Tribute to the Abandoned Dogs of Mexico
More and more cities are paying homage to abandoned dogs. This is the case, for example, in Mexico City or Barcelona, Spain. Today, we’ll tell you about another Mexican city, Guadalajara, which already has a monument to the abandoned dogs of Mexico.
Let’s take a closer look at this initiative and how the idea came about.
The monument to the abandoned dogs of Mexico
This initiative came for an association called “Échanos la pata” (Lend Us a Paw in English). The program’s aim is to promote caring for the abandoned dogs of Mexico.
Many animals in the streets mate with each other. Then they have puppies and the puppies end up on the street as well. There are two ways to avoid this:
- Sterilization
- Adoption
When people want to adopt dogs, however, they typically look for ones they think are cute. In general, these are usually purebred dogs. However, any dog can love you and give you the companionship you’re looking for in a pet. But it doesn’t seem like many people understand this.
To start raising awareness, a group of people started the Unit for Animal Protection. The purpose was to provide specialized help and animal care, as well as promoting respect for animal rights.
Many people have wondered why the group decided to make a monument of the abandoned dogs of Mexico. The director of the project, Sandra Origel, explains that “for us, they are our four-legged warriors, who overcome hunger, cold, mistreatment, and human indifference”.
At the unveiling of the monument and the corresponding event at Parque Italia, the group also gave away 150 free sterilization surgeries.
Other tributes to animals
Guadalajara isn’t alone in its representation of animals. There are many other statues and monuments that feature abandoned animals. Here are some other cases:
Hachicko
Although this dog wasn’t originally a street dog, he was a companion dog that went to the train station every day with his owner. When his owner died, Hachicko lived on the street and spent the day in front of the station waiting for his owner.
The Istanbul cat
They say that Istanbul is the city of cats. The city made this clear when they made a statue in homage to a street cat that the whole city knew and loved. This cat lived his whole life on the streets of the city. He liked to lay around in strange or funny positions that made everyone take notice of him. In his statue on a bench we can see him in one of his favorite positions.
The room of abandoned animals in Barcelona
This is an initiative that seeks to make people more aware of the harm caused when you abandon an animal. Every year they pay homage to an animal that lost its life from abandonment.
Moaña in Galicia
This community made a sculpture in honor of abandoned dogs. In this case, it’s about the dogs of the Bay of Biscay, and in particular, Lobi. This dog spent almost all his life with his deceased owner.
Hunting dogs
In this case, it was a photographer who wrote a report honoring the hunting dogs that owners send away when they believe they are no longer useful.
As animal lovers, we’re always happy to hear about people who are aware that abandoning animals is an evil that shouldn’t happen anymore. Animals are living beings that are dependent on us. It’s heartless to abandon them and leave them to their fate.
Consider doing your part to help an association that is working against animal abandonment. Or even consider adopting one of these animals! You won’t regret it.