As part of Global Voices’ fundraising challenge campaign called “Behind the Story,” we will feature 30 contributors in 30 days. In this series, we ask each contributor about a particular story they have written and why working on it mattered to them. These reflections from these contributors remind us why it is important to ensure that the Global Voices Newsroom is sustainable.

In this insight, Gina Yauri shares thoughts on why working on the story “Sacrificio de perra pitbull en Ecuador abre debate sobre derechos de los animales” (Euthanizing a pit bull in Ecuador sparks debate about animal rights) was especially meaningful.

I had already been collaborating with Global Voices for two years when, in 2015, a debate over animal rights was sparked in Ecuador following the death of a two-year-old boy who was attacked by a pit bull. This story raised ethical and legal questions: When is it legitimate to put an animal down? What are the responsibilities of the State and the owner in preventing such attacks? This article was very important because it opened up a discussion on animal rights. In 2022, Ecuador became a country that recognizes animals as subjects of rights.

Global Voices is a platform that provides a space for our community to share stories and perspectives about their community and issues they care about through the accompaniment of a supportive editorial team that assists each contributor to craft their stories.

If you have gained new insights about different parts of the world by reading Global Voices stories from our contributors, please consider donating to keep these stories readily available. Your contribution will support Global Voices’ Newsroom through the end of the year.