To have argued with a beggar (animal abuse content)

[MinnieMoose]

Was I being unreasonable to have an argument with a street beggar?

We were on holiday to Rhodes and visited Rhodes old town one evening with the children.

I had read a campaign in our hotel lobby from a local animal welfare charity, that was informing tourists not to give money to beggars with puppies. As they are taken from their mothers too early and are drugged to keep them quiet, all to gain sympathy for money.

They work as gangs and once the puppies have served their purpose they are killed, they are given no water and left with the beggar in the heat for long periods of time - not to mention the drugs they are given to keep them sleepy.

I was distressed to read this and we encountered a street beggar almost immediately on our evening out.

She was only a young girl (13 at a guess) and had a tiny black pup, asleep next to her.

I couldn't help but feel outraged, should I have turned my head and walked on?

I asked her where the pup's mother was, where was it's water/milk/food? How come the pup was fast asleep and couldn't be roused?

She looked at me blankly, so I informed the tourists around us not to give her any money and suddenly she understands english and begins swearing at me and giving me hand gestures of the "fuck off" variety.

Well then I saw red and an argument followed with lots of swearing and shouting, I am ashamed of myself but as an animal lover I couldn't contain myself.

We informed a policeman and she ran with the poor puppy under her arm.

My husband had taken the children away from the situation before it became heated, but was annoyed with me for causing a scene.

So was I being unreasonable?

You think "her voice" would help her in a country which has no real help for kids like that???? ffs! Your ignorance is astounding.

theodora of course people have a right to their personal concerns but when someone stands by ignoring the plight of a human in the face of worrying about a puppy it's galling. That child is at risk of abuse in her situation. Our overfed and cossetted kids have no idea of a life like that...thank God....but the OP seems as ignorant as a child herself.

That poor poor girl. How could you even think of abusing her like that? I can't imagine the horrors she's had to face....and there's you worrying about the bloody puppy???? Don't get me wrong, what they are doing to dogs is wrong etc, but at the end of the day it is still just a dog as opposed to the young vulnerable child sitting there. You must be really unhinged. Either that or genuinely thick!

I would say the child is almost certainly abused in some way, what I don't understand is why more is not being done? I am not defending the op particularly, if nothing else it was pointless. I think until people boycott these places and hit the governments pockets, it will not change. These gangs are winning.

Theodora the beggar was a child who is probably being violently abused herself, sold to the gangs or taken from her parents, she is just as vulnerable and abused as that puppy. The op was well out o order swearing at that child, who herself was begging in the het with no food or water. Op I'd you ask her if she had anything to eat or drink tat day? Abey instead of swearing at her, you could have got her a drink an the puppy some water yourself!

I get massively irritated when people I know holiday in Thailand and spend thousands bringing stray dogs home. Never mind the kids who were maltreated making their holiday such fun. I live in the ME and this happens a lot.

Ok, I'm thoroughly ashamed of myself now.

I saw the immediate plight of the dog before that of the girl, which was wrong.

The flip side of boycotting is that people depend on tourists to survive.

OP your behaviour disgusts me. You further abused and already abused and vulnerable child. You then come on here crowing about it and expecting everyone to pat you on the back and say 'well done'.

The thought of an adult shouting at a 13 year with no voice is awful. Yes the puppy is bad (I am a total animal lover) but look at the whole picture, I find it hard that you dont understand it.

Just to clarify, I am not worried about the bloody puppy! I am not condoning the op shouting at the beggar! Ian simply stating that the underworld of trafficking, child prostitution, porn, arms, drugs and whatever else are winning because nobody is doing anything. The op may have a soft spot for animals and that's fine. Arguing is a complete waste of time, as is ignoring them. Take photos, contact UNICEF and any other organisations including animal charities if you want, just do something.

I expect the young girl will graduate to prostitution. I am really very saddened that you shouted at her. Ad yes, as someone else said, isn't it great how your husband took your children away and protected them. Shame on you.

Op can't do anything now it's too late, she has admitted she was wrong, mabey she should donate to charities that help these Chidren. Does anyone have any links to legitimate charities that can help these children and animals

that's just so sad

both the puppy and the child are victims...but what kind of life does that child have?

I expect she has already been raped many times

Well at least the OP has seen the error of her ways. At least she has opened her eyes a bit.

oK, OP said she has done wrong.

What happens now?

I'm shocked, you really do need to open your eyes. What if the info you had been given was about children used as beggars by these gangs and how Tgey are starved and beaten if they do not raise enough money?

I can't out myself too much but am in a direct position to communicate with the relevant minister about this.

shouting at the wrong people there.

I do not pretend to have the answer to the human problem, but regarding the animals: if you visit Greece (or any Med country) do not feed strays. There are Greek animal charities, donate to them - they run the badly-needed neutering programmes. Feeding strays just means that they breed more suffering strays. Yes, I know it means some will starve, but it is misplaced kindness. Please give a little to the charities that are working to reduce the problem in the correct way.

the cute animal that you 'adopt' for your holiday will be abandoned when the resort closes in October. Please help to stop the problem in the future.

"Ok, I'm thoroughly ashamed of myself now.

I saw the immediate plight of the dog before that of the girl, which was wrong."

Good.

It's good you've taken the responses to your original post on board, OP.

But you really need to think about why your first thought was for the puppy and not the child.

Imagine what horrors a homeless 13 year old girl might have to contend with

I agree with MrsDeVere. Glad you have realised why you were in the wrong but to an extent I can understand your reaction given what you had been reading (was still wrong though)

It is so sad that young people are in such a position in the first place. I dread to think what the back story is to her life :(