Dead German Shepherd on a Cabo Rojo roadside. Weighing about 60 lbs, it has been there decomposing for about 4-5 days (approximately), and apparently is not going to be picked up.

If you live in Cabo Rojo, or many other parts of Puerto Rico, you are probably not shocked at all by these graphic photos.

In Cabo Rojo seeing dead pets on the roadside is so common, many of you have probably become immune to it. Mummified cats and dogs can be found all the time on the 100 Highway itself.

Stray pets are certainly not in short supply. There are plenty of them available to be run over. With no sterilization program in place, you can be sure every day brings a new batch of puppies and kittens which become ready for their destiny on the side of the road.

This is not Barceloneta. The massacre here happens slower, one animal at a time, day after day, on the roadsides.

We might not even know that it happens everyday, except for the fact that nobody picks them up! You can literally (no exaggeration) find cats that have been flattened as though they were spray painted onto the pavement!

A view you don't get from the car while driving by. This is a close up of the rotting animal. Remember, this is only early into the decomposition. This will become increasing more horrific every day it is left there by the municipality.

The photo of the 60 lb. German Shepherd is from about Day 4 or 5 of its decomposition. Just getting that photo required me to hold my breath and the smell lingered on my clothes although I was never closer than 5 feet away.

I’ve personally spoken to tourists who were absolutely appalled when every day of their vacation they got to see the same dog (another large breed) in progressive states of horrid decomposition on the 100 in Boqueron.

How beautiful. What humanity.

Does anyone from the mayor’s office actually drive the roads? Is there absolutely no municipal department be it the Emergency Services offices (who went without an in service phone for a time in December 2008 by the way) or otherwise, who is responsible for picking these animals up?

If not… then why not? If you live in Cabo Rojo or in any part of Puerto Rico where road kill gets left on the side of the road until fully decomposed, and you believe this is NOT right, please call your newly elected mayor’s office and let them know about it. Call them every time you find a new dog or cat rotting on the road.

Do you care enough?

Cabo Rojo Residents: Your mayor is a great person, and she’s made it known to SAFAPR that she cares for the welfare of the animals here. She supports the Santuario de San Francisco de Asis. However, *we* as residents have to take responsibility and be proactive in calling and letting them know about the roadside dead pets. Only your support in this way, will allow them to develop a successful pick-up program.

Here is the contact info for the mayor’s office:

Email: ciudadcaborojo@yahoo.com

Telephone: (787) 851-1025

UPDATE: The corpse was picked up 17 days after its apperance. Thank you municipality.