Pets hurled off bridge in Puerto Rico

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Animal control workers seized dozens of dogs and cats from housing projects in the town of Barceloneta and hurled them from a bridge to their deaths, authorities and witnesses said Friday. Mayor Sol Luis Fontanez blamed a contractor hired to take the animals to a shelter.

"This is an irresponsible, inhumane and shameful act," he told The Associated Press.

Fontanez said the city hired Animal Control Solution to clear three housing projects of pets after warning residents about a no-pet policy. He said the city paid $60 for every animal recovered and another $100 for each trip to a shelter in the San Juan suburb of Carolina.

Raids were conducted on Monday and Wednesday, and residents told TV reporters they saw the animal control workers inject the animals. When they asked what they were giving them, they said they were told it was a sedative for the drive to the shelter.

"They came as if it were a drug raid," said Alma Febus, an animal welfare activist. "They took away dogs, cats and whatever animal they could find. Some pets were taken away in front of children."

But instead of being taken to a shelter, the pets and strays were thrown 50 feet from a bridge in the neighboring town of Vega Baja, according to Fontanez, witnesses and activists, apparently before dawn Tuesday.

"Many were already dead when they threw them, but others were alive," said Jose Manuel Rivera, who lives next to the bridge. "Some of the animals managed to climb to the highway even though they were all battered, but about 50 animals remained there, dead."

Rivera said he alerted officials, who spread lime over the animals' corpses to control the stench.

Animal Control Solution owner Julio Diaz said he went to the bridge when he heard of the allegations, but remains unconvinced that the dead animals are the same ones his company collected.

"We have never thrown animals off any place. We always take them to our local shelter and euthanize them," he said. "They can't prove that they are the same dogs that we picked up."

Fontanez said he would cancel the city's contract with Animal Control Solution and said city lawyers were considering a lawsuit.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a rule allowing locally owned and operated housing authorities to set pet rules, but it does not grant authority for a blanket ban or mass confiscation, said Brian Sullivan, an HUD spokesman in Washington.

Asked to comment on the reported pet massacre, Sullivan said: "This sickens me if true."

Animal rights activists have long criticized the treatment of pets in Puerto Rico, where there is no pet registration law and little spaying or neutering. Animal shelters are overwhelmed and must kill many of the dogs they receive, according to Victor Collazo, president of the island's Association of Medical Veterinarians.

One organization recruits volunteers to take dogs home with them on commercial flights, and sends between 1,500 and 2,000 dogs a year from Puerto Rico to American shelters.

At least 175 dogs have been rescued in the last couple of years from Yabucoa Beach, which activists nicknamed "Dead Dog Beach" because of the strays that roam the coast and are sometimes found dead of disease, starvation or gunshots. Similar rescue efforts have been undertaken in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

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[natty bumppo 297]

sick people ... well at least the animal control workers didn't use a gun to kill all the animals ... these people just gave a little push with their non weapon hands

Edited October 13, 2007 by Natty Bumppo

[JODO 2]

[Peikko 1,575]

Where's my plastic bag?

I can't think of a single good reason why this was handled in such a barbaric fashion. However, there is probably more to this than meets the eye?

[trailmix 77]

Where's my plastic bag?

You seriously need to look for that.

[Ladylethal 12]

OMG, how cruel and inhuman! I live here in Puerto Rico with hubby and we just adopted two cats from the Humane Society here this year, and they actually take good care of the animals. People do have to pay to give up on their animals and it is true that we see a lot of strays 'cus people will buy dogs and then figure it's too much trouble and just kick them out. There are even more stray cats than there are dogs. Makes me really sad.

[sara535 15]

I just read this on CNN and it about sent me over the edge. Is it just me or does it seem like there are a LOT of the animal and kid horror stories lately? Started with the dog fighting #######, then the judge trying to have sex with a 5 year old, then the kitten eating pit bull, and that little 4 yr old girl getting molested on video. Man I've just about had it! Makes me think ####### is up with all these rotten people??

[Jasman0717 9]

That's sick

[HAL 9000 96]

I've found that those that practice animal cruelty without a thought are very prone to switching over to humans pretty easily. The individuals behind these actions deserve to be severely punished and locked away in one of Puerto Rico's renowned prisons where they can get a good taste of animal cruelty if you catch my drift.

[almaty 19]

terrible..those bastards//

[Madame-Butterfly 0]

OMG, how cruel and inhuman! I live here in Puerto Rico with hubby and we just adopted two cats from the Humane Society here this year, and they actually take good care of the animals. People do have to pay to give up on their animals and it is true that we see a lot of strays 'cus people will buy dogs and then figure it's too much trouble and just kick them out. There are even more stray cats than there are dogs. Makes me really sad.

This is a very sad case but true, we aswell live here and when we found out we were shocked!!!! the bad thing about the puertorican society/ goverment, they get certain rules but instead of following t hem they do it their own ways they were meant to take in all the strays but instead took random animals to mae up for "a" number and do such a horible thing thast why this island will never progress thast why we are in such a hell hole, so many things to do and make it better and if they cant do this small thing right cant imagine bigger things

[Nessa 23]

[Toshtishtash 1]

[eric&gen 0]

The signs are taking effect meaning the world is coming to an end. People are becoming crazy by the day the minute lol.

[Mags 112]

OMG, how cruel and inhuman! I live here in Puerto Rico with hubby and we just adopted two cats from the Humane Society here this year, and they actually take good care of the animals. People do have to pay to give up on their animals and it is true that we see a lot of strays 'cus people will buy dogs and then figure it's too much trouble and just kick them out. There are even more stray cats than there are dogs. Makes me really sad.

I must never move to PR then. I'd be over-run.

I just read this on CNN and it about sent me over the edge. Is it just me or does it seem like there are a LOT of the animal and kid horror stories lately? Started with the dog fighting #######, then the judge trying to have sex with a 5 year old, then the kitten eating pit bull, and that little 4 yr old girl getting molested on video. Man I've just about had it! Makes me think ####### is up with all these rotten people??

I hold a deep disgust for people who feel that it is perfectly acceptable to harm an animal, regardless of what it is. That's all I'm going to say on the matter otherwise my BP will never be the same again. *does some deep breathing*