some other brand of food when he barely has enough for beans and tortillas for himself. Nonetheless his dog "Shorty" is happy and well adjusted and lives a pretty good life. Heck, he comes and goes as he pleases, has female friends, and always has shelter and peace at my Uncle's home. So please remember the situation and environment of the images you found so abhorrent.

[painted_ponies]

I heard . . .dogs who were left behind during Hurricane Katrina . . . often acted very spooked and even feral with the people who came to rescue them. But once they were in custody, being handled, fed and watered, they reverted back to their usual friendly, "normal" selves. I really wonder what is up with that. Seems to be a survival mechanism.

 

And some reverted back just as quickly, too. I tried to adopt a Katrina refugee, a young adult chow who'd been running loose with a pack of about ten chows (can you imagine, packs of chows roaming the streets? *shudders*) for several months. He was a little shy but sweet as could be - nice to other critters, rode on my lap for 100 miles from where I met his foster to my farm (he was bigger than I expected and didn't fit into the crate I brought).

 

So I arrive home, stick him in a fenced yard just long enough to run into the house and shut the door to my Lhasa's room - and over the fence sailed chow chow. Never got my hands on him again. He stayed around the farm for a couple of months but would never let me get closer than about ten yards. His fosters came to my farm, stayed several days, tried to catch him, bribe him with his favorite food - nope. Wouldn't have anything to do with any of us. And he was way too trap-wise to be caught that way. Finally, one day, he ate his breakfast, took off up my dirt road with a purpose, and was never seen again. No neighbors saw him, not at any of the shelters, wasn't run over by the side of the road. All I can figure is that some wild critter did away with him. But I like to pretend he had a sudden craving for beignets and went home to NO.

 

Here's his picture

[SoloRiver]

I guess my comments about all the ignored dogs also related to the attitude of the villagers that dogs weren't really pets, they were, as you put it, "pigeons". That to me is sad and in America, that would be considered abuse if animals were ignored.

 

Actually, in most places in America, dogs living at large among humans would be considered a nuisance. Such dogs are normally picked up by animal control, and usually destroyed.

[luv2napp]

Seriously though, as a guy who has plenty of family living in some very poor areas of Mexico I have to say the following. In many regions down south dogs are not viewed in the same way as we view them here in the United States. In many locations they are viewed merely as animals and not as the cherished members of the "pack". So please take into consideration that your values may not completely coincide with the values of many cultures and sub-cultures down in Mexico. With that said I have an Uncle down in Tecate that has a dog and seems to really like it. However, this Uncle doesn't have neither the time nor the resources to "pretty" up his dog. Nor does he have the resources and time to blend it some ridiculous raw meal or spend money on "Canidae" or some other brand of food when he barely has enough for beans and tortillas for himself. Nonetheless his dog "Shorty" is happy and well adjusted and lives a pretty good life. Heck, he comes and goes as he pleases, has female friends, and always has shelter and peace at my Uncle's home. So please remember the situation and environment of the images you found so abhorrent.

 

What you say is true, although, it exists even in the US. I lived in Laredo, TX for seven years, and the dogs there were treated as animals. The did not, however, have the luxury of coming and going. Their life consited of a 5ft. chain tied to a tree. That's all they knew. No vet visits, no baths, they were tick and flea infested, dirty and extremely thin. It broke my heart to see how some of them were treated, but I had to learn to look the other way, or I would have gone crazy. I know I got many looks when I would drive with my 2 BC's, which was most of the tme.

[Lenajo]

What you say is true, although, it exists even in the US. I lived in Laredo, TX for seven years, and the dogs there were treated as animals. The did not, however, have the luxury of coming and going. Their life consited of a 5ft. chain tied to a tree. That's all they knew. No vet visits, no baths, they were tick and flea infested, dirty and extremely thin. It broke my heart to see how some of them were treated, but I had to learn to look the other way, or I would have gone crazy. I know I got many looks when I would drive with my 2 BC's, which was most of the tme.

 

The moment you confine an animal - be it on a chain, or in your home - you become responsible for it whether you want to be or not. It's vastly different than pariah/village dogs as in the Mexican example.

 

A friend of mine is a vet tech in a very rich, very "pro-furkid" area in the US. Far too many of their clients kill their dogs with "kindness" within 4-6 years of bringing them home. The dogs die or are euthanized of problems related to morbid obesity and behavioral problems related to not being allowed to be dogs ( no exercise, no structure primarily) - and are quickly replaced with a new furkid who will suffer the same fate. One client in particular euthanizes a dog about every 3 years for morbid obesity and vile, horrifying dental infections. Basically because she feeds all the sugar the dog wants. The dogs are miserable and *mean* because of it, and then they die.

 

I think I'd rather be a feral dog in Mexico than a furkid of a idiot.

[luv2napp]

The moment you confine an animal - be it on a chain, or in your home - you become responsible for it whether you want to be or not. It's vastly different than pariah/village dogs as in the Mexican example.

 

That's the sad part, these people are responsible for the dogs, but don't take care of them. If they don't get food or water, they are stuck on that chain to slowly starve to death. I actually knew someone there who always said "oh, I just forgot to feed him...I'll do it tomorrow." I eventually had to call animal control (who really didn't care, but it was their job). The dog was taken and found a new home, thank goodness. It was just sick to watch these people just not care.