Dog registration is now compulsory on Sal, Cape Verde

As part of the programme to reduce the number of animals roaming free on the island of Sal in Cape Verde, the Câmara Municipal (City Hall) today announced that all dogs must be registered by their owners.

Registration is just one part of encouraging dog-lovers to become more responsible owners.  In addition, owners will, in the near future, be required to either confine their animal or to keep them on a lead when in public places.  Hopefully, this will also help with the problem of dog mess on the beaches and streets.  

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of dogs wandering freely in Santa Maria, on the southern part of the island, are not stray, but are allowed to roam by their owners.  In a census completed by SOS Cães e Gatos (SOS Cats & Dogs) in 2011, just under 80% of dogs found in the street were claimed by someone.  In addition, the majority of the animals are now sterilised thanks to four intensive clinics that have seen 2,500+ animals neutered since 2010.  The results of this work are already being seen, with far less puppies & kittens being born on the island now.

The concept of dog 'ownership' is different in Cabo Verde than in other parts of the world and until now, it has been acceptable to let the dogs be free.  Now, however, with the growth in tourism and the need to keep the beaches clean, things are beginning to change.  It is hoped that the population will embrace these changes. 

In order to register your dog you should visit one of the locations (the old Câmara Municipal building in Santa Maria) mentioned on the poster below and bring your dog's vaccination record (if you have one) and your own identification.  Registration will cost CVE 300.  In return you will receive an identification tag.   If you have registered your dog at the Câmara Muncipal before, you will not have to pay, but you should still take your animal to transfer to the new scheme.  Please don't forget to bring your dog on a leash!  After you have done this there will be an annual license fee of approximately CVE 400.

It's important not to miss the deadline because, although you can still register after this date, it will be more expensive.

The registration and the requirement to control your dog are part of a series of proposed regulations that are expected to pass into law later in the summer.

The message is clear!  If you love your dog, register them, vaccinate them and take care of them!

Dog in Santa Maria nearly beaten to death by beach club owner

If you would like to protest against what happened to this dog, we suggest you voice your opinion directly to Josh Angulo.  You can easily find contact information using a search engine or on facebook.  If you would like to join the campaign for more humane treatment of dogs on Sal in general (using this incident as an example) you can contact the Mayor of Sal Jorge Figueiredo or the Counciller for the Environment.  Please do not use abusive language, polite protest works best!  Thanks for your support.

On Sunday 3 March on Praia Antonio Sousa an owned dog, Cookie, was involved in an unfortunate incident that resulted in a child receiving a bite on the ankle.  The dog, although large, is friendly and not known to be aggressive, but was startled and reacted in an inappropriate way.

The child was quickly attended to and witnesses have stated that it was not a serious bite.  The proper way to deal with an incident like this is to hold the owner accountable for the dog and if the matter is not resolved, to involve the police.

Unfortunately the beach club owner, Josh Angulo, who is a well-known windsurfer who recently competed in the Red Bull Storm Chase in Ireland, reacted in anger & aggression.  

Praia Antonio Sousa where the incident took place

An eye witness report states :
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"Cookie went back to place where the incident happened, with no clue about what was happening, he was not scared or aggressive at all.  It was sad because he came back in a friendly way, even wagging his tail at the people who were shouting to kill him.

It was then that I realized that there was one guy who was more exited than the rest, screaming and telling the rest that they were going to kill Cookie and telling them to hold the dog.  That was Josh Angulo, the American windsurfer.   My feeling was that the other people were not actually willing to kill the dog but they were encouraged to do it by this person.  Some of Angulo’s workers tried to trick Cookie with food to catch him; he was not aggressive at all.  Suddenly Josh Angulo jumped on top of Cookie and held him on the ground while one of his guys brought him a leash."

Cookie before he was beaten

Another witness states that in his fury, Josh Angulo also kicked another dog that was nearby and shouted "We have to kill this dog".  Cookie was then driven off in a pick up truck belonging to Josh Angulo and what happened after that can only be imagined.  Cookie was missing for around eight hours and was found at 7pm at his home, almost senseless.  His head was completely deformed and the veterinarian that attended him stated that his injuries were consistent with being beaten in the head.

