Mobilization On Social Media After Cholito’s Death
A woman, with the help of two other people, beat a helpless dog. Someone filmed the moment with a cell phone camera and posted it on the internet. The video soon went viral on social media. Obviously, the act provoked the indignation of thousands of people, who ended up in a demonstration to protest against the brutal abuse suffered by Cholito, which supposedly caused the animal’s death.
How was Cholito’s terrible beating
Source: www.eldesconcierto.cl
The incident took place in the Patronato commercial district, in the Recoleta region of Santiago de Chile.
The animal, known as Cholito, had been abandoned by its owners last Christmas.
The owner of one of the stores in the area, irritated by the presence of the dog near her establishment, asked an employee to do something to get rid of him.
And the aggressor, when expressing regret for the brutal aggression, defended herself by saying that she hit him on the head to make the dog dizzy, but that it did not kill him.
Ongoing judicial investigation into the terrible abuse the dog suffered
The truth is that the judicial inquiry is ongoing and has not yet been able to find Cholito, neither alive nor dead.
His attackers said they took the animal wrapped in a blanket to an open area. Investigators found the blanket, but found no trace of the furry.
However, members of the judiciary say that only the images and recorded testimonies can prove the cruel treatment, to which Cholito was subjected and which may have culminated in his death.
“The crime of abuse does not require the animal to be dead or to have fatal damage or even to be seriously injured. All of this is generically typified in terms of acts of cruelty to animals,” said prosecutor Marcelo Cabrera.
The aggression to the abandoned dog does not seem to have left anyone indifferent
The mayor of Recoleta, Daniel Jadue, filed a lawsuit against those responsible for the beating of Cholito. He was accompanied by animal rights advocates from the “Animal Observatory”, Animal Libre, Ecopolys and Callejeritos de la Vega.
This action complies with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The law establishes that a criminal complaint against those responsible be established , whether they are the authors, accomplices or concealers of the crime of “ abuse of animals ”.
Jadue also said that she will not allow, for any reason, animals to be mistreated, either in public or private space, this crime will not go unpunished. He also recalled that there are ordinances that prohibit such acts “in all their dimensions” in his municipality.
Social networks, a fundamental tool to mobilize the pro-Cholito act
But the people’s indignation did not remain silent either.
With the hastag #JusticiaparaCholito, thousands of people expressed their condemnation in relation to cruel dog aggression. Social media was quickly filled with pictures of pets urging that the pet’s alleged death not go unpunished.
Many decided to use the slogan “Not One Less”. To paraphrase the slogan that was used in the various calls against gender violence in different parts of the world.
From the internet to the streets, against animal abuse
Source: www.eldesconcierto.cl
The demonstrations did not stop there. Once again, through social networks, Chileans were invited to participate in a march. The demonstration was important because it brought the idea of enforcing animal rights .
That’s how, in the Chilean capital and in other cities, around ten thousand people gathered. People have united to condemn the horrific attack on Cholito, which is believed to have culminated in his death.
Members of organizations that defend animals, entire families and also their pets, marched to demand the arrest of those responsible. They also called for stiffer penalties in cases of animal abuse.
The good thing about all this is that people aren’t indifferent. And, whether virtually or on the streets, they increasingly make their voices heard to defend all the Cholitos in the world.
Image source: oasisfm.cl and www.eldesconcierto.cl
