Spay & Neuter street dogs of Huanchaco, Peru

"Participating in the clinic side-be-side with our Peruvian partners always reminds me that the commitment to the welfare of our companion animals is both universal and unifying". – Brenda, Volunteer Vet

Greetings all,

The 2017 Perros Project team is just back from a very successful clinic offered during the second week of July. During our time on the ground we spayed/neutered 93 animals, while providing other health services likely flea prevention and deworming. We had 15 members of the American team with participants hailing from all over the United States, from Washington DC to Kansas to California. 10 people were returning team members, while five were new including a Peruvian vet now practicing in the US and a retired veterinarian who clearly enjoyed his first volunteer experience!

We had tremendous support on the ground throughout the clinic. We worked with Huanchaco al Rescate during the first half of the clinic and Amigo Fiel during the second. Every day of the clinic we were amazed by the generosity of the community and their displays of support for our work from the local laundry donating cleaning services for our towels to strangers bringing baked goods.

We also had the help of local veterinarians who offered to help in any way they could and several vet students who came every day to do whatever was needed, from taking temperatures to walking dogs as they woke up post recovery.

Perhaps the best way to tell the story of this clinic and the larger Perros Project is to share a testimony from one of our volunteers, Kim, who has run our recovery room for all five clinics:

Kim's Testimonial:

"I recently took my fifth trip in seven years to Huanchaco, Peru to help with the Perros Project’s 2017 spay/neuter project.  It is a remarkable team effort that involves veterinarians, vet techs, non-medical volunteers and Peruvian vet students and vets.  Since the first trip in 2010 we have seen a remarkable improvement in the overall health and well-being of the street dogs (and cats) of Huanchaco and nearby Trujillo.  There appear to be fewer street dogs than in years past and owners or caregivers seem much more conscientious and caring for the dogs’ welfare.  I’ve noticed a lot more dogs being walked on leash. When we first started this was more or less unheard of. 

Our main veterinarian volunteer, Brenda, who has also been there since the beginning, likes to say that the best thing we can do is to make a long-term commitment to the region/town and to keep coming back.  This shows the people there that we are making an investment in them and also raises the status of the animal.

Indeed this sentiment was echoed by a local veterinarian from Trujillo, Fernando, in a ceremony put on by the city of Huanchaco to recognize our volunteer work.  Fernando pointed out that our work in 2010 and subsequent years led to other groups coming to the area to do similar work.  This is not surprising because to do such campaigns it is essential to have partners on the ground that do the organizational work.  When these groups are in place and are supported, you build capacity so that others can piggy back on the capacity to further the goal.  It is also necessary to support these groups because in addition to their short-term rescue focus, they work to influence the government to adopt policies that support animals, as well as people.  This can lead to greater and longer-lasting change.

Perros Project has two amazing partners in Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Rescate, which are both doing the day-in-day-out work of rescuing and caring for animals.  Our goal is to support these groups and help address the dog and cat overpopulation problem in these towns.  To do this, one must first raise the status of the animal.  This means communicating clearly in words and deeds that animals are worth investing in.  When I first came to Trujillo I worried that the locals would resent our presence, thinking that we are telling them what to do with their animal population.  Quite the opposite occurred; we were thanked for coming and for caring about them.  I truly believe that helping animals also helps the people associated with them.

To deal with the pet overpopulation problem, unfortunately people and governments in Peru have resorted to poisoning dogs and cats and we have been told of specific examples of this in Huanchaco and Lima.  Since this is a painful way to die, it is an inhumane response to the problem.  Therefore, humane population control methods, such as spaying and neutering, are needed.  This, of course, requires infrastructure, and resources, as well as political capital.  By returning to the same area, we communicate to the people and government that we care about the people and that the animals are worth caring for.  This is not meant to imply that in Peru people do not care about their animals.  In fact, the opposite is true.  The human-animal bond is universal, and is very much in evidence in Huanchaco.  Caretakers for the street dog bring them to the clinic because of the outreach of the two groups who have taught that sterilization will improve the lives of the dogs.

