Pet Slaughter

I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it. ~Abraham Lincoln

Earlier this month Berceloneta, Puerto Rico hired Animal Control Solution to clear three housing projects of pets after the city recently took over administration of the projects.

Municipal workers surrounded the housing complexes and prevented anyone from leaving with a pet. Pets were confiscated in front of children. According to Mayor Sol Luis Fontanez, it was expected the animals were to be adopted or euthanized humanely.

The animals were turned over to Animal Control Solutions, which was to be paid $60 for every animal picked up and another $100 for each trip to transport the animals to a shelter in the suburb of Carolina. Injections were administered, allegedly as a sedative for the ride to the shelter. The animals were then, “slammed into vehicles.”

But instead of being taken to a shelter, 80 animals were thrown from a 50-foot-high bridge in the neighboring town of Vega Baja. Some were already dead from the brutality and injections when tossed, but many were still alive. As can be imagined, from that height, there were innumerable broken bones, even broken backs, and other injuries. A few survived and somehow managed to crawl up to the highway. Six or seven were eventually reunited with their owners. .

Despite this, Animal Control Solution owner Julio Diaz denied these were the same animals he confiscated. But police have confirmed their involvement and the mayor has confirmed the public housing administration was also involved. No arrests have been made but an investigation is ongoing.

A $22.5 million (euro15.75 million) lawsuit has been filed against the municipality of Barceloneta, Mayor Fontanez, Puerto Rico's public housing director, the owner of a private animal control company (no surprise) and several others.

Public outrage was not limited to Puerto Rico and the United States. Many nations were represented among the signatures on a petition that was delivered to Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá, Governor of Puerto Rico during a demonstration.

Just for the record, the housing projects also receive funding from the U.S. government. The Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington said it does not have a no-pet policy and would not authorize a mass confiscation of animals.

Personally, I would not give a fig for any man's religion whose horse, cat and dog do not feel its benefits. Life in any form is our perpetual responsibility. ~S. Parkes Cadman

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