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Cookie after he was beaten

"On March 4th I visited the house of Paulina, a Caboverdean lady, to examine her dog 'Cookie'. Cookie came back to the house the previous night after he was missing for several hours.

The dog was very subdued and was not reacting when talking to him. There were no wounds visible apart from a few scabs above his eyes. On examination I found both his pupils miotic (pupils constricted) and fixed. They didn't dilate in the dark. The sclera on both eyes are bloodshot. The head appeared to be deformed and there was a large amount of fluid and air palpable underneath the skin from the bridge of his nose to the back of his head. I suspect that the fluid was blood and that this was a very large haematoma on the head.  When urinating he wasn't able to balance and lift his hind leg. He seems unsteady when walking and did not react when called by the owner.  The clinical findings are consistent with a damage to the central nervous system (brain), very likely caused by a trauma to the head."

In Capeverdean law, a dog that has an owner is property and nobody has the right to destroy anyone else's 'property'.  For this reason, the police were called, but although they went to look for Josh Angulo and the dog, they were unsuccessful.  Later a witness reported that they saw Mr Angulo and others behind Zona Tanquinho beating Cookie with a stick as well as digging a hole.

Cookie's owner was visibly upset, sad and angry with the people who had done this to her dog. She immediately took responsibility and offered to pay the medical fee for the child, who had been taken to the clinic and received treatment for a minor cut.  The child's mother initially accepted this as the resolution to the incident and disassociated herself from the violence that the dog suffered, but later changed her mind.  The association, SOS Cães e Gatos Cabo Verde became involved to help to reconcile the matter between the child's parents and the dog's owner.

Of course it is not acceptable that anyone, let alone a child, is bitten by a dog, but this does not excuse people taking the law into their own hands and beating a dog in a premeditated attack.

Many people are outraged about both aspects of this incident and claims and counter-claims have been aired, especially on facebook.  Supporters of Josh Angulo claim that the beating did not take place but since Angulo has not answered questions about what actually happened during those eight hours the dog was missing, only his stated intention to "kill the dog" and the veterinarian's report can be relied on.  Mr Angulo is a well known figure in Cape Verde and he talks frankly of his battle with drugs and alcohol in this interview, his justification of this aggressive act includes the following statement,

"Me and my family will continue to defend the Capverdian persons rights to sossego, bem estar, health and the right to be at the beach or in public without continual molestation from wild animals which you folks so avidly defend."

It should be noted that there are several dogs that are associated with Mr Angulo's own bar on Antonio Sousa beach.  These dogs run free and are fed by staff and guests.  Naturally they defend their territory, as dogs do and will bark and charge at other dogs walking on the beach.  These dogs are rarely under anyone's control.

Suddenly the issue of stray dogs came to the forefront and the animal welfare association, SOS Cães e Gatos began to be blamed for many things, such as allowing dogs to wander free (the association has made many recommendations over the years about how to improve this but has no authority to DO anything) and hiding the "fact" that there is rabies on the island (there isn't).  All of the issues raised are important but do not in any way justify violent, aggressive and criminal behaviour.  (An important point to note that the dog in question is owned, registered with the Câmara Municipal of Sal & fully vaccinated).

Clearly it is in everyone's interests (including the dogs, some of who live miserable lives) to reduce the population of dogs living on the street and that is why the programme of sterilisation that the association has undertaken since 2010 is so important.  But it is also important to note that an estimated 80% of dogs in Santa Maria are owned, so education about responsible behaviour is a key part of improving the situation.

The aim is for people & animals to live together in peace.   Violence is never the answer.  A dog does not understand why he receives a beating.  Actions like this make the dog MORE likely to be defensive & wary towards humans, not less likely, thereby increasing the possibility of the behaviour you are trying to beat out of it, rather than decreasing it.  

Once again many hotels and restaurants are calling for the killing of all dogs found wandering free, but reverting to mass killing of animals with strychnine poisoning is also unacceptable and ineffective (or it would have worked by now).


