Becky 
Niki above and Jet below, two little sisters of Brando  Jet
and Brando tussle whilst Niki digs Vlekkie killed by the Murdeira savages |
Rescue Operations for dogs and catsOperations in Sal and Santiago are trying to save cats and dogs from StrychnineBon Amigos an Austrian charity working in Praia has protested the indiscriminate killing of dogs, including the American ambassador`s pet in Praia. They pay to bring vets to Santiago to sterilise semi-wild dogs as an alternative means of curbing the birth rate. Becky who used to live in Santiago organised a campaign to stop the killing..SOS Cats and Dogs Cape Verdes was initiated in Sal in October 2010. Nicky and Patrizia two Italian sisters organise neutering, with two German vets. It happens usually in January and July in Santa Maria and Espargos.Jackie from Ireland says "A friend of mine lost her cat this week to poisoning. She had her for 4 years and she died a horrible death. Yet another poor innocent animal succumbed to an indiscriminate awful painful needless death. This story is all too common here on this Island. It is heartbreaking for the owners who took the time to take these poor animals into their homes and give them their love only to have them killed. There are many of us here of all nationalities who have done this, but we are not the answer to a major problem here of animal neglect, cruelty, and indiscriminate culling by a cruel and senseless method. I for one want to try to change this and I ask for help. Many have suggested how these problems can be addressed. But little has yet been done. I have launched a petition, asking any animal lover who wants to see humane control to sign . It was submitted to the Mayor with enough signatures it to pressure him to introduce the following measures. To provide funding for a responsible programme of neutering. To Stop the use of poison for killing animals. To introduce a heavy fine to anyone caught poisoning animals. To donate some land for an animal sanctuary. This is a tough task and many despair, but when we work together to create pressure and KEEP up that pressure then something may be done. I get sick to my stomach every time I hear of someone who has experienced their pet suffering, sometimes for days from Strychnine Poisoning, so please lets change this."Jet - we changed her name from Nigra- arrived at the bar in Murdeira and chewed my hand affectionately from behind. Later we met Niki, who was wearing a bronze medallion with her name on it. Both were surviving tenuously by begging from tourists at the Murdeira bar for scraps of food. Brando recognised them as his sisters and tolerated them. Both continued to live free, chasing away burglars and intruders. Since they flew to Europe, crime has soared in Murdeira. Niki and Jet have now arrived safely in Europe after surviving two attempted poisonings in Murdeira as they waited for their rabies clearance. We believe that strychnine was placed on the doorstep of the yard where they were sleeping at 0530 and again in the back of a pick-up truck belonging to the friend who was caring for them. As we believe that the man responsible was an italian night-club owner we told every Italian dog lover that we have heard of, what was happening. The Italian grapevine saved them. Another threat came from Turim which passed one of its gerrymander resolutions to submit all dogs living in the open air to the Final Solution. Jet and Niki were specifically named - as they tend to bark at burglars and intruders at night as of course do the guard dogs belonging to the two men who used their fake bloc votes to pass the resolution. In this case a threat to withold Condo fees from the near bankrupt Turim may have saved them. Niki and Jet were dropped in Lisbon by TAP which told us just five hours before their flight to Frankfurt that they could not fly unaccompanied. They had to continue by Dog Bus to London, thanks to the help of the Lisbon dog traioner Fernando who drove them in the middle of the night to Badajoz, in Spain. They arrived in London at 0400 and were so happy with the bus that they jumped back again.into the Pet Couriers Transit van. Niki. who was so weak when we first met, that she just padded slowly behind us, has developed an interest in birds. On a Devon beach she ran flat out for at least two miles chasing seagulls, flying low above the shoreline. We thought that we had lost her as dusk fell. Jet has become a jumper. leaping with ease on to high window sills and balancing there. when she feels unjustly shut out of a house. We drove them to Nuremberg where they now live with Julia and Leo a Parson Jack Russell, who is over-joyed to have new friends. The first night nobody slept well as Leo ran downstairs to investigate every time he heard his new friends moving. Thanks to everyone who helped to save the lives of these lovely dogs.
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