Dear Editor,
It is only due to my sensitivity towards animals that I dare bother those who are always so busy with very important matters.
However, a small piece about a stray dog in the Azores reported in national newspaper Correio da Manhã called the major problem of dog abandonment to my attention once again. The dog (pictured) has been called Mears and, unlike the majority of stray dogs in Portugal, is now enjoying a good life. Portugal has been said to be one of the countries in Europe with a higher rate of stray animals (about a million). Unfortunately, Portuguese authorities do not seem to even attempt to solve this shameful matter.
An English couple who visited Azores has touched the hearts of the Portuguese people who share their compassion for animals. As they were on a long walk through the strenuous island grounds, a dog persistently followed them for eight hours in a row. The six-month-old stray was famished, malnourished, its paws were bleeding and its claws were completely worn out, but that did not deter the young dog from keeping company to the Cooksley couple. They were so deeply touched by this suffering animal that they decided to adopt it and bring it along with them to the UK, despite the lengthy and expensive process that entails.
As a representative of the animal rights militants in Portugal, I would very much like to show my sincere respect and appreciation for the Cooksley couple for saving this dog from a cruel death and treating it with the dignity, compassion and kindness an animal deserves.
Yours sincerely,
Fernando Lopes,
Liga Portuguesa dos Direitos dos Animais (LPDA), Carvoeiro
