Stray felines are very basic in numerous nations. As regular seekers, they feed themselves and help monitor rodents. Stray pooches that are as productive as stray felines are not as normal, however, aside from on the island of Sal, Cape Verde, which is off the shore of West Africa. Stray puppies wander the shorelines and avenues of this little island, hanging out together.
Picture and travel photographic artist Zotlan Kecskes caught the life of Cape Verde’s stray mutts while on furlough. When his underlying stun at the sheer number of mutts wandering openly on the island wore off, he approached capturing the narrative of their lives.
Most of the dogs on the island are medium-sized and many resemble Labradors, according to Cape Verde Info. Their smaller size makes them faster on their feet and more nimble. Probably brought by Portuguese fishermen, these dogs wander without a care during the day and find someplace safe to sleep at night.
With so many wild dogs roaming the island, many are underfed. Some belong to individuals who feed their pets at dusk and dawn. Others, Kecskes observes, “get fed by the tourists.”
Those who don’t get fed by owners and tourists have to fend for themselves, scavenging food from dumpsters. This has resulted in the hotels pushing the town council to start rounding up the dogs and caging them or putting them down.
Looking for a better solution, Vets for Change has started a sterilization campaign for dogs on Cape Verde. Veterinarians have visited the island eight times, conducting sterilizations and educational sessions. Thus far 3,200 dogs have been treated out of the approximately 5,000 dogs that live there.
Because the people of the island “see them as part of everyday life,” Kecskes says that the dogs are friendly. During his time on the island, one particular dog stole his heart. “We met him on the first day of our holiday, and he basically stayed with us for the whole time. He waited for us every morning in front of our accommodation, and we spent every day together. We loved him so much we decided to rescue him, and we named him Beau.”