Catch Neuter & Return programmes are the ONLY method that works as stated in scientific reports by the World Health Organisation, but it takes time.  The purpose of the cats and dogs association is to reduce the amount of animals living on the street, the same objective as those who are calling for all the dogs to be killed.  It is also to educate people about safeguarding the health of their families by inoculation of animals, treatment for fleas and ticks and to promote responsible ownership, including not allowing dogs to wander free.  Reduction of access to food is also important, cleaning up the streets and asking tourists not to feed dogs at restaurants will also improve the situation.  Dogs gather where there is easy access to food.

Many people justify violence towards dogs and cats (beating them, dumping them and killing them) by stating that Santa Maria is a tourist town and tourists object to animals wandering around freely.  However, creating a reputation for Sal as an island that deals with animals in a humane and effective way can only enhance the island's (and country's) reputation.   Being known as a place that allows cruelty towards animals and the killing of animals in the name of tourism will not bring the island any good publicity.

Dogs are fast becoming a scapegoat for all that ails Santa Maria, but violence and aggression is not the answer.  Working together to find proper solutions, develop and implement good strategies and having the patience to see scientific policies work, is what is needed.  Everyone wants the same outcome.



There is no doubt that Cookie did something wrong, but the subsequent action taken by Josh Angulo and several others was disproportionate, inappropriate and illegal.

We believe that the child is fine (although requests for information have not been answered) and the dog is also recovering.  

The matter is now in the hands of the police who will take action according to Capeverdean law and not according to mob rule.

Ray finds his forever home!

No dog deserved to find a loving home more than little Ray!   We know that anyone who sees Ray falls in love with him and that is what happened one day on the beach of the RIU hotel.   Amongst the many people who stopped by to give him a cuddle, a visitor from England, Helen Horsfall knew she could help him.  Although she could not take him home herself, she thought a friend of hers would be interested - and she was right!

That friend, Kirsty McMullen, wrote to Ray the very next day.  She told him how brave she thought he was with his battle to survive and invited him to join her and her family (including Arthur the dog, Percy the cat and three rescued battery hens) in Solihull in England.

She told him that he can look forward to long walks in the woods and lots and lots of love.

Ray was so excited that he ran round and round in circles (well he does that even for the smallest things).  So now all we have to do is wait three months as required by the UK authorities and then in September Ray will be on his way to England.  In the meantime we are trying to prepare him for his new life with lots of walks on the lead and a little bit of training.  We are not sure if we can prepare him for RAIN but Ray says it's ok, he's going to get used to it and big brother Arthur will help him settle in.

We're going to miss him that's for sure but we're so happy for him.

What a long, long way Ray has come and what a little survivor he really is.  Just take a look at these photos and videos to get an idea of how hard his battle has been.

From being unconscious and unable to move, lift his head or feed himself

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Ray is now living life to the full!

 

From not being able to walk or move much he is now playing on the beach with other dogs

In the meantime we have to raise the money for his flight to the UK which could be as much as £600.  If you can help with any small amount Ray would be so grateful.  

Help Ray get to his forever home. 

PS Ray says "Please like my facebook page"  Let's find Ray the puppy a home

Dog deliberately killed in Santa Maria, Sal

Run over by a quad bike, not once but twice and left to die.

Taylor was a well known and much loved character.  Usually seen hanging around with his four legged & two legged friends at Angulo's at the eastern end of Santa Maria, Taylor had one flaw - he loved to chase vehicles.  Cars, quad bikes, motorbikes and bicycles - all of them were fair game to him.

On Friday 29th June he became a victim to a terrible and cruel act.  Witnesses watched as an orange quad bike drove at high speed up and down the road behind Angulo's, sending Taylor into a frenzy.  Then they watched in horror as the quad bike hit him, not once, but twice and drove away, leaving Taylor lying in the road, bleeding and dying a slow and painful death.

Later the quad bike was identified as belonging to the owner of Funana d'Vila, a restaurant in Santa Maria, although it is not clear who was driving the quad bike.  Walter Dahringer has previously been implicated in an act of animal cruelty when he killed a cat that happened to wander into his restaurant.  Cat Beaten to Death in Santa Maria. 

Taylor was like many, many dogs here on Sal - for some reason any kind of vehicle going past his territory had to be chased down.  Other than that, he was a placid and friendly dog.

