Humane Society or similar in the DR??

A couple of questions for the animal lovers out there: Is there a Humane Society, ASPCA, or equivalent in the DR? Are there any non profit organizations that care for homeless animals, street dogs and the like?

Where can one get engraved tags made for animal collars, to increase the chances of a lost pet being returned?

I'm in the Boca Chica - Santo Domingo area. Would appreciate your thoughts on this. I have lived here for 4 years and still haven't got used to seeing so many unloved, homeless animals, especially all those street dogs and beach dogs!

I doubt it, if there is, it is probably run by foreigners.
My wife is dominican, and as close to animal lover I so far
have met among dominican people, but even she suggested
I should throw out the dog I found left to die in a plastic
bag on the street the other day. (See the thread "dog treat"
further down)

At least in this neighbourhood, children are not raised to
care for animals that doesn't contribute to family economy.
Thus, many got dog's in the house as a "guard function",
but street dogs are only good for practising rock-throwing
and kicking!
Even the house dogs are quite badly treated.

Let us just not be foreign "besserwissers" on the subject -
as long as there is one single human being in similar or
worse situation than the street dogs (and there are many!),
it would be rather cruel to feed the dogs before the people!

I wouldn't feed my dog if I knew it meant my child would starve.
Would you?

Last line: If there is such an organization, I'd look in the
direction of Christian groups. Catholic or other. Otherwise,
let's contact one of the american ones and see if we can't
open one with their support. Any foreign money entering the
country helps. For such a purpose, it would help people as
well as animals...

Agree with Gunnar on this.
There are far too many hungry, homeless people (and lots of them children) on this island to worry about homeless animals. This is the problem that needs to be addressed FIRST. Now, before the Animal Rights Lovers jump all over my case, let me say that I also love animals but my priorities dictate that my fellow human beings come first. I would rather a child go to bed (if he even has a bed) with a full belly than feed a street dog.

To ECH, MD. I appreciate your comments and Gunnar's. However, in your attempt to rank what our priorities should be - humans before animals - and your point that we should feed the hungry children first... I think you've missed the point. This is not an either/or equation.

We can do both. If an animal is treated well and with respect, that in no way diminishes the care and respect we must provide for hungry, poor humans. In fact, it may augment it.

If we teach children at a young age to respect ALL life, regardless of big or small, animal or human, rich or poor, but all equally... isn't that better than teaching them that some of us are inherently better than others and have more rights than others? Isn't that the kind of thinking that creates so many of the social problems we now have?

I put these ideas out there for your consideration. Maybe I am a soft-hearted and soft-headed animal lover. But that doesn't change in any way my concern for my fellow Dominicans and my desire to see every living thing go to bed at night with a full belly.

Homeless animals can survive on leftovers and kindness. Human children cannot use those same scraps of bone and gristle as food. Therefore, giving our leftovers to the street dogs instead of throwing them in the garbage cannot possibly contribute to the hunger of Dominican children. It's two different issues.

Denying decency and care to an animal in need does not mean that somewhere out there, the life of a child in need will be improved. Does it?

I don't think we were talking about a few leftovers, but
an organized activity with an economy to provide, even
when the leftovers are insufficient or otherwise unattainable.

(Leftovers will actually become quite expensive if you have to
assign people to collect them for an animal shelter)

That's why I suggested a cooperation with a foreign organization,
which might re-direct economic means for such an activity. In
that way, it would be beneficial for both people and animals.

Obviously you do not live in the DR. Or you would actually witness children (and adults) searching the garbage near supermarkets and restaurants looking for the scraps of bone or gristle and left overs that you are so willing to give to the street dogs! And the "doggie bags" at the restaurants many times are not for the family pet but taken directly into the street and given to some unfortunate person who is hungry and will gladly feast on your scraps and left overs.
I think you miss the point when you declare it not to be "an either/or equation"....when you have a LIMITED amount of resources "IT DEFINITELY BECOMES EITHER/OR"! Either the poor dogs eat or I eat.
May I share an aphorism with you:

When people are oppressed and starving…
Ethics and humanity disappears
Anonymous

..."my desire to see every living thing go to bed at night with a full belly"...your quote. May I ask you one question. If there is only ONE piece of bread and YOUR child is hungry. Who are you going to feed? The child or the family dog?

Altruism is wonderful but it sometimes is a luxury we can not afford.

Hope, the closest i've heard of such an organization was a group of I beleive Canadian veterinarians that came to Samana and offered to spay and neuter their pets for free.I know this as fact because my wife who is Dominican has 2 dogs and they were both "fixed".Personally I think it would be great experience for students of veterinary to practice spaying/neutering techniques under the watchful eye of a professional vet on animals in the DR.This would benifit both the animal and create a hands-on lesson for the new vets.

Sonny

The solution is simple if you don't have children you cannot afford to feed in the first place then there would be leftovers for the animals.

YES, SPAY AND NUTER DOGS, CATS,

And a very new concept use contraception I've heard it Works on HUMANS!!!

Hope, Been here for more than 10 years and have never heard of any organized care for animals like Humane Society, ASCPA. Although many vets do some care for lost, hurt animals (not street dogs)it is limited.
You can get an engraved tag at most any jewelry store.
We have a dog (adopted street dog) and cat (both neutered). Good idea for volunteers from outside to come and do Spay/nueter clinics!
Hopefully none of us will "get used" to seeing the many neglected animal of all types.

Thanks for your information and positive comments. Maybe if enough of us like-minded people work together, we could accomplish something. I say 'something' because I realize it's not possible to help every animal that needs it. But I sleep better knowing I've helped a few.

Since I've lived in this country, I've taken three street animals under my roof and will continue to do so. But I like Gunnar's idea of getting outside support from an established organization and Sonny's suggestion to bring in more veterinarians-in-training to practice here, maybe while on holidays or something.

I plan to give this much more thought and start doing some research. If anyone reading this feels they have something to contribute, I'm all ears!

Meanwhile, keep those good ideas coming.