Spay & Neuter street dogs of Huanchaco, Peru

We hope this report finds all of our supporters as well as can be expected given the many uncertainties of this time. Fall is quickly becoming winter here in Portland and we have reflected more than once in the last few months how lucky we are that our biennial clinic was not scheduled for this past summer. Of course, we are very hopeful that we will be able to keep our plans to return to Huanchaco in the summer of 2021. We miss everyone there so much and have worried for their safety and stability given how hard the virus has hit Peru and how difficult life can sometimes be even under normal circumstances in that country.

In the meantime, we continue to be in good touch with our partners on the ground and would like to highlight some of their work, which of course continues every day (and night!) even under these difficult conditions.

Ursula, the founder and daily den mother of Huanchaco al Rescate, emailed us recently filled with a mix of hope and heartbreak. She sent along pictures of two dogs which we won’t share here, but who were in dire need of veterinary care for ailments we are lucky enough not to witness here. Thankfully, she was able to secure low-cost veterinary services, bringing an obvious amount of relief to each of the dogs who had suffered for quite some time. Outside of these particular cases, Ursula continues to run the shelter (see photo 1)  including making dinner (see photo 2), caretaking for the animals under her charge (see photo 3) and always looking for potential people to adopt them.

In other news, Paul, who runs the hotel where our team not only stays, but performs our clinic, has been hard hit by the lack of tourism due to the virus. Ever-resourceful and no doubt thinking back upon how our clinic has run so smoothly out of the large and small conference/recreation rooms in the past, Paul is currently endeavoring to open a side business on the property. He is in the process of planning and coordinating a much needed health clinic to provide basic services for people in the community. We applaud his efforts and have been working to support them.

In these difficult times, we particularly appreciate our supporters who always step forward when we ask them to. When reflecting on our decision to found the Perros Project and all of the stories that emanated from that decision, we are humbled, grateful and acutely aware of how lucky we are. We are so enriched, more now than ever, by our Perros community knitted together by  such fine people. Despite difficulties, all of us continue to make such a difference in the lives of not only the dogs of Huanchaco, but also the greater community they live in. Take a bow and thank you!

In gratitude,

M&C

We hope that this report finds each of you as well as can be expected given these times. Like many of you, we have struggled to adjust to the ever-changing new normal. We are happy to report, however, that many members of our team are doing well and, consistent with their natures, finding myriad ways to plug-in and make a difference in their communities. One of our 6x participants, Kim, is a great example. She has done everything from donate blood to sew facemasks to consistently give away free flowers to strangers needing a bit of an uplift to grocery shopping for friends whose health is more vulnerable. We have also checked in with our friends connected to our two partner organizations, Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Rescate, and they are also doing the best they can and continuing their efforts to improve the lives of the street dogs in their community. Peru was one of the first countries in Latin America to impose strong restrictions, but unfortunately they are currently ranked 6th for number of cases per country in the world.

Despite these difficult circumstances, Bertha from Amigo Fiel recently wrote to us, letting us know that the funds we supplied in this quarter would be used to vaccinate as many dogs in the area as possible against the major canine diseases like rabies and parvo. She is in close communication with Ingrid, the main vet that we work with during our clinic, as well as other members of Amigo Fiel. They are trying their best to serve the dogs as they have in the past, even under very difficult circumstances, including a reduced level of access to both veterinarians and veterinary medicines/supplies.

Ursula at Huanchaco al Rescate is also busy, mainly taking in new dogs to her shelter and making sure to keep the area clean and the dogs well fed. One of the most difficult things for her during this time is the lack of international volunteers that she has depended on for help at the shelter. Ursula has done a very good job of attracting interest from tourists who would like to spend a day or two making a difference in addition to doing their travels. Of course, with so little international travel taking place, that stream of volunteers has dried up and Ursula is having to do almost all of the work herself. Despite that, as you can see in the pictures included below, she is making the best of the situation.

There is not very much else to report. Of course, we are exceedingly glad that we did not have a clinic planned for this summer. We look forward to returning to Peru in the summer of 2021. In the meantime, we look to our partners on the ground and hope to learn from them more resilience and creative problem-solving as we navigate this difficult landscape.

We wish all of you health and happiness in the summer days.

Courtney and Matt