A female dog, allegedly in the hands of a drug addict, was rescued from her supposed owner for 40 euros, the “Help Feed Dogs” Association reported today on social media.
“To save her, some people had to pay 40 euros. 40 euros for a life. 40 euros to take an animal from the hands of someone who never wanted to know about it,” reads a post on Instagram.
The association challenges what it calls “the cruel reality of drug addicts using animals, mainly babies, as a way to get money to support their addictions.”
“This happens on the streets of Funchal, in plain sight, and it deeply pains us to understand that so many entities are aware of this and yet we continue without oversight, without action, and without protection for these animals. Where are the entities that should put an end to this? Where is the on-site inspection, the patrols that should identify these situations and act? Where are the checks on animals that are skin and bones, without microchips, without vaccinations, exposed to the sun, the cold, hunger, completely apathetic, used only as a tool to generate pity and money? This is not invisible. This happens every day,” emphasizes the Help Feed Dogs Association.
The dog, named Moranguinho (Strawberry), is now under the care of the aforementioned animal protection organization. According to the description, she is “extremely thin, hairless, frightened, and lives in a constant state of alert. Any noise, any movement, makes her tremble with fear. She is only about six months old.”
“It makes no sense for us to continue watching this without consequences. It makes no sense for associations and citizens to bear this burden alone, while those who have a duty to intervene remain absent. Moranguinho is beginning her recovery, her care, and we hope that soon… true love will follow,” the association concludes.