Cruel owner that chained pet dogs on tight leash for days gets no punishment!

The photo above has caused massive widespread indignation on social media. These pet dogs had chains so tightly wrapped around their necks they were barely able to breathe. They were left like this for days and the owner would only come and give them a bit of food and water from time to time.

The photo was taken on the streets of Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. Although numerous people passed by these helpless souls, no one actually bothered to take action. Cruelty to animals is regarded as something normal in the small country situated in Central America.

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It was one concerned citizen that took finally a picture of the dogs and sent it to Canal 15 news station with the view of raising awareness on this issue. In spite of widespread anger and condemnation of the blatant neglect of two sweet pet dogs, the authorities never even bothered to arrive at the scene to remove the dogs from the premises or charge the owner with animal abuse.

As soon as she heard about the plight of these dogs, Mariam Reyes, president of the ‘Corazon Verde’ animal welfare organization, rushed to the scene and started negociating the release of the dogs. After a couple of unnsuccesful attempts, the owner eventually agreed to free the dogs. The cruel owner claimed that the lack of financial support was the main reason he could not properly care for the dogs. The canines are now out of harm’s way and, with the help of volunteers, have fully recovered from this ordeal.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper animal welfare laws in Nicaragua, the owner will never be charged with cruelty to animals and will not be brought to justice, which is a true shame, because no animal deserves to be treated in this manner, no matter what the circumstances are.

While it is fair to point out that the government has achieved important progress when it comes to animal welfare laws  in recent years – on the 19th of November 2010 the government passed the country’s first animal protection bill – there are still numerous issues related to animal welfare still persist. For instance, the stray dog population is over control and no measures have been taken to help the dogs without a home; furthermore, penalties for cruelty to animals are still very much symbolic and abusers end up getting away unpunished on most cases (just like the situation described in the petition). Too many innocent souls have been mistreated and too many abusers have escaped unpunished.

The plight of these two sweet dogs perfectly illustrates the need for tougher animal welfare laws in Nicaragua. Please support this petition and demand that every person suspected of cruelty to animals is brought to justice and handed mandatory jail time, in addition to steep fines. This is the only way to restore law and order and allow the voiceless residents of Nicaragua to live the normal, decent life they deserve.

Thank you for your support.