Animal Abuse in the Municipality of Molina, Chile
By Andres Kogan Valderrama
HAVANA TIMES – It is hard to believe that in the year 2024 and amid multiple corruption scandals in different municipalities throughout Chile, there are also local administrations that explicitly promote abuse in their communities, disregarding basic rights that one would think should be guaranteed by all state authorities without exception.
Such is the case of the Municipality of Molina and Mayor Priscilla Castillo, who along with council members Cristian Aguilera and Francisco Valdes, came up with nothing better than to inaugurate a greyhound racetrack on February 17th, which sparked immense reactions from various organizations. Council member Cristian Martinez, along with the Esperanza Animal de Lontue Group and greyhound rescuers, filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office for the crimes of animal abuse, illegal betting, and the use of public funds in this activity.
Although in Chile, unlike some countries (United States, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Portugal), greyhound racing is not prohibited, there is Law No. 21,020 on Responsible Pet and Companion Animal Ownership, which punishes those who commit animal abuse. This law can help to stop these violent and abhorrent practices, disguised as traditions.
Faced with all this, Mayor Priscilla Castillo had no choice but to issue a statement, indicating that the greyhound racetrack was not a municipal initiative and that at the inauguration they were monitoring the condition of the dogs, as the municipality has a commitment to animal welfare. This seems like a bad joke on her part, as there is enough evidence showing the harm suffered by greyhounds in races, ranging from hip problems, broken teeth, drug consumption, high levels of stress, abandonment, and euthanasia.
Consequently, the statement seeks only to clean up the mayor’s image, instead of making an explicit and forceful condemnation of the animal abuse generated by these practices on dogs. This only ends up validating the existence of greyhound racetracks that should not exist in Molina or anywhere in Chile, as it undermines life and causes suffering to greyhounds, for the whims and profits of some.
In other words, Mayor Priscilla Castillo seems not to understand the moment we are experiencing as a country and globally, in a context of climate crisis, where the care of nature and non-human animals is crucial. Therefore, it is not enough to just issue statements, municipal ordinances, or programs on responsible ownership, but to change our perspective and how we relate to other living beings.
Therefore, it is not about animal fundamentalism or urban pet ownership, as the more conservative sectors ironically and disparagingly like to point out when we raise our voices against animal abuse practices such as greyhound racing, calf roping, dogfighting, bullfighting, and animal testing. They see nothing wrong with putting a price on everything, even the lives of some beings.
Having said that, may this year 2024 of municipal elections in Chile be a moment for us not only to demand transparent and honest behavior from candidates in their lives and with public funds, given all that has been revealed in the country, but also empathy and sensitivity to the suffering of other beings who feel just like us.
Only then can we build societies that are kinder and more respectful of the environment, which we still have not realized that we are part of and depend on. Instead, reproducing life systems that do not care in the least about suffering, like the pain of thousands of greyhounds, because someone once thought in history that they were condemned to compete and be a source of income for a pseudo-sport like this.