Spay & Neuter street dogs of Huanchaco, Peru

Greetings all! We hope this report finds you well during the waning days of summer in North America. We have had a productive summer though we did not host a clinic on the ground in Huanchaco this year. The summer found us continuing to support our partners, Amigo Fiel and Huanchaco al Rescate, while also working on some organizational documentation here in the States.

First, we spent some time in June revisiting our bylaws and the structure of the organization. As you might have remembered from our previous post, we are looking to transition to a new model where the Perros Project is supporting local veterinarians and nonprofit efforts in Peru, rather than bringing an American team every other year. We believe this will be more sustainable and more supportive of the ongoing efforts of the Peruvian people working to better the lives of street dogs. We will share our new language with you as soon as it's been accepted by the Oregon Secretary of State.

In terms of the work of Amigo Fiel, Bertha, our main contact at the organization, was kind enough to share a detailed report of their spay and neuter efforts over the last 6 months. She reported that the organization has spayed and neutered 179 animals within a 6-month period. Using detailed analysis, they believe that the sterilization of these animals will result in avoiding the birth of over 9,000 puppies and kittens. Remarkable! In addition to coordinating these surgeries, they have also been continuing their work with special cases. As an example, Cutita was rescued from the street in the El Milagro area and is now placed in a home. During her first ever veterinary visit, the vet found that she had fleas, ticks, TVT and malnutrition. She was treated and then prepared to be spayed which occurred on July 18th. She will continue her chemotherapy for the TVT.

Ursula at Huanchaco al Rescate sent several photos and provided an update about her work which includes both hands-on support at her shelter and educational efforts at schools in the Huanchaco area. She has used the funds we have sent not only to help offset the increased cost of food for the dogs, but also for additional medicine. Additionally, she is volunteering her time to spread the word among young Peruvians about the importance of taking care of one's companion animals and the problems for dogs living on the streets. We are immensely proud of her activities in this area. While it is impossible to measure the direct impact of these presentations, we know they are essential for changing social norms in the area.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our report. We would love to hear from you if you have any questions or suggestions. We remain supremely grateful for your support.

Warm wishes,

Courtney and Matt