Dalmation Man

[Leah82]

His heart seems to be in the right place but the dogs will probably be better off being re-homed so they can receive more one on one attention. He just seems to be hoarding them.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/dalmation-man-nelson-vergara-and-his-42-dalmations-live-in-chile/story-fngwib2y-1226736466745

AFTER watching the 1996 Disney movie 101 Dalmatians, Nelson Vergara began fantasising about rescuing and taking care of as many dogs as possible.

In Chile, he's known to many people as the "Dalmatian Man' due to the 42 Dalmatians living in the backyard of his modest home on the outskirts of the Chilean capital.

"It all started because of that film,'' said Vergara, 55. "That was computer-generated. But I wanted to do the real thing.''

That has him trouble with the authorities. His neighbors constantly complain about the foul smell coming from his yard, and municipal officials have threatened to evict him by the end of the month.

Mr Vergara says he only wants to set an example and raise consciousness so other Chileans can help in saving the growing number of stray dogs.

Free-roaming dogs number in the millions in Chile, a situation the country's Humane Society has called alarming.

Dog owners rarely spay or neuter their pets, and commonly leave them outside when they go to work. Many dogs roam the streets all day.

Chile Dalmatian Man

Nestor Vergara, 55, pets one of his 42 Dalmatians in the backyard of his modest home, in Padre Hurtado, a town on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile.

Some of the animals he has rescued from the street suffer from malnutrition, and the unemployed Mr Vergara mostly feeds them through donations.

"I wanted to help - not just the Dalmatians but all dogs, because in Chile we need a solution to the canine problem,'' Mr Vergara said. "Every day you see news of abandoned dogs roaming, but no one does anything about it. If we had a shelter, we wouldn't have these kinds of problems.''

Mr Vergara's love for Dalmatians goes beyond his home. He drives a white van painted in black spots.

[Remarkabull]

The dogs seen in the pics look in ok physical condition but the living conditions are atrocious! I can imagine the smell coming from that yard must be horrific. Poor doggies

[*kirty*]

Are there really that many stray Dalmatians in Chile? Or are they breeding in his yard?

[Simply Grand]

Excellent point kirty, seems kinda unlikely there would be that many strays. It says he's unemployed so maybe can't he afford to desex them, which would be one of many reasons why he shouldn't be taking them in