Stop treating animals as disposable objects or furniture

Apr 19, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

I write this letter with a heavy heart, compelled to bring attention to the “silent epidemic” of animal cruelty that seems to be treated with indifference, or in some cases, amused disregard by many in our Guyanese society. The daily occurrences of brutal beatings, abandonment, and the starvation of dogs, horses, and donkeys continue to plague our streets and villages.

It is truly shocking to witness, or hear reports of, horses and donkeys collapsing under impossible loads under the intense Guyanese sun, often whipped and beaten by their owners. Also, animals tied in the hot sun without shade for them to go under. Too often, we see strays on the roadside that is hurt and bystanders walking by without a second glance. This lack of empathy this normalisation of pain is a sad reflection of our communal compassion.

Why is the welfare of these voiceless creatures so rarely prioritised? When reports are made, they are too often met with inaction, or the belief that this is just “normal behaviour” or “survival of the fittest.”

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. If we are to be a progressive nation, we must be a humane nation. We cannot claim to be a compassionate society while ignoring the skeletal, starved dog or the tortured animal in our own neighbourhood.

I urge my fellow Guyanese to stop treating animals as disposable objects or “furniture.” I call on the Guyana Police Force to take animal cruelty reports seriously and for the laws to be enforced. We must support the hardworking animal welfare groups. Let us wake up and act with empathy. Stop the abuse.

WE NEED A SANCTUARY FOR THE ANIMALS

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animal abuse, Letters, road kill, starvation of dogs

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