Cancel NOW the World Masters Surfing Championship 2013 in Montanita, Ecuador

IS IT OK TO TREAT ANIMALS LIKE TRASH? President Correa supports these dreadful actions undertaken by the Government of the province of Santa Elena. 26/03/13 Link to his statement: http://www.elciudadano.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40773%3Aperros-callejeros-representan-un-problema-para-la-salud-publica&catid=40%3Aactualidad&Itemid=63 WORLDWIDE SHAME. ECUADOR *DOES NOT* LOVE LIFE.

The entire world needs to know that between March 21 and March 22 the Government of the Province of Santa Elena (where Montanita is located) approved of a ''minga de limpieza'' (activity with the purpose of cleaning the city) included the ''collection'' of dogs found in the streets. All of this done by employees from EMASA-EP, the municipal waste management company.

 About 20 to 30 dogs were put into netted bags, violently transported and thrown in a waste dump named Nariz del Diablo, 20 minutes from there (by car). No shelter, no water, no food, NOTHING was provided to them with the clear intention of having them die on the road hit by a car/bus etc or get sick/die at the dump, lost, disorientated, away from their families, people and animals with which they interacted daily in their native Montañita. It is pretty clear that this would cause immense psychological and physical suffering to any sentient being.

 According to Xavier González, the appointed president/leader of the community, this was done to ''clean the image'' of the town for the World Masters Surf Competition taking place from April 6 - 14 2013. He said to the Press it was OK to do it so owners kept them inside their houses during the days of the competition. He also declared on an article (22-03-13) published by diario EL COMERCIO from Ecuador: the waste dump is the place where those dogs won't cause trouble to anyone (!!!). We wonder: Is this real prevention? Is this real mass education? Is this coherent in regards to the 21st century values? Does this reflect surfing values such as recreation, fun, care for the environment? Is it OK a waste management company collects dogs like if they were rubbish?

 The world ought to know most of these dogs had been spayed/neutered in 2011 by a local animal charity. THESE DOGS REPRESENTED **NO HARM** TO ANY HUMAN BEING IN TOWN. Most of the dogs had owners but being a Montañita a beach town, they spent most of the time outside of their houses enjoying the atmosphere together with locals and visitors. Owners were at no time informed of what was going to happen. NO ONE IN TOWN EXPECTED IT. The employees of EMASA-EP just collected all the rubbish together with these sentient beings. Photos were published on the Facebook page of the Government of Santa Elena to proudly show to the community the "job" they were doing under the slogan "the best cure is prevention". Here is one: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=347738585330511&set=a.347738571997179.1073741834.195048600599511&type=1&theater&notif_t=like

 Ironically, the Ministry of Health, institution which organized this "waste removal" activity published in 2009 a regulation that expressly prohibits cruelty against and extermination of dogs. Basically, they are contradicting themselves with this poorly managed and cruel action.

Ecuadorian people are TIRED of a Government that keeps contradicting itself the whole time under the slogan: ECUADOR LOVES LIFE which as you can see is tremendously fake and does not represent at all what this Government is all about. There can be NO sustainable tourism in Ecuador if archaically cruel things like this keep happening.

Update on the dogs is that they are nowhere to be found not alive not dead so the thought is they might as well have brutally killed them just like they just brutally took them away.

Ecuadorians are really fed up with situations like this where clearly no authority wants to take whole responsability for this outrage. We have a country that clearly needs mature policies and capable people to take the lead as politicians because what has been done does not represent at all the will of the inhabitants of this country.

 Our best appeal is to ask the international community to REJECT this outrage, SPREAD the word and clearly ask the INTERNATIONAL SURFING ASSOCIATION to CANCEL this activity for good. No event justifies cruelty against animals. 

Additionally, send a message to all e-mails on this website:

 http://www.isasurf.org/contact/isa-executive-committe-and-staff/

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT