Spay & Neuter street dogs of Huanchaco, Peru

Hello Global Giving community,

Here’s a little update on what has been going on behind the scenes and also on the ground with the Perros Project.

• We set a date!!! July 30 through August 6, 2011. That’s right, we’re headed back down to Huanchaco along with some great volunteer vets from the Remote Area Medical (RAM) Team (http://bit.ly/fuSt1r). Brenda, our lead vet from the previous trip was simply amazing in helping to get RAM to sign on. We’ve still got tons to plan but just like last time there will be a teaming of American & Peruvian vets to conduct what will be a week long spay & neuter project along with an education effort for the local communities. We’re so excited! More news to come on that as we begin to do some serious planning. If you want to learn more about the next round then please make sure to either follow our Facebook Page (http://on.fb.me/cajTPe) or sign-up for our E-newsletter (http://bit.ly/b8tzNj)
  
  
• We been Skyping/emaiing with Global Giving volunteer Clarissa over the past few months as she will soon be on the ground in the Huanchaco/Trujillo region this month. We’ve arranged for Clarissa to be able to spend the day with our local contacts on the ground and getting to know the Perros Project first hand. It sounds like Clarissa will spend time with: 1) the woman behind the local shelter project Bertha Quezada 2)  Javier Rosales Mendoza, our contact with the local municipality and street dog savior. We’re excited to hear back from Clarissa about her time in the region and her time getting to see some of the work we’re trying to do in the area.
  
  
• We have been continuing our bi-monthly fund to Javier of $50 to continue his efforts of aiding the local street dog population and working poor community members unable to provide vet care for their animals. Here’s a recent photo of Rex (http://on.fb.me/e7CC9s) that he sent us. When we say that Javier walks the streets helping dogs - we mean it!! Beyond his main job every day, Javier never walks past a situation with an animal where he doesn’t try to help (We saw it first hand at our first spay/neuter clinic last summer).
  
  
• As far as cultural change goes - here is another recent photo of vet Fernando Armas Abril from the Ahren Clinic in Trujiilo seen in his Perros Project t-shirt at a recent adoption event that also had a focus on animal rights. One of our hopes for the Perros Project through continual spay/neuter projects and community building - is to assist with helping to change people’s views when it comes to animal care and animal welfare.
  
  
• Our shelter person on the ground, Bertha, is currently in the process of preparing a new location for the local dog shelter. This is both great and sad news. - It’s sad as we spent a lot of time, resources, and sweat equity in building up the current shelter in Haunchaquito (just outside of town) last summer (photos http://bit.ly/gMOx50). They have been dealing with land dispute issues coupled with other issues for a while now.
  - It’s great in that we’ll still be able to use all the materials from the previous improvements and the next location with likely be closer to town so that people can visit the shelter more easily and adopt out the dogs.
   
• Lastly, donations for the project keep on trickling in with many from anonymous donors. Every time we get an email alerting us to another donation - it both blows our minds and fills our hearts with joy. We cannot thank you and your generosity enough!!

I think that’s it for now? Please let us know if there is anything else we can let you know and we are happy to oblige. We’re always an email away at perrosproject@gmail.com.

Thanks again so much for helping us promote this project.

In appreciation,

Matt & Courtney
perrosproject.org 

Links:

• Perros Project Facebook
• Main Website: Perros Project