ignorance is bliss: culling dogs in africa
After our Founder volunteered in Madagascar in 2019, it was clear that there were lots of stray dogs on the island but it was and is easy to think that there are millions of street dogs roaming the globe, it’s relatively common. Yes, they’re often hungry, thirsty and in need of some love but it’s the only life they’ve ever known. Ignorance is bliss.
You don’t tend to see many dogs having passed away on the streets or in road traffic accidents. Ignorance is bliss.
You know locals don’t particularly like them but some do and many will feed the dogs or silently observe them. Ignorance is bliss.
Well ignorance is bliss until you’re not ignorant anymore. Unfortunately, culling dogs in Africa and in other countries around the world is pretty common. The practice is carried out in many different ways all detrimental to both the canines and the people carrying out the work. It has also been proven to be an ineffective solution.
It broke our hearts when we recently discovered that Madagascar also engages in this practice. The government feels like they have no other choice, they make the roads unsafe, spread disease, are generally dirty, etc. We understand why they do it and on one hand is a life of homelessness, starvation and dehydration fair or is death kinder? Ignorance is bliss.
Meanwhile, the effects on the people doing this work have a considerable impact. Very few people want the job of collecting the bodies but in a country of such extreme poverty and corruption what do you do? Ignorance is bliss. Having spoken to many Malagasy people, even those that don't like dogs, they don’t want them to be poisoned, they don’t believe that’s the solution.
Today, we feel helpless, tomorrow, we’ll feel helpless but our mission to build Sunset Strays continues. We are going to build something incredible in the name of those that we were too late to save.
Meanwhile, whilst we build the rescue we will support the locals to look after the dogs that they own, providing them with food, veterinary advice and education. In time we will also be launching an island wide neutering programme, free enrichment toys and continue building the community of dog lovers that already organically occurs on the island.
A Final Word:
It’s important not to forget that the Malagasy people didn’t ask for the dogs here, they were bought by expats, foreigners and they weren’t looked after. The west also isn’t much better, just more humane, we euthanize animals that can’t find homes or that we deem as dangerous. Dogs live in cages in shelters or are torn from family homes by thieves, illegal dog fights still occur. Together we hope we can fight the good fight, help a shelter near you today, adopt a dog instead of a puppy. Donate to a shelter overseas. Change a life and remember:
IGNORANCE IS BLISS BUT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.