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""It was a terribly severe winter in New York, the city was completely covered with snow. Inhabitants were well-off and warmly dressed, and walking slowly along roads because cars, due to mountains of snow, could not be operated. I was happy that I could walk on top of the snow on avenues of white. "All my physical effort was spent on walking. To this day, pictures of huge apartment houses on both sides of the avenue are instilled in my mind, and the doormen quickly closing and opening entrance doors as though trying to prevent humanity and warmth from escaping. "On top of the snow, I noticed a brown cat emerge from a side street and walk on the snow. I looked closer, and to my surprise, saw that this big cat was being followed by six small brown-and- white kittens, all of them following the big brown cat in a perfect line. The mother cat looked back from time to time to see if her babies were there, but her main concern was to reach the entrance door. I presumed she was trying to find warmth for herself and her children, but as soon as she reached the door, a man in a well-pressed uniform, jumped at her with a broom and chased them away. I followed this procession and prepared to deliver a speech to the doorman. I opened my mouth and tried to complain, 'Where is your proverbial American generosity? Where is your American good heart and fair play? Let them in. Let them in!! "I tried to speak, but the words would not come out. Maybe I was afraid of the doorman with the broom. I started searching my cassock pockets for a piece of bread, found some crumbs and put them on my palms, calling: 'Kitty, kitty, kitty.' But the words would not come from my supposedly intelligent mouth. Instead, the wind blew the crumbs from my palm and I said, 'what can I do? I can't speak to the cats. I can't speak to the doorman. But there are many hungry birds. They might pick up the crumbs.' "Again, I walked after the cats, now with a pain in my chest, feeling treme

"Corriente Ciudadana desea que ANTANAS MOCKUS incluya temas animalistas y ambientales en su plan de gobierno y en el acuerdo programático. Propuestas: 1. Centros de protección animal. Transformación de los actuales centros de zoonosis en centros de protección animal (albergues) de perros y gatos callejeros, abandonados y maltratados, donde se de prioridad a la esterilización y vacunación, se promueva la adopción y se erradique progresivamente el uso de la eutanasia como medida de control poblacional. Ejemplo del centro de bienestar animal "La Perla" de Medellín. Implementación de una política nacional de protección de animales de compañía que cobije: la atención a animales desprotegidos, la regulación y el control de la venta de animales, la educación ciudadana en tenencia responsable de animales, la implementación de sistemas de identificación de animales y medidas sancionatorias eficaces frente al maltrato y el abandono de animales. 2. Vehículos de tracción animal. Erradicación de los vehículos de tracción animal (VTA) en todo el territorio nacional, a través de un programa de alternatividad laboral para los carreteros que incluya la sustitución de los VTA por vehículos de tracción mecánica y la organización gremial de los mismos. Ubicación de los equinos en programas de adopción (policía, particulares, Administración, etc.). Ejemplo: Proceso de sustitución de VTA adelantado en Medellín. 3. Comercio ilegal de fauna silvestre. Implementación efectiva de la legislación nacional en lo concerniente al control del tráfico de animales de fauna silvestre en todo el país, a través de: operativos permanentes de control, campañas de educación y sensibilización ciudadana, medidas sancionatorias a establecimiento comerciales y judicialización de comerciantes y tenedores de animales de fauna silvestre. Creación de albergues regionales para animales de fauna silvestre y exótica, operados por las Corporaciones Autónomas Ambient