PAWS for Change: Help Roaming Dogs in Peru

Our first veterinary campaigns were quite the success back in February! If you follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram), you probably saw our updates and photos.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the PAWS mobile clinic has had its parking brake on since mid-March. Peru has been under mandatory lock-down since this time, and it is currently extended until May 24^th. It is possible this will be extended even further, as the situation has not yet shown significant improvement. Our staff and volunteers are not allowed to leave their homes, except for essential human services, meaning we have not been allowed to continue our veterinary campaign work.

The street dogs in Peru also have it especially hard during these uncertain times. Those that are normally fed scraps from the bustling markets, taking handouts from friendly tourists, or simply fed by families who have taken pity on them, are having a much more difficult time finding food. To worsen the situation, some families who are out of work due to the pandemic are no longer able to afford food for their pets, and we expect that many more dogs will be abandoned to the street.

As soon as we are given permission, we plan to get the mobile clinic’s wheels rolling again, returning to the villages around Cusco to continue treating as many dogs as we can. Countries like Peru have been hit especially hard by this pandemic, and it is our continued commitment to do what we can.  When that time comes to roll out for our next veterinary campaign, we’ll be relying on your help. Please consider donating to help us in purchasing vital medicines and supplies needed to vaccinate, spay, and neuter the dogs in the villages where we work.

We hope that in our next update we can bring you news of another successful veterinary campaign. Until then, please stay safe and healthy. And thank you, as always, for your continued and invaluable support!