BY SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
HUNDREDS of angry Bahamians vented on social media networks yesterday, after a photo of a dog spray painted with letters "FNM" went viral.
The Tribune posted the picture on both its Facebook and website around 10am. It was almost immediately shared by more than 20 people on their personal pages and received more than 30 comments.
One woman said: "Sometimes I want to scream! Here is an innocent animal that can cry and feel pain, knows joy and love and then some complete moron comes along and treats the animal in an inhumane way.
"I would like to take that same can of paint and spray the person who did this with the word INHUMANE PERSON across their chest. Some of us Bahamians are really, really stupid. Lord give me strength not to curse!"
Another said: "Just looking at this picture brings tears to my eyes.
"I know this dog didn't just stand or lay down for the spray painting to be done even this 'dumb' creature has value.
"This speaks volumes of the level of intelligence in our country. I'm ashamed. The person who did this shouldn't have the right to vote, clearly they are not of sound mind."
A few hours after the picture surfaced The Tribune learned a concerned citizen, who wished to remain anonymous, took the dog and washed the graffiti off.
She denied reports that the animal was beaten and tortured and scolded members of the public for being irresponsible with comments without first gathering the facts.
"There were two dogs, not one," she said. "I think we animal people need to be a little more careful and check our facts before we go on Facebook causing a stir and insulting people, especially when the people we target actually love and take care of their animals.
"Yes, it was foolish to spray paint FNM on those two dogs on Mackey Street but no one was trying to stone them to death," she said.
"They didn't have any signs of injury or trauma and were at home with their owners when found. The owners were more than willing to wash the paint off themselves and have now learned why what they did was silly and potentially dangerous. It was a matter of ignorance, not cruelty - and ignorance can be cured with a little education, not necessarily a policeman."
Stephen Turnquest, executive director at the Humane Society, said in a statement yesterday that there is enough animal neglect, abuse and cruelty going on in this country without this kind of ignorance adding to it.
"This is a prime example of ignorance that can cause a healthy animal unnecessary suffering at the hands of uncaring people," he said.
"The Bahamas Humane Society is advising the public to refrain from such silly acts like painting political gestures on animals because it puts the animal at risk of being abused.
"Fortunately this dog was found and cleaned up, others might not be so lucky."
Comments
mynameis 12 years, 7 months ago
Just looking at this picture brings tears to my eyes...I know this dog didn't just stand or lay down for the spray painting to be done...even this "dumb" creature has value.
Tria 12 years, 7 months ago
Spray painting dogs??? Really people!!? What the hell is wrong with you?
Phillbo 12 years, 7 months ago
This speaks volumes of the level of intelligence in our country. I'm ashamed. The person who did this shouldn't have the right to vote, clearly they are not of sound mind.
KGC 12 years, 7 months ago
Sometimes I want to scream! Here is an innocent animal that can cry and feel pain, knows joy and love and then some complete moron comes along and treats the animal in an inhumane way. I would like to take that same can of paint and spray the person who did this with the word INHUMANE PERSON across their chest. Some of us Bahamians are really really stupid. Lord give me strength not to curse!
Tria 12 years, 7 months ago
Sometimes I just HATE this Country and am so ashamed. There's a place reserved in HELL for whomever did this.
Rontom 12 years, 7 months ago
While this is clearly a foolish/childish prank, it does not deserve the level of public outcry greater than that heard for the 11 yr old child that was shot with a gun. Our sensibilities are somewhat skewed--in our efforts to be humane, we are forgetting to be human. I am not ashamed of being Bahamian, we are a beautiful people and I believe in this country. Our civilities do not have to be 'borrowed' for our definition. It simply begins with good leadership and/or the restoration of those tried and proven institutions to be active in more meaningful and progressive way.
Hels 12 years, 7 months ago
You can tell a nation by the way they treat animals and that's all I'm saying!
Tria 12 years, 7 months ago
Animals have NO voice! We are their voice.
Tria 12 years, 7 months ago
This is much more that a foolish or childish 'prank' People who abuse someone or something that is weaker than they, are evil.
