Before traveling to Moldova, I was aware of the emotional challenges associated with CNVR, but given the scale and urgency of the problem, I thought it wise to take a statistical, almost cold-hearted approach to it, and tie it one dog at a time treat.
But when I was there with Vlad, driving around and meeting groups of street dogs, my logic broke down. While I understood why the local community, overwhelmed by strays, viewed them as a problematic, anonymous entity—and admittedly, large groups of stray dogs can be dangerous—I just couldn’t help but connect with the individuals.
Observing these groups, I imagined a social dynamic that goes beyond survival: love, friendship, hate… Complex attachments. For a split second I felt sadness at the spaying of these dogs. Part of me thought: If we spay the dogs, there will be fewer dogs, which means that as their population dwindles, the remaining street dogs will become very lonely? It was a fleeting thought, stupid even, not rational – or scientific. I brushed him aside quickly. «We want fewer dogs roaming around,» I recalled. You deserve better.
Towards the end of the day in Moldova, I was confronted with perhaps the greatest emotional downside of CNVR. As the sun reached golden hour near a factory, two tiny puppies waddled toward me, their shy tails wagging violently. One of the two hid under me, between my feet. He was lovely, precious, vulnerable, and unbearable not to tease him. We walked back to the car and the two tiny puppies playfully chased after us. You were so innocent and beautiful. Vlad looked at me and shrugged helplessly. We slammed the car door and drove off. In the rearview mirror I saw the puppies looking back at us.
I tried not to think about her too much. There was no place for her in the shelter. But leaving such tiny puppies there was awful. Rescuers keep leaving dogs behind. That’s part of the harsh reality of this job. But then the CNVR puzzle hit me the hardest. For CNVR to make sense, Dr. Vet and stick to the plan and use their limited resources for the big goal: sterilizing as many dogs as possible. Adopting dogs, pup by pup, can only eat up resources and clog the system.