Stop Poisoning Cats and Dogs in Cape Verde

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To:  City Hall & Department of Health

The situation for cats and dogs in Cape Verde is very difficult and the question of how to manage the numerous free roaming and sometimes ill dogs and cats is something that is difficult to solve.

In the past the Câmara Municipal do Sal (Sal Town Hall) dealt with this issue through indiscriminate poisoning using strychnine, a painful and sometimes very slow death. Around four years ago they recognised that this was not acceptable. However, an escalation in the size of the population means that they have stated that very soon there will be a wholesale slaughter of dogs using this method. And it’s not only stray dogs and cats that will suffer, many pets will also be killed. This activity is being supported by officials from the town hall as well as the department of health and the department of tourism and it is going to happen VERY SOON.

Studies by the World Health Organisation have shown that extermination of dogs as population control has never worked anywhere in the world. For more information see http://life-on-sal.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-poisoning-answer.html.

"Long term, the control of reproduction is by far the most effective strategy for controlling the dog population" – World Health Organisation Geneva (Guidelines for Dog Population Management, pp. 72).

Sterilising just ONE female dog will prevent the birth of 6,500 puppies in the following five years. Sterilising 100 females will prevent the birth of 12,000,000 puppies over eight years.

Animal charities working in Cape Verde organise neutering clinics and provide free care to sick dogs and cats and need to persuade the government that this is the only way to humanely and effectively deal with the need to reduce the population.

We believe that the majority of visitors to Cape Verde do not want to spend their holidays in a country where this inhumane practice takes place and risk their own health and the health of their children if strychnine is placed in public areas. We appeal to you to make your voice heard if you agree. Tourism is hugely important here and nobody wants bad publicity – by contacting anyone from the list below and making your feelings known, you could impact the City Hall’s policy and save numerous dogs and cats from a painful and unnecessary death.

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