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Nicaragua

The Banality of Evil

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Hannah Arendt defined “the banality of evil” as the acts of someone ordinary who is not a sociopath, but just an individual who accepts a premise as it is presented to them – even if it’s an evil and terrible one – and behaves as though and believes that the premise is normal.

Later, her work was criticized by psychologists, who believe that evil cannot be banal – that in fact, anyone who condones something terrible is aware that it’s terrible, but they justify their actions because they are, in fact, evil.

I have always thought that evil is rarely presented to us on silver platter, but rather is offered subtly, liberally peppered inside an ordinary meal. Evil lives and breathes beside you; it sits next to you on the bus, it offers you a breath mint, it may even pay for dinner.

Watch out for evil, dear readers, for it catches you unawares. Its countenance is benign. Its acts are shameful. It believes in itself. This makes it dangerous.

To evil, Lexi Chihuahua says:

Lexi Chihuahua knows not evil, and is the product of Good. One of our volunteers, Dove (the owner of Happy Dogs Walking, a very excellent dog walking company – please check them out if you are looking for a dogwalker in the Lower Mainland) was in California recently, and had an extra crate in her van. She rescued Lexi from an overcrowded and underfunded animal control shelter and brought her back to Vancouver to find a better life, instead of certain death.

Lexi Chihuahua is The World’s Cutest Chihuahua.

Good in this world may stare you down. It exists apart and beyond the reaches of both banality and evil.

For many years, I thought I lacked confidence because I question my own motives at every turn. Now I know that when people want to be Good, when people care about the consequences of their acts and when they genuinely desire to achieve Good for themselves and for others, they must question their motives. They have no choice. Because otherwise, they may fall victim to evil. Good people are not saints, they are just ordinary people fighting the banality of the evil that wants them on their side.

DO. NO. HARM.

Learn it, live it, embrace it.

And by doG, support the people who do Good.

CASA LUPITA TO RETURN TO CORN ISLAND

On a less-than-3-kilometer piece of paradise called Corn Island exists a living contradiction. The Island is Eden to the tourists that visit. But it’s Hell for dogs.

Amid the pristine shoreline of the Atlantic Coast and swaying palms live countless mongrels with countable ribs, lacking energy as they wander aimlessly about the Island in a constant state of hunger.

For the most part, the Islanders are poor. Most make a marginal living by diving for lobster or catering to sun-worshipping tourists. Others wish they could make a living.

Health care for their dogs is way down the list of life’s necessity. Besides, there are no vets on Corn Island, so animal health care is wishful thinking, if it’s thought about at all.

This is a forgotten, neglected area of Nicaragua, even by its own country, and the Islanders are isolated by water and jungle from their Nica brothers. Rather than speaking Spanish like the Pacific side of the country, Corn Islanders speak a lilting petois much like Jamaicans or Dominicans.

When Casa Lupita committed to an invitation last year to stage a spay and neuter mission on the Island, we realized that we would be entering a region where few veterinarians had ventured before. While no permanent vets are currently there, none are foreseeable in the future.

The sad state of the animals because of over-population, disease and malnutrition defied description. It was deplorable enough to shock even our seasoned veterinary team, most of them veterans of various animal care missions in developing countries.


But nothing stopped them from sterilizing over 200 animals that week, reducing the future animal population immensely while improving the quality of life for everyone on the Island..

While our initial worries were whether or not we would be accepted (would the people of Corn Island want their dogs “emasculated”?….would they be suspicious of a group of gringos in green “scrubs” messing with their pets?) we were pleased to be wrong. Casa Lupita was lauded by the Island elders who noted that finally someone cared to help Little Corn Island…a place usually last in line for any kind of help.

We closed our final day of surgeries to their invitation to return the next year.

“Next year” is now here!

We plan to make good on our promise to Corn Island .

We are now assembling and organizing the team, a group of 13 eager participants that includes veterinarians, vet techs and coordinators.

Once again, the mission will be led by Casa Lupita’s Dr. Tom Parker, DVM. In addition to being a guiding force behind the development of Casa Lupita, Tom has participated in many missions in developing countries as well as continuing his support here in Nicaragua.

There is only one way to get to Littls Corn Island. By air, then boat. As always, funding is our biggest challeng. we are reminded that our biggest challenge is funding….for air transportation at a cost of just under $2000 as well as a large supply of medicines and clinical supplies for sterilization surgeries and other treatment. THe participants are covering their airfares from the U.S. to Nicaragua. They are pure volunteers and will receive no pay.

Once again we are grateful for free accommodations of lodging by Casa Iguana, a guest house on the island..
Last year, Building New Hope was able to support the trip because of generous donations from those of you who believed in the importance of our community effort. Hopefuly your belief in us is still strong and we hope that we can count on your generosity once again.