In addition to an overpopulation problem, we have seen instances of cancer that is sexually transmitted among the street dog population.  This condition is called TVT, or transmissible venereal tumor.  TVT among street dogs means that this cancer will be spread to other street dogs.  By spaying and neutering, the desire to mate is reduced and the instance of transmission is reduced. This is another concrete benefit of spay/neuter efforts besides population control.

Even though we can only spay or neuter approximately 100 animals in our week of clinic, we partner with local vets, vet students and the two rescue organizations mentioned.  This accomplishes several goals.  First, there is a transfer of knowledge between American vets and Peruvian vets which we hope will lead to sterilization being much more commonplace in this region.  Second, vet students observe and help with various aspects of the clinic.  Seeing American vets take precautions such as having a sterile operating field and instruments, and wearing surgical masks and gloves, sets a standard to be emulated.  We hope that by modeling best practices and teaching techniques, we will raise the standard of veterinary care in the region.  This can have exponential lasting effects.

One of the primary Peruvian vets we have worked with since 2010 is very skilled and we are thrilled to have her participation year after year.  We hope that by having Peruvian students and vets work with us, they will not only find it educational, but that we will make clear that there is value in serving the underserved populations.  That may be owners/caregivers that cannot afford veterinary care, or caring for street dogs with no owners. 

I adopted a Peruvian street cat in 2010 that had been hit by a car and had a crushed pelvis.  The police first took him to a vet who flatly said that he doesn’t treat street animals, and that the cat should be taken to Fernando who owns the clinic where we were working that week.  Fernando clearly is an example of someone who does give back, and works to advance the welfare of animals broadly.  The first vet does not.  We want to encourage a spirit of altruism. By American vets and volunteers coming to Peru year after year we are demonstrating and modeling this spirit and behavior.

Each trip has been very rewarding for me personally.  We have been able to build relationships that feel like family with the local rescue groups.  We are able to support and encourage them.  This is essential because sometimes this type of work can feel overwhelming, as in the need is great and the resources are few.  By adding our resources of time, money, equipment, knowledge, supplies, medicine and caring, we help to build the capacity of these organizations to meet the needs in their communities.  This for me is extremely rewarding.  Also, each clinic we do we improve our processes, preparation and teamwork.  We have recruited a very competent team that works well together and as such we are building on our past successes. I look forward to remaining involved in this work in the future."

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Again, thank you to all of you for your continued financial support. We truly do our best to work hard and honor your gifts. We've got some big ideas for moving forward, as well as some new ways to grow and expand our efforts on the ground through supporting our partners. Stay tuned for news soon'ish. 

In gratitude,

Matt & Courtney

Links:

• Perros Project Facebook Page

Generous Supporters:

As many of you probably heard, many regions in Peru experienced devastating floods last month after record rains. Throughout the worst of it, we were in contact with our partners on the ground. While Huanchaco escaped the level of devastation experienced in nearby Trujillo, both the shelters operated by our partners and the location where we conducted our 2015 clinic were inundated with muddy water and affected by the lack of access to basic resources like electricity, food and water.

We were grateful to be able to use some of our funds to purchase water, food and additional vaccines for the shelter dogs. We also made sure to send our deposit for the clinic space early so the funds would be available to the incredibly kind folks at Hostal Huankarute during this difficult time. While the space is currently uninhabitable, the owner Sr. Paul, assures us that it will be fully operational by the time we arrive in July.

On the home front, we’re finalizing our team roster for our 2017 clinic. We’re excited by how many people will be returning to Peru with us this summer (likely 9 volunteers) and take this as a strong testament that our work there is not only making a difference for the people and pets of Peru, but also for the team members who work to fulfill the mission of the Perros Project. We are also excited to welcome new members, including an American veterinarian born and trained in Peru.

In total our 2017 team will consists of:

• 4  veterinarians
• 4 vet techs
• 8-9 support staff

In terms of supplies, we are starting our packing list and making tentative plans to try and buy an anesthesia machine while on the ground in Peru. If this year is anything like previous years, we anticipate a wide assortment of donations to find their way into our living room before being divvied up among the volunteers and “imported” into Peru. Many a customs official has been left scratching their heads as they look through suitcases full of leashes, dog treats, syringes and blankets : ).

Our next report will likely be written in Huanchaco. We look forward to the days ahead.

In gratitude,

Matt & Courtney