Rontom 12 years, 7 months ago
Really. where was your outcry for a CHILD'S death? or are you expressing over-valued ideas?
Rontom 12 years, 7 months ago
Tria in HATING this country you hate yourself. You and your kind can go ELSEWHERE!! Far, far away. YES, I am picking a fight with someone who obviously identifies more with a DOG than a human being.
carlh57 12 years, 7 months ago
unfortunately though, the "humans" in this nations ARE acting worse than "dogs"... And yes human life is more valuable. Thus that gives us also more RESPONSIBILITY for our actions. Unfortunately people here in the bahamas (some, not all ) either can't recognize their role as humans or won't. You can ferret out the answer on which it is, in acts like the above mentioned.
Rontom 12 years, 7 months ago
How could you possibly make that argument and that non-eventual conclusion? If you are not able to relate to your brother/sister as a human being, but see the... 'injustices?' done to animals in the face of all the daily horror we see and hear about done to our neighbors, then, it's nothing short of a 'form of godliness'
Tria 12 years, 7 months ago
I was enraged with the 'childs' murder. Speak of what you KNOW,
Rontom 12 years, 7 months ago
Boring and hopelessly affected
BahamaSand 12 years, 7 months ago
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”- MAHATMA GHANDI
...therefore it deserves to be recognized publicly. I believe that is why some folks find it difficult to live amongst their own people. Once you detach yourself from EVERYTHING that is nature you'll realize you're detaching yourself from being human.
carlh57 12 years, 7 months ago
Yep, ignorance strikes again......
Ozzy 12 years, 7 months ago
For me that is more than enough with the Bahamas now. I will no longer holiday in this country and will no longer be recomending my clients and offering them the services I once provided for their holidays to this country either. I can not associate myself or my company with this kind of thing. Good luck with your tourist industry, but my support of this has now gone.
Rontom 12 years, 7 months ago
Wont miss you a bit. We survived worse. Good riddance!!
GFerguson 12 years, 7 months ago
First off pay attention to your country and its issues. Every nation has its fare share of knuckle heads so get your head out of your rectum and talk about things that the readers care about!
Victor 12 years, 7 months ago
Really, people, I'm a dog lover (look at my profile pic) and I don't get this fuss. It's just spray pain that will wear right off - it doesn't hurt or anything. Might be a bit tacky, I suppose, but no more than that. Given how so many dogs get treated in this country, this is hardly anything to raise a fuss about. How do you know the dog wasn't an FNM in the first place? Mine is!
GFerguson 12 years, 7 months ago
Then spray yourself with spray paint, take a picture and post it on facebook then maybe i wouldnt think it is much of a big deal.
dd 12 years, 7 months ago
FNM is the wiiner because we deliver. if the bahamian dont vote for FNM they dont know what they want, we gat a new airport,new roads, new hospital brand new schools,eg T.G.Glover, the school that PLP promise and never bild and T.G.Glover is the #1 school. A brand new stadium,the baha mar hotel round abouts that we cant count,my car tirer dont have to go zig zag zig.boom,bum.ram bam.sam now i run my car so smooth, we i driving i have to keep singing so i dont fall asleep that how smooth my car is run on the roads...see we deliver he create new jobs. so who u want? so lets keep there big fingers out our cookie jager. PLP go out out and stay out. DNA you enn there yet!..... our prime minister love love love the people
dd 12 years, 7 months ago
FNM is the wiiner because we deliver. if the bahamian dont vote for FNM they dont know what they want, we gat a new airport,new roads, new hospital brand new schools,eg T.G.Glover, the school that PLP promise and never bild and T.G.Glover is the #1 school. A brand new stadium,the baha mar hotel round abouts that we cant count,my car tirer dont have to go zig zag zig.boom,bum.ram bam.sam now i run my car so smooth, when i driving i have to keep singing so i dont fall asleep that how smooth my car is run on the roads...see we deliver he create new jobs. so who u want? so lets keep there big fingers out our cookie jager. PLP go out out and stay out. DNA you enn there yet!..... our prime minister love love love the people and FNM we are the best.
abcd1234 12 years, 6 months ago
What kind of STUPID "person" did this?
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