Spay & Neuter street dogs of Huanchaco, Peru

Greetings generous friends and supporters! We write with a big update regarding our 2023 on the ground activities and future direction of the Perros Project. As you may remember, our team had not been able to travel safely to Peru since 2019 given COVID-19 and some unrest in the country. In order to discern the most sustainable direction for the project, we ultimately decided to send two long term team members to Huanchaco to assess conditions there and help lead conversations with the leaders of our two partner organizations, Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Recate.

Kim and Marnie brought close to 100 lbs of donations, ranging from medical equipment to flea & tick treatments, and were there to get a fresh lay-of-the-land while on the ground. With their help, we conducted deep-dive meetings with both of our local partner organizations, Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Rescate.

Prior to their visit, we had calls with both of our partners to explain that, given the aging of our team and our commitment to building a truly sustainable program, we wished to change our approach. Following those calls, representatives from both groups (Bertha from Amigo Fiel and Ursula from Huanchaco al Rescate) filled out an extensive questionnaire to prepare for the meetings. We asked them to relay their own visions for the next 3-5 years and then used that as the basis for our conversations. As a result, we emerged from two very productive meetings having agreed that we would do the following in partnership with each group:

Amigo Fiel:

• Recruit a team of vets who can speak Spanish to serve as a Virtual Advisory Group, advising on more complicated situations as they arise
• Send existing Perros Project volunteers, or people already going to Hunahcaco who find the Perros Project (which happens a few times a year) with supplies/donations (which are always in need from our partners due to scarcity in Peru)
• Continue to provide financial support, but with the specific aim of supporting a part-time veterinarian dedicated to patients in Huanchaco

Huanchaco al Recate:

• Provide curriculum and take home brochures to help Ursula's vision for more humane education in community schools
• Explore the possibility of a twice yearly pop up spay & neuter clinic run by area veterinarians and offer financial incentives as needed
• Provide continued shelter support, specifically food, medications, and cleaning (staff funding)
• Connect non-medical volunteers who contact Perros Project to work withHuanchaco al Rescate for a specific event or on a rolling basis

As 2024 approaches, we’ll look forward to continuing the conversation with our partners starting our progress on the above ideas. We’ll look forward to keeping you updated song the way and will continue to be grateful for your support.

Our best wishes to you and your families this holiday season!

Matt & Courtney