Developing nations seem to be pretty much the same all over the world when it comes to attitudes, treatment and the condition of dogs (and cats too). Brazil is no different no matter how much Brazilians would like to think that it is.
The plight of dogs here in Brazil is both frightening and heartbreaking. It seems sometimes even worse than the extremes of the wealth and poverty of the Brazilian people themselves.
Essentially there are two kinds of dogs here in Brazil, there are PETS and then there are “all the other dogs”.
Pets are the dogs owned by the upper classes of Brazilians and they are for the most parts more pampered and spoiled by their owners than are their children. The households revolve around the dogs and if truth be known they control it too.
Then, sadly, there are “all the other dogs,” which for the most part are unloved, unfed, poorly cared for, abandoned and simply left to run wild. Brazilians seem to treat dogs and cats as disposable. That cute puppy they give their kids gets bigger or gets sick and an alarming number of Brazilians have no problem whatsoever in simply taking it out in their car and abandoning it by the roadside miles away from home. This is a scene that repeats hundreds of times a day all over Brazil. Disgusting.
Many households (especially in large cities) have dogs that are kept outside, mostly because they believe that this provides security. The dogs are not trained in any way, are kept mostly simply because they bark at anything that moves. Brazilians couldn't care less that the constant barking of their dogs day and night disturbs everybody in the neighborhood. This leads to fights between neighbors and I'm sure is largely responsible for the frightening number of dog poisonings in every corner of this country.
Because Brazilians are also extremely resistant to spaying or neutering their dogs the population of street dogs is exploding at an alarming rate. Just walking down the street can be dangerous in many places, the risk of unprovoked attacks by street dogs is astounding. If you have a dog of your own and you're out walking that risk becomes even greater.
Little if anything is being done about the serious problems regarding dogs. Greater São Paulo, for example, has an island accessible only by a small ferry. It is notorious for Paulistanos who make the crossing to the island simply to abandon their dogs there. The island is overrun by wild and abandoned dogs, strewn with the decomposing carcasses of dogs that have died of disease or starvation, yet nothing gets done.
While I have no figures I wouldn't hesitate to say that here in Brazil thousands of dogs are put down every day. Many of them have known nothing but a lifetime of suffering and neglect because of the total absence of conscience of Brazilians when it comes to animals.
Dogs are man's best friend, but clearly man is a very long way from being a dog's best friend.
The Shameful Plight of Dogs in Brazil
I am in total agreement! Thank you for posting this.
The following is a Record TV report about Ilha de Bororé in the extreme south of Greater São Paulo. The images are extremely strong and shocking. This is exactly how dogs are treated in many parts of Brazil, not just São Paulo.
The facts speak for themselves, even though the audio is in Portuguese, I'm sure you will all understand exactly what is going on in this country. For Brazilian who might say it's not true, that I'm a liar... a picture says a thousand words, and a video says millions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ-IgxSjtHc
Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expag-blog Team
That breaks my heart. I have two dogs. One pit bull/weimerhiner and one shih tzu. I love them both and take care of them, clean them and train them. Yes they do bark but only at people around our house. I just don't understand how people can just abandon their dogs or not even try to take care of them. I think we should start building dog shelters.
I am English and have been saving street dogs here for twelve years. I couldn't have put it better myself. It is heartbreaking and there is no national help available and very few donations from within Brazil. We are a registered ONG and rely on the first world to help us save lives. I have seen it all here from poisoning, stabbing, throwing dogs from car windows, leaving dogs in card board boxes in the middle of highways and multiple other ways of causing misery and harm to them. Vet bill are way too high so consequently nobody within the lower classes can afford spay or neuter and don't seem to have the capacity to keep their animals indoors to avoid pregnancy. Most don't even have fences for their dogs they are left roaming around to get run over or abused. We have 31 dogs at the moment. It's a drip in an ocean of misery. You save one dog then the next wave rolls in.
Hello dogs in Brazil,
On behalf of the entire Expat-blog Team and all of the members of the Brazil Forum, it is my great pleasure to welcome you on board.
You are to be commended for the work that you have chosen to do here, God knows it's much needed.
If there's anything that as Brazil Animator that I can do to help you please feel free to send me a private message at any time. In the meantime I invite you to post more details about your organization to this topic in hopes that our members will show their support for your efforts by making donations.
For all members who are animal lovers, I urge you to help out in any way you can. I'm sure that dogs in Brazil will agree that no assistance is to small to give.
God Bless!
