After an 8 hour overnight bus and 2 shuttles, we finally
made it to Panajachel!
We had dinner with Selaine, the founder of AYUDA, that
evening. AYUDA runs solely on volunteer work and donations which is why
volunteers are so important. As soon as we met her, we could tell her passion
for helping animals was strong.
She told
us about the state of Panajachel when she first arrived 7 years ago –
emaciated, nursing, and disease infested dogs at every corner. Just before tourist seasons, these dogs were
poisoned with cyanide in the middle of the night and suffered agonizing 4 hour
deaths. These were mass culling events organized by the government and the
bodies were cleaned up off the streets before morning.
Most of the street dogs actually have owners
and homes, however the mentality of most pet owners here is the dog should fend
for themselves. Some families barely have enough resources to feed their
children so feeding the dog is not a priority.
Selaine has been working here
for 7 years and AYUDA’s progress is very evident. Her organization has sterilized
and treated thousands of animals, educated numerous families, and stopped the
government from mass culling. This benefits the human populations because of
reduced zoonotic disease transmission, reduced aggression from male dogs
(especially if there are females in heat nearby), and reduced disease
transmission between dogs.
During our time here, we will be traveling to
communities all over Lake Atitlan to survey the street dog population, diagnose
disease, and administer treatments. We will be participating in clinics that
will be organized in different towns to provide sterilization and treatments
for dogs and cats. We will also be working with families to educate them on the
importance of keeping their dogs healthy and safe. We are all really looking
forward to working with Selaine and the vets here. AYUDA has such a strong
presence in the community and are improving the way families view and care for
their pets.
-Sabrina
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