Farewell AYUDA, beginning AWARE

Hola!

The supplies we brough for AYUDA

Our last morning with AYUDA was action packed. We tracked down two females in heat which we had been monitoring all week, both were surrounded by potentially aggressive males. We knew it was our last chance to save the females since we were catching our shuttle at noon. One female was desperately trying to escape the males underneath a car while the other was exhausted with bloodshot eyes, barely able to walk. During a females heat cycle, all of the male dogs from the streets and from pet owners that house them outdoors surround her day and night. Unfortunately, males are rarely castrated while more females are spayed so when one comes into heat, the males bombard her. Luckily we managed to capture 2 females and bring them to Selaines house to be spayed that afternoon. Both were exhausted and starving but will live the rest of their lives in peace! At noon we said our goodbyes to Selaine and were sad to leave the extraordinary beauty that is Panajachel. Working with Selaine was an eye opening experience to the lives lead by street dogs. She made us feel at home in Panajachel and we could not be more grateful!

After another shuttle and a tuk tuk, we made it to AWARE. It is the largest no kill shelter in Guatemala and is home to 300 dogs and 80 cats! During our first couple days we assisted with daily feedings, cleanings, and treatments of the animals. Michelle and I dewormed about 50 cats one afternoon which was really intense, there were cats flying through the air at us, trying to grab the delicious wet cat food we hid the pills in! We also are working with Dr. Linares in Sumpango.

Dexter recovering from bronchopneumonia. He is living with us during his antibiotic treatment for extra monitoring.

This is Debora (Dexters sister=, our favorite puppy at AWARE

AWARE regularly sends ill animals for treatment or surgery to Dr. Linares so we assist him at his clinic as well. We witnessed treatment for Transmissible Venereal Tumor in a female dog, something we rarely ever see in Canada. After a long day of treatments and surgery, Dr. Linares invited us into his house. We were snacking on our boring granola bars when his lovely wife brought us all plates and cups. We thought she was just giving us plates to catch the crumbs, but next thing we knew, she filled the table with home made guacamole, tortillas, rice, chicken, and other delicious things I cannot pronounce. His family, like many other families here in Guatemala, are incredibly friendly and inviting.

After this an amazing volunteer drove us back to AWARE, where we helped with some afternoon treatments and then to the internet cafe so we could write this very blog. So after a long and tiring day, we will leave it at that. Keep checking as there will definitely be a lot more to come from AWARE!

Sabrina with closing remarks from Terri