Response to BBC Earth’s video “Sea Lions vs. Dogs”
As a nonprofit working in Valdivia, Chile for over 15 years to mitigate the conflict between humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, The GAAP was disappointed to see the coverage of the topic of conflict between sea lions and free-roaming dogs published by @bbcearth. Celebrating this conflict as a curious battle of nature is at best inaccurate and at worst an example of people blatantly taking a sick pride in a problem humans have created that results in injuries, illness, and suffering for sea lions and dogs, among other animals, including people.
Photo credit AMEVEFAS Martin Espinoza
The portrayal of this issue by BBC Earth lacked critically important context, including the fact that many of the free-roaming dogs in Chile are owned, and it is illegal for their owners to allow them to roam the streets or beaches without supervision. But, beyond the legal issue, what are the problems here that are not being addressed and why is the approach BBC Earth took so concerning?
The fact is that free-roaming dogs are a worldwide problem, particularly in developing countries. Dogs that are allowed to roam unsupervised cause an array of problems such as vehicle accidents, dog fights, disease transmission, attacks on wildlife, attacks on other domestic animals and humans, uncontrolled reproduction, and the contamination of public areas with fecal matter and garbage.
Let’s look at some examples:
When humans do not take responsibility for their canine friends, dogs attack and kill wildlife. Not only sea lions but also other threatened and endemic species. For example, in southern Chile, it is estimated that dogs are responsible for nearly 70% of cases of injured pudú (the world’s tiniest deer and a threatened species) brought into wildlife rehab centers.
Leptospirosis is one of the more common examples of a disease spread between sea lions, dogs, and humans. The illness can cause liver and kidney failure, respiratory distress, meningitis, and even death in both animals and people.
Dog bites are a serious public health risk, especially in developing countries. In many parts of the world dog bites are the leading cause of rabies transmission to humans, and kids are at the highest risk. Notably, rabies is 99.9% fatal but 100% preventable with proper vaccination of dogs.
Already in Chile there are estimated to be nearly 12 million dogs - more than 1 for every 2 people in the country. The problem is currently, sadly, beyond control, but we can make changes to mitigate future concerns for dogs, sea lions, people, and the other living beings that depend on us!
That’s why our organization, The GAAP, works to educate kids about responsible pet ownership and the connections between people, wildlife, domestic animals, and the planet we all share. We as humans must take responsibility for the problems we have created and change our behaviors. Dogs attacking sea lions is not something we should watch as some kind of entertainment. It’s a concerning conflict that PEOPLE have created, and now we must take action to fix it. Learn more and consider being part of the action at thegaap.org.
We are asking @bbcearth to withdraw the video in question and replace it with one that contributes to a long-term solution. We extend an offer to collaborate on content that accurately represents this complex and problematic issue.