These two dogs have chosen to guard our gate tonight. They live somewhere in our area - we heard their owner call one of them once. Dogs in Costa Rica are often allowed to roam loose. On my walks into Atenas, I come upon all manner of pups lolling about in the sun, or going to visit their friends. I recognize lots of them now. They all look well fed. Not a bad life for a doggy.
Yes, there is a somewhat different cultural viewpoint on animals here from what we are used to in North America but we can't bring our prejudices with us when moving to a new country. Besides, we live in a farming community and everyone knows where their meat comes from. There are, thankfully, many volunteer groups and individuals who do care for the abused and abandoned animals here. I always think of how many animals languish in British Columbia shelters waiting for homes and the same is true across Canada. People there still are not neutering and spaying their pets. There is much abuse of animals all around the world.
It exists in the horse racing industry and the horse show world. I suspect it also festers in dog and cat shows, some zoos, circuses. Think about the dairy industry, the poultry, egg, and pork factories - anywhere where humans can exert their power over creatures that have no means to fight back and where consumers think a cut up chicken was created from a plastic covered styrofoam package in a grocery cooler.
So, these two having a nice snooze outside our gate and warning us of any intruders seems okay to me. They'll go home eventually - we hope!
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