A price on their heads

Cartoon by artist German Osuna is captioned "Dogs of the World united with the dogs of San Luis Rio Colorado." 

People who live in San Carlos and see a homeless dog on the street might leave food for it, or catch it and try to find its owner, get it spayed or neutered, try to find it a home. But if those who live in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora,  are likely to just shoot it or poison it, and turn it in for a $200-peso bounty. I've seen a photo of the results of this bounty, showing dozens of dead dogs heaped together, but couldn't bring myself to share it here.

Pata de Perro, a Facebook page for rescue pets in Hermosillo, reports a 200-pesos bounty is offered by the mayor of San Luis Rio Colorado,  for live or dead street dogs. The mayor refers to these ownerless dogs as a source of waste and pollution. (He cleaned caca off his shoes one too many times?) I'm looking for a protest petition that's being circulated and will be submitted to Guillermo Padre, Governor of Sonora, but I'm not sure gringos are entitled to sign it.

San Luis Rio Colorado is at the border of the US and Baja California. According to one article, published online by Sociedad Protectora des Animales,  the bounty will be distributed as credits on water bills or property taxes. This might be a safeguard to prevent youths from going on greed-driven execution rampages. Still...

Supposedly the aim is to rid the town of all dogs or puppies not on a leash or confined indoors or in a yard. But what a barbaric way to go about it! My greatest concern is that this idea might catch on in other parts of Mexico.

The end of a long wait

My mother went to sleep last Thursday and never woke up. Yesterday she drew her last breath. My sister was with her, and staff in the nursing home and hospice volunteers visited throughout the past two days to say their goodbyes.

She suffered from Alzheimer's for more than ten years and Judy and I learned more about the disease than we ever wanted to know. In the last few weeks she could no longer speak or hold up her head or walk, and sat in a wheelchair by the front door of the nursing home clutching a large baby doll, in a kind of dream state as though she was just waiting to leave.

She is finally free and we both are relieved for her, in spite of our own feelings of loss.

Judy will scatter her ashes at a nearby lake where they used to go to feed the ducks. No services are planned and we're asking all who would send flowers to instead donate to the Alzheimer's Foundation and their local Hospice in her name.

P.S. My mother adored cats. I've been asked to start a Facebook page for cats as I did for dogs, and now it's up, dedicated to Mom. San Carlos Loves Cats. She'd have loved it.