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A visit to the Territorio de Zaguates, in Costa Rica, is not exactly a trip but a real life experience in the 575 thousand square meters on the heights of San Josè where over 2000 dogs live free and happy.
Chris Smalling, 32-year-old A.S. Rome soccer player, vegan and animal rights activist, brought there his son, little Leo, during the summer holidays with his wife. The family reached the Territorio to know all those individuals who every day run in festive and barking groups crossing streams and climbing the hills of one of the greenest countries in the world. A very special visit of which the player himself wanted to tell the emotion in a video posted on his Instagram page.
Who is Chris Smalling, the vegan and animal rights soccer player of A.S Roma
«They contacted me a few weeks ago to tell me they'd like to visit us». Lya Battle, founder with her husband Alvaro Saumet of the largest free dog sanctuary in the world, tells Kodami about the visit of this special guest.
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«I was not aware of it before – continues Lya – but his wife, Sam Cooke, had visited the Territory about 4 years ago. So they planned their visit together because Chris really wanted to come with the family. Unfortunately the dates available to them were not going well because the Territorio is still closed to public and we could only have them come on the weekend. The problem was that they would leave right on the weekend. But he was kind enough to shift his flight so he could come to us».
Vegan and convinced animal rights activist, Smalling has often sided in defense of animals by supporting various initiatives of international associations. Even his choice to become vegan, still rather anomalous among athletes, was dictated by completely ethical reasons and not food convenience. As he himself told in a BBC Football documentary, that's why he decided to become vegan: «The thing that pushed me the most is animal welfare. At first, I approached vegan nutrition for health reasons as I noticed that I had a faster recovery after games. Then I saw some documentaries, I read some books. I have discovered things that are difficult to ignore».
More than once Smalling has lent his image to avoid killing animals for food consumption: «Before choosing a plant-based diet, I did not realize that cows are heartbreakingly separated from their calves just because their milk is intended for human consumption. I didn't realize that hundreds of millions of chickens are raised in dirty, dark and overcrowded sheds. I didn't realize that pregnant sows are forced into tiny cages where they can barely turn around. Once I discovered the truth, I could no longer ignore it».
The visit to the Territory. The founder: «Happy and and easy-going people among our friends»
Even the visit to the Territorio de Zaguates, therefore, was not accidental but a deliberate choice shared with his wife, the English model Sam, and with little Leo, the boy the couple had three and a half years ago. «They proved to be kind and easy-going people – continues Lya – They are fantastic parents who are doing an extraordinary job with their little one. They are true dog lovers and have not bothered walking on wet grass or getting jumped on by happy, overly excited dogs that with muddy paws couldn't wait to lick them. Not once did they seem uncomfortable».
A long day spent walking among the hills accompanied by dogs and by the operators who work at the refuge, guaranteeing the well-being of guests and visitors. «When the dogs became too agitated for the excitement of sharing walks with other people, we paid attention to the child – underlines Lya – Parents were always there to reassure him, explaining to him that everything was fine and that the dogs did not intend to do anything about it. bad».
Smalling has always shown a great passion for all living things and his stances against animal circuses went public in 2018 when he officially lined up for their closure. «Animals, confined in small enclosures or in a cage and deprived of their dignity, deserve more, much more – he declared – It is time to ban circuses with wild animals once and for all. The reason for doing it has never been stronger. Nowadays, most people (including 77% of Italians) see circuses with animals for what they are: cruel. We live in a world that offers endless opportunities for fun that do not harm the welfare of animals. It is time for Italy to join the growing number of nations that ban animal exhibitions ».
And also in Territorio de Zaguates he showed interest in the other species, not just dogs. «I stopped to show Leo small insects and caterpillars and they not only agreed but supported him and encouraged him to learn – Lya continues – And Leo was super interested in every little creature».
Smallings spent time also with disabled and sick dogs
Lya Battle, the founder of the Territory of Zaguates, was the guest of one of the episodes of our MeetKodami format and during the interview with our Kodami director Diana Letizia described the reason why in 2008 she decided to start the path that led to the birth of the sanctuary: «No living being should live on the street and no living being is just a number among many others».
Lya Battle welcomed the soccer player and his family a couple of weeks ago, personally, also because the sanctuary is still closed to the public for a series of maintenance works that have been imposed on the structure by the Costa Rican government which does not cooperate in any way financially in the sustenance of the place.
Lya was very enthusiastic about the people she met: «They are such a humble family, for nothing "full of themselves ": they arrived at the gate with a normal taxi. Then all three jumped into the back of my smelly car, and I mean really smelly, and they were absolutely nice. They acted like everything was normal, even when we picked up three sick dogs along the way and one had been vomiting all over the seat and another had explosive diarrhea. I had picked up the mess before the Smallings went up, but of course the smell was still there».
Lya also wanted to underline that the Smallings did not hold back even in the face of those dogs that, normally, do not attract much attention: the disabled. «After the dog walk, they joined us at the place where we keep dogs with special needs. Some are crippled, some are amputees, some are injured. They are certainly not "the cutest dogs". Yet the Smallings sat on the grass with the dogs and their baby and spent a lot of time petting them, loving them and showing their baby just how special they were. This family has left me speechless».
