Dogs, Racehorses and other creatures in Puerto Rico

Ok, so a few months ago, my little island was in the news because some Einstein decided it was a good idea to throw a bunch of stray dogs that were collected in a truck off a cliff to their deaths. A very cruel idea. A petition went around with thousands of signatures - including mine - to stop that nonsense. Tons of people boycotted Puerto Rico and decided never to travel there, the same way I would never go to Aruba because of the Natalee Holloway case.

Now, this morning, I see another article that almost knocked me off my chair...Every year, many losing racehorses do not leave the racegrounds alive because there are no resources to support them. Even the healthy ones, with no apparent problems, are euthanized. Growing up in the Island, my father was a fan of horse racing. I never knew of this practice.

In commenting this, others in the US tell me that in fact this also happens here with horses, grayhounds, and other animals used for sport purposes. Is becoming less and less because people are speaking up and organizations are dedicating themselves to rescue and adopt these creatures. One person tells me, "this is an appalling story, but now that is in the open, maybe things will get better."

Well, I certainly hope so. First, unnecessary suffering of animals is beyond my comprehension. I know there are tons of stray dogs and cats in Puerto Rico. Instead of dumping them like garbage, spend your money in controlling the growing population! With the horses, how come the owners have the money to buy them, but then can discard them if they don't win, as an old shoe? Yeah, yeah...they don't want to support a loser, they have others...blah, blah, blah, whatever! The owners should be made responsible to make arrangements if the animal is still healthy.

Second, the bad publicity. I am sorry, but we already have enough of a bad reputation. My little island is a beautiful place. I no longer live there, but I still love it. Not enough work and a lot of crime? We know that. So we don't need to add more to it. People in Puerto Rico, get your act together and have a little more pride show in your actions! I am still proud when I say, "I am from Puerto Rico!". I refuse to assimilate into the culture or lose my accent, because I would be Puertorrican even if I lived in Mars. It becomes difficult, though, when all you hear in the news is stuff like this. I refuse to hide who I am, though, and always will...