Dogs from Reunion Island: Royal Bourbons and Creole Shepherds

It’s because there’s such a massive job to be done in terms of public education that a culling campaign (a humane one, obviously) would be beneficial. I’ll remind you that these are animals that are suffering. Mind you, on this site, all too often when a kid gets bitten by a dog, it’s the kid’s fault. No, it’s the fault of the adults (parents and owners) who weren’t supervising. It’s no more the dog’s fault than the child’s—you never, ever leave a child unsupervised. What worries me, unfortunately, is that if you allow that, even under certain conditions, you’ll get ‘cowboys’ and macho types coming along to have a ‘bit of fun’ beating dogs. Yes, it’s a worrying issue and leaving these animals to suffer isn’t the answer, but I’m not sure it can be done humanely. 😞

It really is shocking. But the dog was tied up outside the shop, so it obviously had an owner. Even if there were a culling programme, it wouldn’t apply to this dog as it isn’t a stray. Regarding who’s to blame... it’s complicated. A dog shouldn’t bite, especially not on the neck, but you just don’t let a 4-year-old child play with a dog in the street. The number of times kids have come over to annoy Maya, barking "woof woof" at her and stamping their feet, taking advantage of the fact she’s on a lead. I’m wary of children; if the parents aren’t there to give their consent and supervise, I don't let them play with her. Even the gentlest kids can make quite sudden movements. It's not necessarily the child's fault as they’re just naive and guided by their emotions. It’s the parents’ fault, but also the owner’s; whatever way you look at it, it’s always a risk to leave your dog unattended in a public place.

The dog in the article was on a lead, so by definition not a stray, and what was the child doing playing with a dog all by himself without any adult supervision?

Sadly, the minister who is supposed to be working for animal welfare isn't lifting a finger. That’s the main issue right there!!!!!! Take some photos and send them to their office with a properly pointed comment. I did exactly that back home in Belgium when Carlos Di Angelo was in that role; his secretary (or maybe him) replied with some corporate waffle, basically saying thanks for your interest etc... etc..... Looking at the situation in France, there's just total silence and a lack of action from the politicians, and that’s the reason why the number of puppies is constantly skyrocketing everywhere. I’m not sure what vet fees are like where you are, but in Brussels, getting a dog spayed costs about £210. That's about £85 for the surgery alone and £125 for all the supplies and meds used. Culling????????? Animals are living beings with brains and feelings. They’re often used as assistance dogs for disabled people, and you’re talking about culling them!!!!!! You’ve lost the plot there. It’s the abusive owners who should be put down!!!! Neutering here in Mons is around £150 for a small dog and goes up for the bigger ones... but I remember Water’s operation in Ciney cost me about £130 (for a big dog like that it varies by region). For spaying, it's easily £210 to £250, but if Istanbul can afford it, I suppose there’s a way to get it done without too many "fees"—anyway, I don’t know, I just prefer that to the idea of simply putting them down.

Unfortunately, the minister who is supposed to be working for the animals isn't lifting a finger. That is the primary problem right there! Take some photos and send them to him with a pointed comment. I did that myself back home in Belgium when Carlos Di Antonio held that post. Either he or his secretary got back to me with some waffle along the lines of "thank you for your interest", etc. etc. Across the French territories, I can see this total lack of action from the politicians in charge, and that is why the number of puppies everywhere is constantly growing. I don’t know what the vet fees are like where you are, but in Brussels, getting a pet spayed/neutered costs about £210. That is around £85 just for the operation and £125 for all the supplies used during the procedure. Culling????????? Animals are living beings with brains and a conscience. They often serve as assistance dogs for people with disabilities, and you are talking about culling them!!!!!! You have really lost the plot there. It is the abusive owners who should be the ones put down!

Albator, I agree that action needs to be taken, but as for actually culling them—we’ll end up just like Romania (where dogs are hunted down, beaten and mutilated before being crammed into pounds to be killed). Why not do what they do in Istanbul? They have a policy of sterilising stray animals, which I think is a much better way to go.

Based on some info @yanou shared in one of their posts, it sounds like there are "batches" of dogs arriving from Réunion Island. It means the dogs are already here on the mainland rather than still over there, where their chances of being adopted are slim to none. I’d imagine they’ve already tried every local option available(?). On the other hand, it definitely makes you think about breeding, and even more so about the laws and penalties for abandoning pets. But we also need to talk about how over-zealous some rescues and the RSPCA can be with their requirements sometimes – it really puts people off going through them. I also think Réunion should perhaps bring in a neutering programme for stray dogs, similar to how cats are managed on the mainland. Even if it means having different rules to the rest of France, they could ban or tighten the rules for private breeding, maybe even setting a cap on the total number of litters allowed on the island(?). If they don’t, it’s just going to be a never-ending cycle...

It’s true that they’ve got a reputation for having a lovely temperament. I know one and he’s absolutely sweet! Mind you, health-wise, the only one I know is actually quite delicate. It surprised me because that’s not the reputation they usually have, but then again, he’s the only one I’ve met in person.