Dear Editor,
On May 11, a friend of mine found his dog Blue (who had been missing since February 27) dead in a swimming pool. The pool was not full so the dog did not drown, it died because it could not get out and must have starved to death.
My friend managed to take his dog out of the pool for a decent burial but in the same pool there were another two dead dogs as well as a dead chicken. We believe the property, near Tavira, belongs to a couple who have left it unattended. The property is virtually abandoned.
This happened to three dogs but it could also happen to children. Notwithstanding that, it is also a health hazard. The putrefaction is evident and the way to the villa and pool is free to anyone. My friend is grieving for the loss of his beloved friend. I don’t think the authorities will do anything about this. But the public should hear about this to avoid similar situations in the future.
Fefa Casco-Reid, By email
Editor’s note: Dear Fefa, thank you for your email, which raises a very important issue as I am sure there are many other unattended properties with swimming pools posing the same risk. The Algarve Resident contacted the GNR about this situation and was told that, in the first instance, people should report these cases to either the GNR or the PSP, depending on the location of the property. In this case, it would have been the GNR as the occurrence took place in the suburbs of Tavira. A spokesman for the GNR said the property owners could be accused of negligence in the case of an accident. If your friend hasn’t done so already, I recommend he visits the local GNR station to report the case and thus help prevent future accidents.
