SANTA FE, Argentina: In the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, a new law on responsible animal ownership is currently being discussed. In the province there is no euthanasia for stray animals: After entering the municipality animal asylum, it stays in a kennel waiting to be adopted. And since the State doesn't give enough supplies, there are voluntary protectors. The protectors are dedicated to giving stray, lost or abandoned animals a transitional place till they find a temporary family. They feed them, care for them, cure them if they are sick, re-educate them if they have conduct issues and search for a family to adopt them for the rest of their lives. It is not an easy task: it requires time and money that they pay from their own money. Sometimes they have three or four dogs and / or more cats in their homes, which they accommodate in a dignified manner. The protectionists are against animal euthanasia because of simply being “orphaned.” They consider it the fault of the human society that an animal is on the street and therefore, humans are responsible for taking care of the animal. Moreover, they explain that euthanasia without a medical cause contradicts with the National Animal Protection Act better known as the” Sarmiento Law.” The following is a copy of an open letter that explains the responsible ownership sent by a protector newspaper, La Capital – the newspaper with the largest daily circulation in the Province of Santa Fe: Dogs and humans. The dog, canis familiaris, was domesticated by man 16,000 years ago. Since then it has been the subject of artificial selection to which it has undergone. Indiscriminate breeding, selection and strengthening of certain physical and temperamental characteristics, use in degrading acts of graphic violence, abuse, torture, abandonment and death is what it has gained over the years. Periodically we read news like “in January only 145 people were bitten by dogs.” Obviously the panic of becoming the next victim of our “faithful friend” replaces common sense and human responsibility in these cases, which is one hundred percent of the cases. During its development process, the dogs explore the world through their sensory systems, especially the mouth, and many social interactions and play rituals include dog bites, not aggressive. All dogs can bite, regardless of race or size. While it is obvious that the larger the size, the greater the potential for harm, it is ethologically incorrect to speak of dangerous breeds. The environment in which it develop its level of socialization and the clear establishment of hierarchies determines the character of the animal in more than 70 percent of cases. This is entirely depends on humans. Responsible ownership is the set of obligations that a person acquires when they decide to include an animal in his family, guaranteeing their well being and the safety of humans living around it. Not all people are emotionally and temperamentally qualified to handle all breeds. Poor education and incorrect choice of animals leads to adverse events, injured humans and abandoned animals in the sad kennels of the IMUSA (The municipal institute for animal health), were it pays the price for the actions of people. Therefore, if we don't promote individual and social responsibility after these facts, and our government remains interested only in raising instead of educating and taking action, we will become a far cry from being “the best friends of our dogs.” Nancy Cruz is a member of the Animals Protective Association in Santa Fe, Argentina. She can be reached at [email protected] BM
