The "One Happy Island" of Aruba has a dark side that few visitors know about. The island is filled homeless dogs and cats who are abused, neglected, abandoned, thrown away in trash, purposefully hit by cars, and starved. There are several rescue foundations on the island but the police and the government do not care. They do not have many laws to protect animals and the do not enforce any of the ones they have. When the police are called on animal abusers, they just ignore it. Nobody gets punished, nobody gets arrested. So the abuse and neglect just continues. Every day tourists help the local rescuers by taking cats and dogs back home with them through adoption programs and flight volunteers. The island volunteers also rigorously slay and neuter, but there is no funding from the government and no laws to protect innocent animals from horrible abuse. Some animals are even left in cages in the beat without food or water or shade until they just eventually die. Dogs routinely get thrown out of moving car doors with no arrests even when license plates and video are given to the police. Sign this petition to urge the government of Aruba to put an end to the animal abuse and violence. Make a promise to NOT visit the island until animals are protected by the law. The Aruban government first needs to establish strict laws to protect dogs and cats from abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. They they need to enforce those laws. The abusers need to be punished and the animals need to have safe haven. I hope to spread the word about abuse so visitors will think twice about going to Aruba. Since tourism is their only source of money, hopefully a decline in visitors will urge the government to finally do the right thing.