Amongst the many sympathisers, there are some who are saying that they can understand why the unknown person driving Walter Dahringer's quad bike did it - and that Taylor and other dogs like him are "annoying and need to be taught a lesson". 

Being chased by dogs as you drive by may be annoying - but is it reason enough to deliberately drive over a dog, back up, hit him again and then leave him dying in agony?

As for the culprit, there will be no police involved or legal actions because the witness fears reprisals, but everyone can vote with their wallet.  If you don't condone these acts of extreme cruelty, you know where to avoid for your night out.

Let's find Ray the puppy a home!

If ever there was a deserving case this is it.  Little Ray was hours from death as he lay unconscious in someone's house.  At only 6 weeks old he had been hit by a motorbike and it was his good fortune that the SOS Cats & Dogs free clinic was happening that week.  None of us were confident that he would survive, but he did and now he needs a good home.  He has been left with some problems with sight & depth perception but he is a lovely and very lively dog.  He needs someone with plenty of time to devote to him and someone with a lot of love.

Let's make this go viral!  Please like Ray's very own facebook page.  


Click on the thumbnail to read Ray's story in English, Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish & German.  Please download it and send it to your friends.

I NEED A HOME – CAN YOU HELP ME?

My name is Ray, I am nearly 6 months old (born approximately beginning of December 2011) and I live in Sal, Cape Verde. 

They call me ‘The Miracle Puppy’ because no one knows how I survived.  I was brought to the SOS Cats & Dogs clinic in January after being hit by a motorcycle and I had already been unconscious for several days.  No one knew what was wrong with me, but everyone wanted to give me a chance.  Ines, the vet, treated me with fluids, antibiotics & vitamins & hoped for the best.  I stayed in a box in Jacquie & Neal’s house and little by little I started to wake up.  Eventually I began to be able to move around a little.  At first I could not stand up or walk, I would try & try but I would just fall down in the sand.  I was really comical and made everyone laugh!  They all thought that I would be disabled but I proved them wrong.  Now I can run, play & be naughty just like other puppies, I still have some trouble seeing clearly but that’s getting better and anyway nothing can stop me!  I was living with Izzy and she was a great foster Mum, but at the moment I have to live alone on a patio in Santa Maria.  Even though the volunteers are taking great care of me, I really need someone special in my life that I can smother with the all the love that I have inside me.  I hope you like my photos – it’s hard to get a good one because I never stay still!

CAN YOU OFFER RAY A HOME IN EUROPE?

Ray’s paperwork is almost complete and he will be ready to leave Cape Verde by the end of May.  Assistance can be given for the cost of the flight if necessary.  Ray is about 15kgs and is the height of a beagle – he probably has a little more growing to do.  Although he is partially sighted he is very enthusiastic about life!  Consequently he needs a home where he has some outside space to let off steam – he does see things but cannot always stop before he runs into them!  He does not appear to have anything wrong with him that would entail a lot of veterinarian costs, but he would need to be checked out once he is in Europe.  He responds well to whistles and is beginning to learn to walk on a lead.  He is fine with other dogs & cats but older animals might find he is a little too boisterous for them right now.  Please remember he is still very young but he is smart & capable of learning.  He has not been with young children.  He is very affectionate and would be best suited to someone who can spend a lot of time with him.

PLEASE HELP US TO GIVE THIS LITTLE SURVIVOR A SECOND CHANCE

contact Jacquie at info@cvcatsanddogs.org for more information

Visit Ray’s facebook page & please circulate this to all your friends

Stray Animal Management Strategies

Many other countries have a much more serious problem with stray animals than we do here in Cabo Verde, so it is interesting to see how other organisations manage their populations.

SCAD based in Bangkok have published this very interesting summary of strategies that work and don't work.  Stray Animal Management Strategies.

Here also are the links to the two reports mentioned:

Guidelines for Dog Population Management W.H.O. Geneva, 1990 (page 74): ‘Removal and killing of dogs should never be considered as the most effective way of dealing with a problem of surplus dogs in the community: it has no effect whatsoever on the root cause of the problem’

Report of W.H.O. Consultation on Dog Ecology Studies, related to Rabies Control, Geneva 22-25 February 1988 (page 11): ‘In none of the studies did the elimination of dogs by any method have any significant long-term effect on dog population size’

100,000 unwanted animal births prevented.

