DOGS OF MAURITIUS
Because they need you.
When most people think of Mauritius, they think of luxury holidays and a picture perfect place, not of the tens of thousands dogs suffering on a daily basis.
For many reasons (from urgent social issues to plain lack of interest), animal welfare is not among the government's priorities.
This means a few different things.
First, the population is left largely uneducated when it comes to dealing with dogs. A lot of people are scared of them and will not think twice about hitting a dog that comes too close for their liking.
Those who own dogs mainly use them to guard the house but also let them roam freely - and do not neuter them, because yet again, the government is failing to communicate properly about the necessity of doing so. As a result, unwanted puppies are abandoned all over the island and left to fend for themselves.
The stray population keeps growing, the resentment of people against them as well, and the issue just feeds itself.
The animal lovers there do the best they can to help feed the strays, take them to the vet when injured, sterilise them, but it's a never ending issue.
The so-called Mauritian Society for Animal Welfare (the official government organisation) has been involved in a lot of scandals over the years (dogs brutally killed - this was recorded on video, dogs left to starve, etc...) and have yet to convince charities that they have improved. They are still sadly known for picking up dogs (both strays and those left roaming), after which they keep them in crowded cages for three days in their facilities and kill them (I saw the place for myself when I went to pick a couple of dogs up from it, it was truly distressing).
Some international organisations and individuals also try and help but encounter the government's resistance as they are not exactly thrilled with outsiders trying to help (I got told off by the MSAW's director for having organised a sterilisation campaign because I happened to be French, and should mind my own business).
The situation has only gotten worse over the years, and is now also affecting cats who until a few years ago were not that numerous.
The way I see it, the government will only make the proper decisions (organise massive sterilisation campaigns, educate people, forbid breeders) if they start to fear for the tourism industry. This is why I want to spread the word.
