Animal Welfare Madeira

Thanks to Jerry for this message he sent me by email, and so glad that gorgeous puppy has a new home.

Thank you Tobi for all you do on behalf of the unwanted, neglected and abused cats and dogs on Madeira…it is your willingness to cover honestly the grisly  side of what many presume to be an idyllic island that will ultimately bring about a change in the generations old attitudes of many islanders towards unwanted animals…..

If you peel back the veneer of the breath taking vistas, lush blooms,  “religious” feasts and celebrations etc. etc., one will find what I call “The Other Madeira”…. a place where some feel it is easier to discard an unwanted animal by tossing them into the ocean or a levada as opposed to spaying or neutering their pets….but rest assured, there is HOPE for change.

All over the island there are small groups of concerned residents, both Madeirians and ex-pats, forming coalitions to address this situation… it is obvious by the readership responses to your recent coverage of the drowned puppies that this is a hot button issue that can no longer be tolerated or ignored… Keep publishing these horrific photos and keep covering animal abuse issues… no change will occur if people remain oblivious and unaware.

The puppy in the photo was    abandoned on the North Coast of Madeira and found it’s way into our care… now, he has been recently placed in a “forever home” thanks to the efforts of the volunteers at The Friends of 4 Pathinas, a registered not for profit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of the abandoned, neglected and abused cats and dogs on the North Coast of Madeira.