Dear Editor,
As a resident of the Central Corentyne area it is appalling to watch the inhuman treatment of animals, especially cows, dogs, horses, donkeys, etc. This happens on a daily basis in front of policemen and other Guyanese, and no one reacts to this crime. These animals have lives, feelings and basic needs, just as we humans do.
Cruelty to animals is no big thing here in these parts of Region 6. A few days ago a man beat his dog to death because the dog played with the tablecloth and destroyed it. This happened in front of family and neighbours and everyone just stood there, watched and stayed quiet. Also this week I discovered the street dogs are being poisoned as a way of cleansing the housing settlement. Region 6 has the most people migrating where they leave behind pets of their own who eventually are left to fend for themselves, having no homes or animal shelter to take them to.
These animals such as dogs are sometimes strayed and they end up becoming ‘street dogs’ so they form themselves in packs. For instance I followed one particular dog because I never saw him in the area before. A few months have passed now and he is still by the roadside looking at every face in every vehicle passing. He travels within a one mile radius every day. Presently, he sleeps in the bus shed whenever the rain falls. His condition is pitiful; his frame is now bones; his beautiful clean skin is now dingy and his face is very sad. The condition of these dogs is similar to that of many other dogs found lying by the streets and roadsides of the nearby town of Rose Hall and other settlements in the Albion, Port Mourant area.
When I was growing up my grandparents and parents ensured that the dogs had food and at least one meal a day ‒ not only our dogs, but any others hanging around at the time as well. Animals were taken care of and were not poisoned like what is happening in the Corentyne, Berbice area presently. Then again, there were not so many dogs around the neighbourhood. This is not the first mass killing of dogs. Last year around the same time the street dogs were chopped one after another in the night and buried in the drains. One female dog had five puppies; they were too young to survive despite human intervention.
In addition, one Police Station has many animals being impounded, and the animals are not given any water or food. A few days later the animals are found dead. The animals involved in accidents or disputes are also left at the station until the case is finished, and by that time the animal will have died, although the police are collecting $3000 per animal.
The treatment of horses and donkeys is no better. Some of the youngsters carry these donkeys to the back of the scheme to break them in with big pieces of hard wood and ropes which they use to thrash them. The horses are forced to fetch loads that even a small truck cannot fetch. Besides, there are no water buckets on some of these carts to give them water, although they work these animals all day.
The same fate awaits both unwanted kittens and pups which are thrown by the roadside in bags to fend for themselves. The cruelty to these animals reflects poor enforcement of the laws by institutions in this country. The condition of these animals has reached this point because as Guyanese we do not want to do better.
Guyana has so much land space so why can’t the GSPCA or the Ministry of Agriculture provide shelters that can accommodate these animals until they can be resettled in new homes. In addition, the GSPCA should have locations in all the regions across Guyana, not only in Georgetown to help prevent cruelty to animals and to enforce the law that prohibits unacceptable conditions from prevailing in relation to animals. These matters should be reported, like the beating of dogs to death, etc. Who is responsible for limiting the weight the animals carry?
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
