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| HSI |
Millions of street dogs like this one
need help. |
Word has spread around the world of a 2007 incident in which Costa Rican artist Guillermo Vargas featured a starving street dog as “art” in a Nicaraguan gallery. Reportedly, Vargas wanted to make the point that the starving dog on the street is ignored but, when placed in an art gallery, becomes visible, leading to outrage.
After seeing images of the dog on Youtube and other websites, thousands of angry people have signed online petitions demanding that Vargas be excluded from the upcoming Central American Visual Arts Biennale show in Honduras.
According to local animal welfare organizations, the dog was in a state of starvation when he was captured from the street for display in the exhibit—not unlike millions of other street dogs in developing countries. HSI has been informed that the dog spent one day in the exhibit and later escaped the gallery.
Although conflicting reports exist, we condemn Vargas’ actions and the use of live animals in exhibits such as this. Even if he wished to bring the larger picture of the state of street animals to the attention of the public, exploiting an already-suffering animal is unacceptable. An animal welfare organization in Honduras is keeping close watch on the case and assures us that Vargas will not repeat his objectionable exhibit there.
Unfortunately, the lack of animal cruelty laws in Nicaragua means that no charges can be sought for the earlier event. HSI is currently assessing how we can assist the Nicaraguan government in developing such laws.
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| HSI |
| HSI's Kelly O'Meara in India. |
Meanwhile, there is much we can do to help other dogs like this one. Around the world, we and others are working to help what may be as many as 400 million street dogs, many of whom are starving and suffering from mange and other disease. With the help of our
Street Animal Welfare programs, countries around the globe are moving to develop humane animal control programs, which include spaying and neutering and rabies vaccination. Through our training programs, clinics, and support of local partner organizations, we have improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of such dogs, either directly or indirectly. We have also observed that the people in the communities where such clinics and vaccination programs have occurred report that the animals are “nicer” and this appears to translate into better care for them.
Though the fate of the poor dog involved in the Nicaragua incident is tragic, the public’s reaction to it is heartening. Shocked people around the globe responded and passed the story on to their friends. Everyone who heard about this situation wanted to help.
What You Can Do
Here are several things you can do to truly make a difference in the lives of street animals everywhere:
1. Support HSI’s Street Animal Welfare programs.
2. Support local animal protection programs in your own community. If there is no group in your area, check out our E-library for information on starting your own.
3. Sign up to become an HSI online advocate for animals. We will send you email alerts with the latest news on how you can help animals immediately.
4. Visit our list of online actions.
5. Sign the Animals Matter petition.
