The food we sampled was delicious and everyone was friendly to visitors, but the sad thing was the many emaciated dogs lying around. They were hopeful that there might be some food left to offer them as they were thin and starving, some with raw sores. I saw several children give their uneaten portions to the dogs. I was heartened by the children’s kindness because it appeared that so many dogs were not owned or cared for; I wondered how old these children were when they stopped loving animals.
Many dogs wore no collars. They had no one to love or belong to, and they just lay around on the sidewalks, under tables and in the street. When I tried to approach them, they would run away. I wondered why, because it seemed the dogs were smiling, looking into my eyes and hoping for affection. But they were very afraid to let me come near. This made my heart as a visitor and a tourist very sad because in the United States, we love our dogs and take very good care of them. They are our friends and companions.
Mostly the dogs were females with large teats indicating they had had many litters of puppies. I wondered why Saipan doesn’t spay and neuter its dogs and cats. Their coats were rough with a disease called mange, and they appeared infested with parasites. Simple, inexpensive medicines can be ordered online from veterinary pharmacies to treat mange. My brother said it was hundreds of dollars to spay an animal on Saipan, only one vet and no Humane Society.
Perhaps a coalition of invited, visiting veterinarians could get the job done while enjoying the recreation that Saipan offers.
Dogs and cats are meant to be pets — which means they return the love and care given to them. Dogs and cats as pets make us better people. But love has to come from a person with a generous heart, who knows how to share and care for creatures smaller and more helpless. How well animals are treated and cared for is a mark of how civilized people are.
Visitors to Saipan may not return when they remember how sadly the animals living there are treated by Saipan’s people and this lack of tourism will not help Saipan’s economy.
PATRICIA KNACHT
Prescott, Arizona
