"Dogs belong outside"

Arise's first day at home

As a young emotional wreck of a woman, who breaks down in tears at the mere thought of animal cruelty and dreams of one day opening an animal sanctuary to take care of all the abandoned animals on the planet (excluding reptiles and other scary creatures), it is extremely difficult living in a country where animal rights are pretty much none existent.

Baby goats roam the sandy streets desperately looking for something green to eat and stray cats and dogs hunt for scraps in a bid to get some meat on their protruding ribcage. I just want to scoop them up in my arms, stroke their tummies and tell them it will be okay … but then I remind myself that I will get rabies and die.

Goats looking for greenery

My heart sinks when I have to drive past the roadside pet store, where tiny cages line the streets each filled with three or four puppies inside. Men also walk up and down the streets or beaches juggling handfuls of puppies in the blazing heat trying to flog them like a pair of socks.

And you can imagine my horror when I had to spend an entire bus journey riding alongside two pick up trucks each carrying a cow, an alive cow i might add, strapped up in the most torturous position. No one so much as blinked at the sight, while I fought back the tears. 

My dog being king of the castle 

To the majority of Ghanaians animals belong outdoors, regardless of pet status, end of story. Generally people get animals for a service around here, dogs to guard the house, cats to chase the mice, chickens, goats and cows to eat etc.

I have grown up around doggies my entire life and in my house we treat them nothing short of queens. I miss my little puppy more than words, despite her being a little bitch, so you can imagine my overwhelming excitement when I arrived home from work one day to see a small puppy trotting around the living room.

My very spoilt puppy 

I discovered it belonged to my boyfriend’s uncle who had bought it earlier that day and named it Arise after his former dog. I was told this man loved dogs so I had faith. I couldn’t see any dog bed or water bowls or any form of pet essentials yet but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

After about three days I noticed he’d been moved outside and tied to a metal chain because, surprise surprise, he was chewing everything. HE’S A PUPPY IT’S WHAT THEY DO! You can’t leave a puppy alone in a room with no toys or food and expect him not to sample your new sandals.

Giving Arise some love

There was still no sign of a water bowl and his one meal a day consisted of super noodles or rice. I pleaded with his owner to buy him dog food but he told me they couldn’t afford it. Then I got really angry. “WHY BUY A DOG IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOK AFTER IT?” I shouted, before running to my room and sobbing.

I bought him what I could with the little money I had, bearing in mind I could hardly afford to feed myself and every day I would go and sit and play with him. When I came back to England I asked after him every day and hoped to God he was doing okay.

When I arrived back I couldn’t believe my eyes. Two months had passed and he had grown a little taller but his waist had gotten smaller. His fur was matted and he was running around in circles, throwing himself on floor desperately trying to rid an itch.

A likely sight in Ghana

I asked what the hell was wrong with him and I was told they’d covered him in engine oil to stop the insects from worrying him. ENGINE OIL … WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND DOES THAT. It was the last straw for me. Knowing I could do absolutely nothing for this defenceless animal I vowed never to step foot in that house again. 

Everyone keeps telling me “Oh this is African dog, they’re used to it.” NO…a dog is a dog, it doesn’t matter what country they’re from they still need the same care, love and attention every animal deserves.

Imagine if we were talking about starving babies and I said “oh they’re an African baby, they’re used to it” I would have hell to pay … and rightly so … but you see what I’m trying to get at here. 

All animals, like humans, deserve the right to live their lives free from suffering and exploitation. Period.

Wish you were here XOXO