Photographing Stray Dogs in Belize

Posted by: Wil Fernandez    Tags:      Posted date:  March 18, 2008  |  14 Comments



I had the opportunity to travel down to Belize City, Belize and interact with the people of Belize…and a few Belizean dogs, of course. Some of the scenes of bitter urban poverty were disturbing, some of which I attempted to capture in my photos of Beliz.

It was extremely humid, but that didn’t stop me from covering most of coastal Belize City by foot and venturing out to some of the rather tiny islands off of the coast by speedboat. I visited Caye Caulker, a small limestone coral island about 20 miles off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. There were no cars, only golf carts to get around since the island of Caye Caulker is less than five square miles. Behind the wheel of my rented golf cart, I was able to see all of the Caye Caulker and snap quite a few photos of the stray dogs that populate the island.

These islands are really fascinating little counter-cultures that are reminiscent of the communities that spring up at weekend-long Phish festivals.

  • Ann

    Wil-good to see you loading more images up for us to view! Hope you and Mia enjoyed the Belize trip. I especially like the image on the far right of the rather regal looking dog! I like him the best I suppose-he seems to carry himself well, rather stately he stands apart from his surroundings. I suppose I wish there were more shots to view!!!

    Cheers!
    Ann

  • Celeste Markowski

    First I’d like to say I really love your work. The few things I’ve caught on Myspace were Beautiful. I just had to check the dog pics out. I spent a week in Caye Caulker this past November. Really Great spot. good people. Belize City is a little sad. Anyway nice pictures. I look forward to seeing more.

  • B

    Once again, I’m so impressed and in awe of your amazing talent! Thanks for allowing us to
    share your vision.

  • http://www.pamelavasquez.com Pamela Vasquez

    Wil….I hold Belize very close to my heart….even “sad” Belize City. Belize City may appear to be rather bleak, but the city if filled with some of the best people on earth, who would give the shirt on their back to you should you happen to need it.

    I like the pictures so far. Unfortunately, Belize is filled with stray dogs and you did a great job of portraying them. Caye Caulker was a place I spent almost every Easter of my teenage years at. It holds fantastic memories for me. The best thing is, it has hardly changed in the 20 yrs it has been since I frequented it. I am looking forward to seeing more pics. up soon. Hey…my husband has a crime novel coming out based in Belize on June 10th (In the Heat by Ian Vasquez)…check it out. He is the first crime novelist out of Belize. A major deal for our small country.

    Thanks for sharing. Pam

  • Kristina

    All my friends will tell you – I am NOT into “fur people” (cats, dogs, pets…), but your
    pictures are amazing. My favorite is the one of the man sitting on the curb with the dog off
    to the side…thanks for sharing your talent with us and allowing us this forum to communicate
    our thoughts and opinions with you. Be blessed, Kristina

  • Elizabeth Laureano

    I’m happy for you and for your talent. I’ll love to take pictures too. This pictures of the dogs in Belize are amazing. I love dogs, actually I have three dogs and there happy. The dogs in the pictures reflect the necesity of love and specially food. I’ll feel sorry for them. When I saw the pictures I wanted to hug them. Keep doing your job. God bless you and I hope that someday you visit the beatiful Puerto Rico and take good pictures of my island. God bless you! Elizabeth

  • http://www.myspace.com/lilcarmelita Alexandra

    I am jealous of you, you get to travel so much!

  • Aleida

    The Belizean dogs are as smart as any other dog in the world and live up to the same canine
    philosophy “When are these humans going to realize that we understand more than they realize it?

    Love these photos of my favorite animal: the dog.

    Auntie Aleida

  • Kimberly

    I did a study abroad program in Belize student teaching. While there I found it heartbreaking to see all the skinny, sick, lonly stray dogs and cats. I volenteered with the Belize Humane Socity, so I could help in a small way but the need is great. Education and empathy is the key.

  • rose

    when we visited belize the treatment of the dogs was deplorable. it was like they just did’nt exist. we fed a dog that was dying from malnutrition on the sidewalk, but it was too late. noone stopped to help…people just looked at me like i was crazy. i am a true animal lover and what i say will make me not want to go to this county again. we went to caye caulker and there were packs of dogs running around, hungry and just living as they always have. i befriended one of these dogs and allowed him to stay in our air conditioned rental and fed him. he was a great dog! when it came time to leave it broke my heart. i wanted to take him with me but i could’nt. i actually cried on the way back to belize city. i often wonder about him. please do something to help these animals, or let us bring them to good homes elsewhere. thank you…rose webster

  • http://mtoy@destinationsbelize.com Mary from Placencia

    The condition of dogs and cats in Belize can sometimes be deplorable. However, that has been changing in the last 10 years, especially on Ambergris Caye, Belmopan, Cayo and Placencia, where there are active humane societies or animal protection societies. Unfortunately, in some areas of Belize, such as parts of Belize City, the humans spend a lot of time finding food for themselves and don’t have the time or the resources to share their food with cats or dogs. Belize City does have a humane society, but the need is so great there, and the resources so small that it sometimes seems as if they’ll never even make a dent in their problems.

    Rose, if you had been in Placencia or Belmopan, the local Humane Societies would have helped you adopt your dog and take it home with you. And, if you’d like to adopt a homeless dog from Belize, you can get in touch with the Placencia Humane Society through its Website and they’ll work with you on accomplishing this. Website is at http://www.placencia-pets.org/ — or you can just make a donation through the Website to help with their spay/neuter and feral cats program. (They trap feral cats, spay and neuter them and then release them again. Cats are really not favorites in coastal communities where they used to regularly steal fish out of open kitchens — thereby depriving the humans of their own sustenance. That’s changing with refrigeration and closed up houses, but the attitude still remains.)

    Wil’s photographs are wonderful. I only wish he’d had time to take more of them — in other parts of Belize.

  • http://www.conchcreative.com Colette Kase

    Hi Will,

    You popped up on my Twitter. I run a Humane Education programme in Belize called Be Kind Belize and we also happy to be photographers. I was thrilled to see your work on dogs in Belize, known locally as Pot Lickers. I look forward to seeing more of your work on the subject of Belizean people and Belizean dogs both of which are favourites of mine.

    Colette Kase http://www.belizebirdrescue.com/bekindbelize.html

  • Jane Riggins

    The pictures are beautiful and poignant! The dogs of Belize are something that every one who has been there knows about! I would love to see more photos of these special survivors.

    I was an archaeology student in Belize every summer from 1999-2001. The first year I was there I found a puppy in the village I was staying in. He couldn’t walk from lack of food and injuries. I brought him to a vet in Belize City and had his injuries mended and his parasites removed. I brought him home with me and he just turned 11 this year! He is the best dog in the world and is always grateful for the life and second chance he has been given. We still call him a pot licker as he will steal food every chance he can! It was very difficult to get him here but not impossible.

  • Lisa W.

    I know the dog in the island pictures above, it’s the one that hangs out by the Atlantic Bank.  And I was there in 2010 and he was still there, not looking as good as in your picture, but still alive.  It is sad the dogs of Belize, especially on the mainland in the city and the villages.  I am returning there for a visit at the end of the month and hope to bring one home to Canada with me.  The climate will be different but the love will be there.  Cheers, Lisa