They
squat on their shoe shine kits at the foot of the restaurant steps,
wary in case they are to be shooed off by the waiters or picked up by
the police, and waiting in the hopes that a customer will signal one of
them to clean his shoes or take pity on him and pass him a few
pesos. Occasionally, one or other of them will pick up his rough hewn
kit and walk past the restaurants signaling to the customers that he
is available. Sometimes they will catch the eye of a sympathetic-looking passer by and ask for
a few pesos to buy some food. These children aged between 6 and 15 are
docile, friendly and vulnerable. Closer inspection of them may reveal
signs of scabies and ringworm.
***
Scenario 2:
The horse munches peacefully at the roadside. One false
step will put him in the path of a moving vehicle. His skin hangs over
his bones as on a wire coat hanger. He is covered in fungus and ticks
and his hoofs are so overgrown that his posture is distorted.
In the past, he was used for horseback riding tours and had an owner. However, his earning capacity was given more priority than his welfare and as soon as that diminished he was discarded as no longer being of value. The deterioration in his health was rapid despite potentially having many more years of life ahead of him.
After living in the Dominican Republic for some time, it is hard not to notice and want to improve the situation for street children and animals. This is how this project began....
