So I live in Guam for another week and woke up this morning to a horrible sound coming from my Chuukese neighbors' yard. Went outside to check it out and saw that one of our neighbors had strung their dog up by some cable so that it was hanging from the tree and choking to death. I yelled at him to quit and get the dog down. Which he started to do but I didn't think the dog was going to make it so I ran inside to get a knife to cut it down. By the time I returned he was carrying the dog (still moving and making horrible sounds to the other side of the house). I climbed over the wall and grabbed their other puppy and took it back to my house. By this time other dog was no where to be seen and had quit making sounds and the neighbor had driven off.
I called the police (I know
but there is not a humane society or pet-abuse enforcement agency out here) and filed a complaint. This was the last remaining dog of the original three that neighbors had gotten about a year ago who mysteriously disappeared as well. After waiting an hour and filing a police report, the police officer basically said they weren't going to do anything and that I could file a complaint, but they were still not going to do anything even then. The head of the household came back and talked with the police and I was told to return the puppy because it belonged to him, and the other dog strung up on the tree belonged to his brother who was doing the hanging.
Dog eating is common and accepted on the island of Chuuk. But this not Chuuk. Guam has horrible animal protection laws and even worse enforcement and apparently even the lawmakers and enforcement are unsure of the legality of eating your own dog.
What is the libertarian stance on eating your own dog on your own property?
Even if you accept the cultural differences of eating dog, isn't hanging the dog from a tree and beating it to death with a stick (the Chuukese custom) animal cruelty? Cows are put down more humanely than that.
Is there anything else I should have done? Can't help but think that I should have just grabbed both dogs and got them to the animal shelter, but it sounds like legally I would have been in the wrong and I would have to worry about protecting my wife and newborn from reprisal as well as dealing with any legal repercussions while trying to get the hell out of here. Not something I had ever thought about or was ready to deal early Saturday morning.
As I am writing this, they are having a dog barbecue and my wife and I are eagerly packing to leave the island and get back to the states next week.
I called the police (I know
but there is not a humane society or pet-abuse enforcement agency out here) and filed a complaint. This was the last remaining dog of the original three that neighbors had gotten about a year ago who mysteriously disappeared as well. After waiting an hour and filing a police report, the police officer basically said they weren't going to do anything and that I could file a complaint, but they were still not going to do anything even then. The head of the household came back and talked with the police and I was told to return the puppy because it belonged to him, and the other dog strung up on the tree belonged to his brother who was doing the hanging.Dog eating is common and accepted on the island of Chuuk. But this not Chuuk. Guam has horrible animal protection laws and even worse enforcement and apparently even the lawmakers and enforcement are unsure of the legality of eating your own dog.
What is the libertarian stance on eating your own dog on your own property?
Even if you accept the cultural differences of eating dog, isn't hanging the dog from a tree and beating it to death with a stick (the Chuukese custom) animal cruelty? Cows are put down more humanely than that.Is there anything else I should have done? Can't help but think that I should have just grabbed both dogs and got them to the animal shelter, but it sounds like legally I would have been in the wrong and I would have to worry about protecting my wife and newborn from reprisal as well as dealing with any legal repercussions while trying to get the hell out of here. Not something I had ever thought about or was ready to deal early Saturday morning.
As I am writing this, they are having a dog barbecue and my wife and I are eagerly packing to leave the island and get back to the states next week.
That made me want to vomit.