Scott and Christine Smyth, U.S. citizens who are constructing an ecolodge on the island are donating half the cost of our airfare bill….a gigantic help in reducing our costs.

We estimate the cost of $25 -30 US dollars for performing one sterilization surgery. This year we hope to exceed our last year’s total of 200 spay and neuter surgeries. This is where we need your help.
We hope that those of you who realize the immense value of this project will offer a contribution for one (or more) sterilization. Your contribution will be a giant step toward creating a healthier environment for the people of Little Corn Island and for their animals.

Donations to New Hope can be made by mailing your cheque to:

BUILDING NEW HOPE

106 Overton Lane, Pittsburgh PA, 15217

Or by paypal on their website.


Don’t forget to read Finn’s blog as she travels to the Corn Islands to do some Good.

And if you want proof that there is Good in this world, all you need to do is visit a poodle puppy.

That’s Blackjack. He is The Cute. 14 weeks of pure awesome. For realz, yo.

This weekend I got to canoodle with the poodles, the very very famous poodles … including this year’s AAC Regional 10″ Veterans Champion, ABIES.

For years Tracey has been telling Tweed to “run like a poodle.” Looks like he should have listened!!

Shut up Food Lady. You bore me.

Oh, you’re bored? Can I solve this problem for you?

If you like, I can make Miss Piper *extremely* angry.

OR I could torment The Woo

For his heroic efforts, the Sofa received a Poodle Blessing.

And as reward, he was given a Mini Me. Which promptly ran away. Even his own Mini Me finds his relentless enthusiasm kind of annoying.

COME BACK, MINI ME!!!

Was someone philosophizing on evil? I felt summoned.

As for your Food Lady, she has been very busy, but promises to try to to update the blog more often. There are many photos in the world that are begging to be taken.

And there are fat orange dogs begging for snackies.

Pssst. There’s a …

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… hamster up there.

HellOOOOOOOOO! I said there’s a hamster up there!

So many dogs, so little hamster.

Mr. Woo got a crappy seat for hamster viewing.

But you know what they say.

doG helps those who help themselves.

Mr. Woo is not ashamed of his love for MC Hamster. He just looks that way.

hamster:

ZOMG!
*brain explodes*

Hamster TV was the best and worst thing I have ever done. Hammy keeps the dogs busy for long stretches … however, they stand on my end table to get a better look at him. And the constant low *keening* noise that eminates from Wootie makes watching movies difficult.

What’s funniest about the Hammy addition is that Piper thinks about him all. day. long. I know this because the very first thing she does when we come home from work, or the park, or wherever, is sprint into the living room and check on the cage. Hammy? Check! Phew.

*sings*
Oh my Hammy! Why don’t you fall for me?
Right into my open mouth, not the mouth to the left of meeeeee!
*bows*
———————–

So do you want to know what makes you guys FANTASTIC?

$725.00

That’s how much money you all have raised for Finn’s trip to Nicaragua! You generous folks have not only covered her travel costs, but you have made a nice little contribution to the Casa Lupita “we need all kinds of shit real bad” fund.

Finn has a big smoocherooni for you all. It might have been a little something like when Woo makes out with my coworker, Mr. Pickles:

But it turned out to be more of a written thing.

Hey Everyone,

When I first decided I would seek sponsorship for this trip I wrote this big cheesebag letter, sent it to Sheena and asked her to look it over for me. Sheena took one look at it, declared it crap without actually broaching the subject and said she had amazing blog people and could do better.

I’ve known this woman for years. She’s always been right. She was again.

I’m used to being a smart ass, to naming dogs who have had one eye gouged out “One Eye” or “Ticky”. Tactlessness is sort of my stock in trade. And for the first time in forever I am completely out of smart-assiness and devoid of cynicism. To quote my original email to Sheena after she put the blog up “Holy. F*ckballs. These people are amazing”.

And you are. I don’t even know how to say thank you to everyone. Thank you. All. So very, very, very, very much. You rule.

Thank you for caring about these Portia, Raul, The Potato, Freda, Sherman, Lobo, et al. Thank you for your faith in me. I will work my ass off, blog me little fingers to the bone, take a million pictures, will not puke in the garbage can under the surgery table, will try to pawn dogs off on tourists and probably fall on my face a million times. I take all y’all – and your enormous generosity – with me. And I’ll do you proud. Or die trying.

The extra money will go to Casa Lupita to care for the clinic dogs and to help prevent further generations from being born on the street. God knows they need it, god knows it will be put to good use.

This is probably the most earnest thing I’ve ever put on a blog but that’s how dumbstruck I am. Thank you.