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team
Thank you so much and yes any help we can get: volunteers, donations, blankets, bowls, medications, collars, flea meds and worm meds are greatly appreciated. If you would like to come down and visit us then you are most welcome. We are in Nova Friburgo not so far from you. It's a real battle daily saving them and completely overwhelming. Please point anyone that loves animals in our direction and any fund raising ideas are always welcome. I came here to relax and have never worked so hard in all my life. Too many dogs are suffering. We have recently managed to get two dogs new homes in Canada. Finding decent homes here is difficult. Our next step is to send them to the USA as well. I would send them to Europe but the regulations are so strict that it cost a fortune and becomes off putting to potential adopters. Please we do need help.
Hi again,
Does your organization have a website? If so please post a link here. I'm sure you will get some help. When I have some free time I will certainly take you up on your invitation to visit and you can count on me to post a complete report on the visit for all of our members.
Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team
dogsinbrazil.comave a bog here. This is a humorous and didactic look at life here told by one of our dogs http://www;janeiro-emmy.blogspot.com
we have a facebook page here facebook.com/pages/Dogs-in-Brazil/199454320100596 and our official websites .dogsinbrazil.globalanimalwelfare.org and dogsinbrazil.com still under construction. We look forward to meeting you. I have been to Macae twice. I must say though I prefer the mountain life up here. It's awesome!
posted sites but says link under review???
dogs in Brazil wrote:posted sites but says link under review???
Sorry about that, the Expat-blog Administration in Mauritius reviews all outside links. Once they have checked them out they get posted.
Cheers,
James
Sadly,this happens in soooo many parts of the world.Getting pets fixed and getting pets from shelters and not from breeders helps a lot too ! Educating people too .I have known several Brazilian girls to get a puppy and in 6 months to a year.I ask where is your puppy.Oh, I gave it to a friend or it got sick and died.In reality they just let it go in the county ! It just pisses me off !!!!!! God see's all!!!!!!!!
Hi, I live in Austin Texas Usa.My city,county and state have a few no kill shelters . If I can help you then send me a pm. I know of a program in America where they fly dogs/cats from overcrowded shelters to ones that aren't in another state.Maybe we can set something up for relocating dogs and cats from Brazil to America. I will contact several shelters and rescue groups to see if they are interested to do this .I will contact the pilots as well . Thank you for what you are doing and God bless you .I am Catholic and maybe we can get the church involved because St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals.
Brazil has so much to learn from other countries, however it remains completely resistant to taking lessons on anything from the outside world. It simply goes against the grain of every living Brazilian because, of course, they all are convinced that people in the outside world don't know anything about anything.
One thing that Brazilian legislators need to learn urgently is how to deal with those sick individuals in our society who abuse animals. They just don't seem to get it, that a history of past animal abuse is one of the most common traits among serial killers. I mean Hell everybody in the world outside knows that already. We know that anyone who mistreats animals has no respect for life at all, any form of life.
Brazilian legislators need to take a page from the playbook of Ontario Court Justice Micheline Rawlins (Amherstburg, ON - Canada), who on Feb. 1st sentenced Michael Earl Hill, 32, to two years in federal prison for taping up the muzzle of a small dog, binding its legs and abandoning it in a field behind a local shopping mall to die.
In addition to the two year prison term, Hill will also be required to serve 3 years probation upon release, is ordered to get psychological counselling, banned from possessing any kind of weapon during this probation period, provide a sample of his blood to be included in the national DNA database for offenders, pay a mandatory fine of $200 to the Victims of Crime Fund, and is banned from having pets for 25 years. Now that's pretty serious sentencing, but as Justice Rawlins stated in her decision, “People who become serial killers begin with small animals." Hill has a past history of crime and violence and has previously been jailed twice.
Meanwhile in Brazil the Penal Code provides for three (3) months to one (1) year imprisonment and fine. Essentially only a fine (payable in food baskets) since nobody sentenced to less that four (4) years actually goes to jail in Brazil.
So all of you Deputados in Congress... take a long hard look at this case. I don't think we need to draw you guys a map for you to understand what you need to do about animal abuse here. Just remember that the lack of any significant punishment for animal abuse translates to the lack of importance many Brazilians put on life in any form, including human life, and results in Brazil being one of the most violent countries on earth.
Cheers,
James
expat.com Experts Team
(I am a proud Canadian who supports the harshest penalties possible for animal abusers)
I love dogs raised German Shepard all my life . Mans best friend but seriously look around is human being is not treated worse then dogs this is a point of concern where the courts takes action on treating animals bad, but at the same time for example in USA where right now 10 mil people are homeless and forced to sleep under bridges in 18 F temperature . God bless every body who have a good heart about saving a life.
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