Dear Editor,
I recently went for a walk along the coast from Carvoeiro to Caneiros beach.
Just beautiful! It is highly recommended, but don’t forget to take comfortable clothing and shoes as it can get a bit strenuous at times.
But, just as we were leaving the cliff area and heading for the road into Sesmarias we passed by an old house with a Portuguese family and the usual mini dogs barking like mad. We had absolutely no problem with this but the owners felt they had to shut them up by hitting them with sticks. And then I saw red!
As I heard the dogs’ yelping, I stormed down the lane leading to the house to give them a mouth full. I don’t actually recall much of what I said as I was so angry. But my wife tells me I was very successful in expressing my feelings about such cruelty.
If you saw this elderly couple in a different context, you would no doubt find them adorable. But I guess they were not brought up to respect pet animals and treat them as part of the family.
I know my children have been brought up differently and that they are also making a difference in the world as far as animal welfare is concerned.
Carlos Silvestre
Lisbon