In two weeks, veterinarians from Germany & Cape Verde performed 529 sterilisation operations on dogs and cats - an estimated 100,000 unwanted animals have been prevented from being born, plus there are huge benefits to the animal's health and life of the owners.

Read more here.

How is this number calculated?

If each animal has 6 puppies/kittens twice a year and half of them are female, who then have 6 puppies twice a year, the figure grows exponentially.

Year 1 - 529 x 6 = 3,174 births
Year 2 - 3,174 + 529 (from year 1) = 22,218 births
Year 3 - 22,218 + 3,174 (from year 2) + 529 (from year 1) = 155,526

Insane numbers that hardly seem possible!  The ONLY way is sterilisation.  Please support the association's work by writing emails or making a donation - any small amount goes a long, long way.

2,500 less puppies will be born in 2012 in just one day of the clinic

The fourth sterilisation clinic organised by SOS Cães e Gatos (Cats & Dogs) started yesterday.  The clinic is part of a strategy to reduce the dog and cat population of Sal in a humane way.  The vets that come over from Germany are specialists in this sort of work and travel all over the world helping associations in this way.  Because they are such experts it is possible to perform many operations each day - it is almost like a production line, with the best German efficiency!  The wonderful veterinarian Ines Leuw can sterilise a female dog in less than eight minutes!

Recently there was a lot of discussion, led by the hotels on Sal, about the creation of a 'kennel' that would be built and run by the City Hall.  This kennel would be out in the middle of the desert and the dogs would be collected from the hotels and held there for an unspecified time when the owners must collect them and pay a fine.  If they are not collected then they would be killed.  This not very well-conceived plan has so many problems that it is hard to know where to start, but here are a few;

1. Who will collect the dogs, since many strays are not approachable?
2. Which dogs will be collected?  Will the neutered dogs be included?  How to determine if dogs are owned or not?
3. Who will take care of the dogs?  Where will the money come from to feed & water them?
4. What if people cannot reach the kennel or do not have money to pay the fine?
5. How will they be killed and who would do it?  There would be no humane way since the veterinarian would not kill healthy animals.

A family of ginger kittens recovering from their operation

This 'solution' is really just a death sentence for the dogs, but in a less obvious way than the still-used practice of throwing meat laced with strychnine on the beaches.  As one hotel manager stated ' Yes, the dogs will be killed, but it will be less difficult for the tourists to deal with'.  In other words, for everyone it would be a case of out of sight out of mind.

The problem is of course that this is only a short term 'solution' and therefore not really a solution at all.  As quoted many times on this blog, the World Health Organisation states that 'no extermination of dog populations by poison, shooting or other means, has every succeeded anywhere in the world'.

Therefore the aim is to sterilise as many dogs & cats as possible and programmes such as this carried out on islands have a special chance of success.  Since there are few new dogs wandering on to the island (unless they swim from Boa Vista!), the results can be quite dramatic.  

The veterinarians at work

In just the first day 30 females were sterilised.  These 30 females could have two litters (of 6 puppies) during 2012, if 6 of these were female, they could also have 12 puppies this year.  That means in theory

30 x 12 = 360 puppies
50% female = 180 who then have 12 puppies of their own = 2,160
Total new dogs prevented in just one year = 360+2,160 = 2,520

There is no way that an extermination programme could get anywhere close to this efficiency!

Strange how the Capeverdean people who line up outside the clinics each day can follow this logic, but the mostly European hotel & restaurant owners & managers can't seem to grasp the concept!!


The clinic runs in Santa Maria (opposite the old May O'Leary's) until the 15th January and then at Africa 70 in Espargos from the 17th - 22nd.  Call 957 2162 for more information.

How to help the cats and dogs

So many kind visitors come to Sal and take pity on the cats and dogs they see on the street and in their hotels.  Unfortunately this is not always the best policy since large congregations of animals inside hotels causes problems with hygiene and complaints from other guests.  Not all people love animals and it can be intimidating to see large groups of dogs wandering around, especially if you are not familiar with the country.  When this happens, as for instance, on the beach at the RIU, some people feel that there needs to be an 'instant' solution, such as with the mysterious disappearance of the seven puppies that were born under a boat there about three months ago. 

