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Here are two Podengos Medio and Pequeno as they have evolved in the Cape Verde islands from original ancestors brought by ship from Portugal. On the left is Robbie adopted by a Frenchman and on the right Vlekkie adopted by a South African couple. Vlekkie is Afrikaans for Fleckie.
Both were killed with strycchnine thrown into the front yard of the house which the South Africans were renting from an American. They were playing together with their owners absent when savages employed by the manager of the gated community threw poisoned meat over the fence. They must have died within minutes in extreme agony. When the South African friend who was supposedly caring for Vlekkie returned from work at the airport, he found them lying dead in the yard.
He was aware that poison was regularly used putting dogs, cats and children equally at risk but did not imagine that the dogs would not be safe in a private front yard. At least one Austrian and one Italian dog owner, living in the complex had campaigned that all dogs not kept on a leash should be killed. This has happened again despite protests from the many residents who like dogs.
Vlekkie was possibly the sweetest dog that you could ever meet. He would run up to any friendly person just for affection, not for food. When you swam in the pool, he would run around it encouraging you. He was obviously lonely as his owner was at work most of the day and left him free to run about the complex. What a terrible mistake in a land where there are some savage people amongst a population basically of dog lovers!
For more details see www.capeverdeinfo.org.uk/cape_verde_pets.htm