With enormous amounts of gratitude and respect and a lot less swearing than I usually use,

Finn

PS – Even before I leave, I am resurrecting the Sarna Dog Chronicles. I owe everyone a eulogy for The Potato, an update on some of our alumni, introductions to the new sarna monsters, and the usual Finnegan-Dowling-is-an-idiot non animal daily life vignettes. And trust me, I only get more idiotic in my native country.

And she asks that if you still want to help, please send money directly to Casa Lupita. They can always use the money.

*sniffles*
I love you guys!

And hey, if you are looking for and having trouble finding a good K9 photographer in your area (unless your area is my area, in which case you’ll make me cry) you should definitely check out MACROMUTT.COM, a super cool new directory for dog photographers across North America.

Thanks for Stealing The Wootie Toy

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Whoever stole the Wootie toy (purple disc) from my pile of stuff on the beach at Spanish Banks on Friday while I was taking a photo – thanks ever so much, you jerk! Seriously – who steals someone’s frisbee? That’s pathetic.
————

I know many of you blog readers are local, as I run into you from time to time and you greet my dogs by name, or offer your condolences on Briggs’ passing. It’s always a little weird, btw, but pretty gratifying as well.

Anyway, those of you who walk your dogs at Bridgeman can maybe tell me what this is?

It looks to be an altar, and we found it down one of the paths leading to the river. It’s very touching, but we can’t figure out what it’s for. The monetary offerings in the statue’s pool suggest it’s an offering, the little dog statues suggest it’s a tribute to a beloved dog. If you know what it is we were looking at, post a comment and let me know.

I’m insatiably curious.

Jenn says “Who gives a shit about some nickels in the moss? THROW SOMETHING THROW SOMETHING THROW SOMETHING THROW SOMETHING!”

Tweed is intrigued by what might be thrown for Jenn. Piper is intrigued by the possibility of biting Tweed. It’s a funny picture because Tweed has *no* idea Piper is stalking him.

Meanwhile, Dusty contemplates Life With The Food Lady and muses on why no one has adopted him yet. Yes, the mystery is still unsolved. Poor Dusty :(

And Wootie is just enjoying some down time. As Dusty matures, he sometimes leaves Woo alone for minutes at a time. It’s very relaxing in the house now, for 360 to 480 second increments.

But outside, the 5 step Wootie Elimination process resumes:

Step One: Stalk Target At Sea

Step Two: Target eludes capture by narrow margins

Step Three: Target makes a break for land. Pursue!

Step Four: Attempt to take target down

Step Five: Target fights for his life

This is usually about the point where I yell at Dusty to leave Woo alone, because if I don’t step in and stop them, a) the bark screaming is deafening and b) Wootie usually ends up like this.

(At times like that, I bet Woo wishes he was as BIG as the Giant UnWootie who shows up at the beach from time to time.)

Then Dusty pouts.

———————–

So if you glance over to your right, you’ll see along the side of the page links to sites and blogs that I like to peruse in my spare time and hope that you might like as well. I try to add new links often. I do hope, however, you are reading the tales of my BFF Finn who has moved to Nicaragua to work full time at an underfunded, understaffed and overwhelmed clinic for street dogs and strays there.

The clinic is called Casa Lupita – it is run by a single woman with help from two peace corp folks and Finn. There is no staff veterinarian, so they do what they can with luck, skill, patience and some scotch tape. The dogs there are undervalued and in a bad way.
Finn writes me and says: “There’s a street in Managua called Puppy Street – I’ve never seen it but people keep telling me about it. Just rows and rows of cages where you pick out your puppy. Street vending puppies. Not for food, just for pets but it’s supposed to be horrific. I told Donna I wanted to go take pics but all I could take would be snapshots.

“Another woman got her dog from a puppy pen on the road between Masaya and Granada. Never seen it but apparently it’s just this big pen with all these puppies in it by the side of the road and you pull over, pick one out, pay for it and go. And these are the owned, loved dogs.”

Eep. Dusty should be feeling pretty lucky right about now. It could be a lot worse than being fostered with the Food Lady for two months.

I thought about ways I could help Casa Lupita, and I asked if it would help if I visited them for a week, helped them out, maybe took some photos they could use – for calendars, or PR or what have you. The answer was a resounding “yes.” And that would be great … if I could actually afford to go to Nicaragua.

So here’s how you can help me help Casa Lupita; if you are in the Greater Vancouver area, contact me to book a photo shoot for your dog. Five shoots pays for my plane ticket to Granada. Double that number and I’ll be able to afford the time off work – I work for an NPO on contract, so when I don’t work, I don’t get paid.

If you don’t live in the Greater Vancouver area but would like to help, send money via paypal





Anything I received beyond my costs to get there I will give directly to Casa Lupita so they can buy supplies for their clinic. I know they can use the money.