No matter where you are, animal abuse is wrong, but unfortunately not all countries have the means to pursue action against offenders. But Peru has set a tone and sent a message with a recent conviction of a woman found guilty of poisoning and killing a 5-month-old puppy. The whole story from Dogster is below.
Animal abuse is wrong, no matter where in the world
it takes place. A woman accused of poisoning a 5-month-old puppy in
Iquitos, Peru, was recently convicted in the dog's death.
After seven months of procedures, the 3rd Counsel Magistrates Court ordered Sandra Milagros Padilla Alvis to pay fines of 2,000 Peruvian Nuevo Soles, which will cost her one-fourth of her income for nearly seven months.
Padilla poisoned and killed the puppy named Arthas, owned by Alfredo
Martín Díaz García. The court sentenced her for offenses against
morality under an animal abuse and cruelty code.
The verdict in the impoverished part of South America sets a legal
precedent in Peru. It came with the help of the nonprofit organization
Amazon CARES, which has been in Peru since 2004.
Amazon
CARES stands for Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education, and Safety.
It is the only animal welfare organization for domestic animals in the
Amazon region.
"Amazon CARES, in partnership with the Iquitos Bar Association, had
been working with legislative officials to enforce and strengthen animal
cruelty laws,” says the group's founder and executive director, Molly
Mednikow. “This case, of a [woman] intentionally poisoning and killing
her neighbor's puppy, is the first case we have brought to trial.”
On Feb. 18, Padilla threatened to end the life of Arthas. The next
day the woman stayed true to her word, poisoning and killing the little
dog.
From its beginning, Amazon CARES has focused on community education
about the rights of animals. Many local municipalities have used mass
poisonings of stray animals as a method for population control. Thanks
to Amazon CARES, this environmentally hazardous approach has been
abandoned. The group undertook a campaign of educating, lobbying, and
forming partnerships that promised a more humane approach to
overpopulation through aimal birth control.
When Mednikow got involved in the group, she recalls a local circus
paying people for healthy dogs -- to feed to lions. Her group promptly
chased the circus out of town.
For all their good work, however, cruelty toward animals remains.
After losing the puppy Diaz said it was time for justice. His
speaking up is a sign of progress for Amazon CARES, which advocates
people to stand up against such abuse.
“Maybe Amazon CARES has played a hand in reducing it, but the culture
of Peru, like many Third World nations, is that street animals are
pests, spreading disease and causing a public nuisance,” Mednikow says.
Amazon CARES has a no-kill shelter and adoption program, although its
main focus is on trap-neuter-return programs and education efforts.
Learn more and get involved by visiting
www.amazoncares.com. One victory at a time.
I hate hearing about or reading about any form of abuse, especially something like this where an innocent puppy lost his life. But how inspiring that Peru has done something about this. It gives me hope that we will end violence towards animals throughout the world.
Amazon CARES stands for Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education, and Safety. It is the only animal welfare organization for domestic animals in the Amazon region.)
