Inside city Buenos Aires About three million people live. Moreover 500,000 dogsproperly maintained. There are also dogs roaming the Argentine capital without their owners. They are thousands. A lot abandoned by families unable to feed them. It is common in the urban landscape where these vagrants encounter small, obedient and graceful herds. First drift. guided by others pichicho marchers converted in an institution at this point this city where wealth and desperation go hand in hand.
John Paul is one of them. Worked at Movistar Lost her job and decided to dedicate herself to pets “under the stress of incarceration”. When a master goes on vacation, he puts them in his little apartment. But his most important task on a daily basis is to take them for a walk in the neighborhood or in the park. there are walkers Drag 10+ dogs up to 20 on the streeteven an entire army of dogs, although municipal officials only allow up to eight as long as they are of equal size. Juan Pablo is more selective: “no more than seven”he says, but is walking around with only five people this morning.
No parasites or fleas
“There are people who think it’s not a job,” he complains. to take home more than 700 euros per month You should start your tours very early. This morning, he is accompanied by Jeremías, who wants to enter the profession to pay for his law studies. Juan Carlos chooses dogs meticulously: If they feel uncomfortable after the third round, he recommends a more experienced colleague. Make sure dogs return home without parasites or fleas. Requires owners to be vaccinated.
Walking them takes patience. Not just because picchihos have to progress almost choreographically without getting behind. “You should avoid dragging them, pulling on their collars, barking or giving signals that they emit with their bodies.” But above all, show authority. Juan Carlos takes the animals from their homes and sets up improvised routes in the Colegiales and Belgrano neighborhoods. Holds all straps with one hand so that no one can escape. In the other, he packs the plastic bags from which he collects the feces. from pets.
According to a study by the municipality, there are 26 dog poop residues every 100 meters in this city. The situation was depressing years ago. Tons of money accumulated in the capital every month. Over time, most dog owners began to clean up the mess left on the pavement after the deposition. As for walkers, only a third struggle to get it. Juan Carlos is part of the hygienist association.
Feeding a medium sized dog non-negligible cost for many Argentines. spent last year 39 euros per monthContains food, vet visit, hairdresser and other elements. Paying for the walker is another expense. Inflation has been 78% in the last 12 months, so product and service costs have increased. The minimum salary is 204 Euros. A person needs to get 550 euros to belong to the middle class.
Noble pets wandering under jealous protection are luckier than some ordinary men and women. In this city almost 8 thousand people sleep on the streets, although authorities claim that they did not reach 3,000. According to the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), the number of households having trouble accessing food has increased over the past 10 years. 12 years ago, food insecurity affected 6% of the population. to 8.3% in 2021.
53% of people know this they had to reduce the portion of the food because there was not enough money to guarantee four meals. 34 percent suffered from hunger. That’s why an 11-year-old girl died in her school weeks ago. “There are Argentines who live the real life of dogs,” says Juan Carlos, pointing to the corner of a man sleeping on the bed, perhaps imagining that if he were a dog, if he were one of those privileged pichichos, he would fall. don’t be too cold or chew bread.