Since no one wants this kind of inhumane treatment, new association SOS Cats & Dogs recommends that tourists do not feed the animals in or around hotels or allow dogs to follow them back to their hotel.  Instead guests can help by making a donation of money or much needed treatments for parasites such as fleas, ticks & mange.

The hotels also need to take some responsibility in this matter, such as limiting the access for dogs (such as erecting a fence as the Belorizonte recently did), placing information for guests & training staff.  In addition the association can supply ultra-sonic animal deterrents which discourage animals from entering the area.  Incidentally these hand-held units work really well for joggers or bike riders who don't welcome the local dogs running alongside them!

For more information email SOS Cats & Dogs

Two years since Rasher was killed

In Ireland near where he was born

Today is a terrible anniversary for us.  At this time on 8 October 2009 we had no idea that our world was about to be turned upside down by the irresponsible actions of a single person.  Yesterday in 2009 was the day that Giorgio Chiarel, the manager of the RIU hotel in Sal authorised the Delegation of Health to place strychnine on the beach outside Sal's largest hotel.

By 5pm the following day our beautiful dog, Rasher, had eaten that poison.  By 5.10pm he had died a horrendous, painful death in the turtle hatchery in front of many of the RIU hotel's guests. 

There are some who will never understand that love for an animal can be as strong as love for another human but there is no doubt that Rasher was our family, part of our world and we will never be the same without him.  Not a day goes by without us mourning his loss.  Our lives are diminished by the sadness that we have in our hearts every day.

This is made even harder by the recent pushing by some hotels and restaurants for yet more killing of animals.  Their idea?  A kennel in the desert, thinly disguised as a humane option, but in reality a place out of the view of tourists where animals can be killed.  As one hotel manager told me "yes Jacquie, it is the same, but less hard for people to deal with or know about, since it is not happening on the beach in front of people." 

Sleeping peacefully in the turtle hatchery

Clearly not many of the managers or owners have learned anything at all.  Not only this, but they can hide their involvement since although it is the hotels and restaurants pushing the government to build this concentration camp, it would be the City Hall kennel and they can claim to have nothing to do with it.

Always happy to get a ride on the quad

Indeed, in a recent email the Public Relations Depart of the RIU head office stated that they do not get involved in this issue but must respect the actions of the local government.   Therefore, once again refusing to accept any responsibility in the death of who knows how many dogs in the years since they opened here on Sal and conveniently forgetting that it was they, not the government, who requested poison to be placed on the beach in 2009.

There is only one way to control free roaming animal populations and that is a sustained neutering programme coupled with public education.  This includes advising hotel and restaurant guests not to feed dogs (which causes animals to congregate in unmanageable groups) and closing access to premises.

Thankfully the current manager of the RIU is more enlightened and is planning on using ultra sonic dog deterrents and giving more information to guests as well as allowing the dog and cat association to fundraise at the hotel..

As for Giorgio Chiarel?  Any reprimand from the RIU hotel?  Not at all, instead a reward - the manager's job at the new RIU Touareg on Boa Vista.

And the poisoning continues

Despite the results achieved with three sterilisation clinics (1000+ animals neutered so far), it seems the message is still not reaching some individuals, businesses and organisations.

The recent calls for the removal and destruction of free roaming dogs in Santa Maria simply has no merit.  Poorly thought out, it will no doubt be poorly executed as well.

Which dogs will be removed?  Will this include owned, registered and neutered dogs?  How long will they be held for?  Who will kill them and by what method?  (It certainly won't be by lethal injection since there is no Euthanol here and no staff trained to administer it).  Since there is no law here to say that you must keep your dog in your house or on a lead, how can this be legal?

And how will this solve the problem?  Natures abhors a vacuum.  Soon the areas where the dogs were taken from will be repopulated and the cycle begins again. 

For many it is a case of 'out of sight out of mind' and this is typical of the short-termism that afflicts many people here.  The answer?  If you don't want dogs and cats in your restaurant or hotel, close off access, ensure that food is not available and support neutering clinics.

