skinny dogs = sick children

On my commute to work one day, I walked past a skinny yellow dog lying in the middle of the sidewalk. Not curled up next to the building for warmth, not next to an owner and not in the gutter as if he had been hit by a car—but in the middle of a wide, pedestrian-filled sidewalk. His eyes were open and he was aware of where it was, but he seemed to have given up; he seemed to be waiting to die. It was one of the saddest sights I´ve seen.

Since then, I´ve noticed skinny dogs everywhere—emerging from underneath abandoned cars, searching through construction rubble for food, walking along the highway in search of roadkill. I´m not writing about this because I think Ecuadorians should spay or neuter their pets. Simply this: skinny dogs means that food is scarce. SCARCE. The dogs are not able to rummage through garbage for leftovers because there are no leftovers. There is simply not enough food for the people. In a community with more than one skinny dog, there are bound to be hungry, sickly children. Malnourished children are more prone to illness. If there is not enough money for food, there is not enough money for a doctor. A vicious cycle. Skinny dogs = sick children.

For the most part, US dogs have full trashcans through which to rummage and US dogs have the humane society to feed them. When was the last time you saw skinny, homeless dogs?

p.s. another twist: my family here doesn´t let the dog out because sometimes dogs get stolen for meals.