Animal Welfare Peru Project #6038

Spay & Neuter street dogs of Huanchaco, Peru

by The Perros Project

Project Report | Mar 18, 2014
Spring News!

By Matt Webber & Courtney Dillard | Director

Hello wonderful supporters,

Spring is in the air and its contagious excitement can be felt here at the Perros Project! We have spent the last several months working with our partner, Amigo Fiel, on the ground in Huanchaco, as well as doing some planning here at home. Here are some of our highlights:

We have successfully instituted a monthly Perros Project Day, where all sterilizations and emergency surgeries by Amigo Fiel are done in the name of the Perros Project and paid for by our organization. We have included some photos of patients from recent surgeries. The Peruvian veterinarian, Dr. Ingrid, is an amazing surgeon and a tireless asset to homeless animals and low income families with pets.
We’ve been able to help our partners purchase a wide variety of needed medicines and surgical supplies. These medicines, particularly pain medications, are often not as available for surgeries as we would like to see. We hope that these purchases will make it more likely that they are used routinely in the future.
We are in the process of establishing contact with another animal welfare group in the Huanchaco area - Rescate del Hermano Menor which focuses solely on Huanchaco. We believe that this relationship will allow us to do even more focused work in the sleepy beach town where our project first began.
We were excited to attend and observe a Zuetrin clinc here in the Portland area. The Portland Animal Welfare Team and their head veterinarian, Mary Blankevoort kindly showed us the new frontier in approaches to neutering – two simple injections into the testes, replaces the surgery which would remove them. We are very hopeful about using this technique in our 2015 clinic as it may help us overcome some of the hesitations on the part of the local population about neutering male dogs.
Several people who volunteered for our 2013 clinic have voiced an interest in returning in 2015. In addition, Mary Blankevoort has indicated that she might be willing to come and train Peruvian vets in the Zuetrin procedure!

As the spring continues, we plan to send Amigo Fiel additional funds for some fencing repair needed at the shelter, as well as continue support of the monthly clinic.

It cannot be said often enough – without your generous donations our work could not continue. On behalf of the Perros Project, Amigo Fiel and the dogs (and cats) of Huanchaco – we are immensely grateful.

Warmly,

Matt & Courtney

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Dec 23, 2013
Happy Holidays from the Perros Project!

By Matt Webber | Director

We write with a short update about our work with our partners in the interim period between on the ground clinics in Huanchaco, Peru. Our main partner, Amigo Fiel, has just celebrated their 10th anniversary of rescuing abandoned dogs, offering free and low cost clinics and running spay & neuter clinics both in conjunction with the Perros Project and on their own.

Recently we helped orchestrate an additional short term spay & neuter clinic when two Australian veterinarians reached out to us via our website. We were able to put them in touch with Bertha and Ingrid who happily took advantage of their skill and willingness. The vets were able to set up a clinic in under 24 hours and do surgeries on 60 animals.

In addition, last month we sent Amigo Fiel funds to operate on those animals still on the wait list from our last visit. As we deepen our relationship with the community and pet owners come to know the organization's name and trust in our abilities, the demand grows. A small portion of the funds were also directed towards materials needed by the shelter in Huanchacito. It will be nice for the dogs there to get more bedding and some toys, especially at the holidays.

In the coming months we look forward to formally establishing a process whereby two Peruvian vets will take a portion of their clinic time to not only perform sterilizations, but also responded to accidents and provide general canine care for poor Huanchaco residents. An example of how that process has already benefited specific area dogs is Zach who is pictured below. He was hit by a car and funds were used for his surgery which was very successful.

Our work continues . . .

Best,

Matt & Courtney
The Perros Project

Follow our updates, photos, and posts on our Facebook page - HERE.

Subscribe to our periodic e-newsletter - HERE

Links:

PP's Facebook Page

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Sep 24, 2013
We did it! 2013 Clinic Wrap-Up Report.

By Matt Webber | Director

We did it!
...and we couldn't have done it without you.

The team has landed safely back on this side of the Pacific and the reports are in . . . Perros Project 2013 was a huge success!

Operating out of the living/common room of a generous supporter’s home, our small but dedicated team of veterinarians, vet techs, and volunteers performed 101 surgeries in four and a half days. From 6 week old kittens to 14yr old dogs, all types of animals ended up on our innovative surgery tables made out of beer crates and topped with yoga mats. Every morning, people would arrive bringing animals in backpacks, boxes and on makeshift leashes, entrusting their pets to our team. Every afternoon we would return those animals to their relieved owners and without fail be flooded with cries of “Muchas Gracias!” It was an amazing experience.

Of course, we couldn’t have done it without all of our amazing volunteers. The 10 volunteers from the United States joined with half a dozen Peruvians affiliated with the organization Amigo Fiel, creating an effective team that did all types of tasks. From weighing big dogs on bathroom scales to making sure animals in recovery were kept warm, they did it all. The two American vets worked side-by-side with two Peruvian vets for most of the clinic. One of the most rewarding aspects of our time was the veterinary skill sharing – on both sides. Members of the community also pitched in. On our first morning there were homemade cupcakes from one volunteer and throughout the clinic dogs were adorned with fleece blankets made by friends in Huanchaco. Every day was early to rise and late to sleep, with some members of Amigo Fiel coming to clean up the clinic (which was no pretty sight) in their office attire after work.

And, of course, we couldn’t have done it without our amazing donors, most of whom we know personally and most of whom had to dig deep to support us : )! Please know - we believe strongly that every one of the animals who came to our clinic will lead healthier and happier lives because of the surgeries our team performed. The dollars you entrusted to us were used effectively and your contributions made a difference. If you were unable to follow us while the clinic was in full swing, please check out these photos and videos onFacebook - they tell a much richer story than our words ever could. Also, take a minute to read the recent article about the Perros Project in our state newspaper, The Oregonian.

Finally, please stay in touch to hear about our future plans. On the last day of our visit, we met with a dozen members of the animal welfare community in Huanchaco/Trujillo to review the clinic and discuss best practices for the future. Many innovative ideas were put on the table and we looking forward to sharing those with you very soon.

In happiness & gratitude,

Links:

Oregonian Article

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