In the meantime, it seems things are worse in the residential area of Murdeira which is notorious for poisoning animals.  Cape Verde Pets

A story to warm the heart, Fenix the dog that wouldn't die

The saddest little dog used to live near us.  Fenix, with his back legs paralysed, dragging himself around with his front legs, living disabled on the street.  But who was sad?  The little dog?  No!  Fenix was happy and playful and loved.  It was only my own feelings that made me unable see anything else but his suffering and not see his big heart and his strong will to live.

So many people thought it was wrong to let him live this way, with no hope of recovery and (as some may have thought) no quality of life.  But a few people with huge hearts refused to give up and saw in this little dog a survivor's instinct - and knew that he deserved to be helped.

This is the story of Fenix's life (with apologies to Surfactivity for the poor translation):

"Better to be born lucky than rich"

Fenix has survived:

• 1st assassination attempt hit by a car at Vila Verde = FAIL (result: paralyzed lower limbs) 
• 2nd attempt to murder by lethal injection = FAILED (abandoned in the desert hoping that soon the injection would kill him) 
• 3rd attempt to murder through neglect again in the desert = FAILED (recovered and dragged himself back again) 
• 4th attempt to murder by suffocation = FAILED (Tossed into a plastic bag to suffocate, but released in time) 
• 5th attempt again by lethal injection = FAILED (recommended by veterinarians who thought it inappropriate for him to live in this condition) 
• 6th assassination attempt by poisoning = FAILED (found in time and saved)

And after all this, his relentless will to live and our care have been rewarded. 

Tonight Fenix ​​flew to Italy, thanks to the Association Vita Animale in Milan where they will try to cure his paralysis or look for someone to care for him.

Fenix on his way to the airport in the back of Francesco's truck

Fenix's treatment has already begun and he has found a place with the other dogs.  The seventh miracle in his short life is the friends that he had living in Santa Maria and their relentless quest to help him.

I, who doubted and was even scared to look at him through my own fear and pity for him, salute you Pat, Nicky, Francesco, Debora and all others who fought for his survival.



Good luck Fenix!

Third sterilisation clinic on Sal

It is an incredible experience to be part of the team running the dog and cat sterilisation clinic here on Sal.  Our wonderful veterinarians Thomas, Ines, Corinna and Madueno work non-stop, sometimes performing as many as 60 operations in a day.

Surgery production line

 And meanwhile, outside the clinic there is a steady flow of people of all ages with dogs and cats of all shapes, sizes and age.  They wait patiently, sometimes for most of the day to improve the lives of their animals by preventing unwanted puppies and kittens.

Incredible to see butch men with their butch dogs being brought for castration and knowing that the doubters who think that Caboverdean people don't care about their pets or don't understand the benefits of sterilisation, are SO WRONG!

No animal too small

 Incredible to see a hardened fisherman cradling a tiny kitten.

Little starving street dog, I am in love again

Incredible to see so many people loving their animals!

 See some more photos here.

Read more about SOS Cats & Dogs Cabo Verde here.

A video about the clinic in Praia run by the same vets before they came to Sal.

Cat beaten to death by Santa Maria restaurant owner

Some stories are so shocking it is hard to believe they are true and so horrific they are painful to read.

Last Friday, in front of horrified staff & diners, the owner of Restaurant Funana d'Vila in the town square of Santa Maria (Sal Island, Cape Verde) brutally killed a cat that had the misfortune to wander into his restaurant.

According to eye witnesses, the owner, Walter Dahringer, a German national, enticed the cat by offering it food, before snatching it up and throwing it in a blue plastic carrier bag.  He then repeatedly beat the bag on the stone pavement, ignoring the screams of agony of the cat inside.  When the cat was finally dead he simply tossed the bag inside a rubbish bin near his restaurant.

A volunteer retrieves the cat's body from the bin

Since animal welfare laws in Cabo Verde are unclear (they only protect owned animals which are classed as your property), it seems unlikely that there will be any action taken by the authorities.

The bin is near a trailer used by the restaurant.  Ironically 'Cretcheu'  is a term of endearment, such as 'sweetheart'

The restaurant Funana d'Vila.  The volunteer is blacked out for fear of reprisals

However, businesses like this survive by their reputation and we invite you to make your feelings known by boycotting this restaurant and spreading the word amongst others who live on or visit Sal.

You may also like to express your feelings to Mr Dahringer via email.  The address can be found on the internet.

Let's send a message that this kind of behaviour is unaceptable.

You can also sign a petition against the poisoning of cats and dogs in this country here. Stop poisoning cats and dogs in Cabo Verde.

Sign the petition, stop poisoning in Cabo Verde

If you believe in the humane treatment of all living beings and understand that cruel poisoning is not the solution to controllling dog and cat populations please sign this petition.

Despite agreeing that poisoning doesn't work (and has never worked on Sal) and committing to supporting neutering programmes (the only proven solution), the city hall, health department and tourism department still threaten to kill innocent animals in this cruel way to solve a problem that has a better solution.

The petition will be presented to these authorities.  Tourism is the most important industry in Sal, please help us to demonstrate that visitors do not support this practice.

Dogs and cats don't have a voice but you can speak for them.

Stop Poisoning Cats and Dogs in Cape Verde

Câmara Municipal do Sal support the end of poisoning

The Câmara Municipal do Sal demonstrate their support for the humane reduction of cats and dogs on Sal by publishing a report of the January sterilisation clinic.

The article states that poisoning causes a great deal of suffering and is, in the long run, never effective.  The article can be read here.

Final Sterilisation Clinic reports published

The full reports of the successful second sterilisation clinic on Sal can be downloaded or read in Portuguese, Italian and English by clicking on the following links.

Portuguese


Italian


English


 Once again a huge thanks to all involved.

Vets prevent the birth of an astonishing 80,000 unwanted dogs on Sal!

By neutering a total of 206 female dogs in Santa Maria & Palmeira (& 436 in total) the birth of an incredible number of dogs destined to live on the streets of Sal have been prevented.

Over ten days (7 in Santa Maria and 3 in Palmeira), the veterinary team from Germany performed an amazing 510 operations.  74 of those were the removal of painful hernias, cancerous tumours and amputations and the remainder were sterilisations.

	Santa Maria 14-21 Jan	Palmeira 22-24 Jan	Total
Male dogs	128	41	169
Female dogs	136	70	206
Male cats	23	6	29
Female cats	29	3	32
Total	316	120	436

So how does that work out to 80,000 prevented dog births?

Well, if you take the original 206 females and assume that they have two litters of 8 puppies each but that only 70% survive that is 2,307 born in the first year.  Of those 50% are female and they will also have two litters of 8 puppies of which 70% survive, so that is another 15,228.  Of those 50% are female.  They, plus the females from years one and two will have 16 more puppies each of which 70% survive and between them in year 3 they will birth to a truly remarkable 62,558 more puppies.  Put it all together and you have an exhausting ....

Puppies born & survive year 1	2,307
Puppies born & survive year 2	15,228
Puppies born & survive year 3	62,558
	80,093

But what it really adds up to is an incredible job done not only by the vets but by all the dedicated volunteers as well.  Thanks also to all the wonderful people who wanted to improve the lives of their animals and who waited patiently, sometimes all day, adding to the indescribable atmosphere of part veterinarian surgery, part carnival!

Thomas & Nicky, licensed to spray

It costs €15,000 to castrate this many animals and the funding was all raised by one amazing person, Monika, who not only did that, but who worked tirelessly during the clinic.

Thanks also go the people who made a donation either in person or through the internet, we raised €362 here in Sal and €426 on the internet.   These much needed funds will help to pay the cost of expenses such as the rental of the premises for the clinic, volunteer tshirts, banners and signs, boxes for transporting and separating the animals and miscellaneous medical supplies that were bought during the clinic.

The main objective for running this clinic and with luck, the next one, is to reduce the number of dogs in Sal.  We saw the strong affection that people here have for their animals and everyone agrees that fewer, properly cared for dogs and cats benefits not only the animals themselves but the people on this island as well.

Events were held in schools to teach children how to care for  animals.