She heard them calling: Ayuda!
by Michele Beach, Best Friends Network Volunteer and International Liasion for Latin America and the Caribbean
Three years ago, Selaine d’Ambrosi, a former Best Friends staff member, along with her husband Harold and their two adopted dogs, Bruno and Kizzy, moved from Kanab to Guatemala. Wasting no time Selaine joined an already established non-profit organization, aiding families and their pets. Selaine defined, developed, and ran a comprehensive animal program which included: monthly sterilization and vaccination clinics, public media and classroom awareness of animal issues, adoption services for the homeless, subsidized pet food for the needy, and foster care services for special needs and convalescing homeless animals. In laying the ground work for this new program, one of her first challenges was to ensure that there was a committed partnership with at least one licensed and practicing local veterinarian. At the time, there were none in the entire Lake Atitlan region. Selaine met Dr. Miguel and through her support and encouragement he returned to school, attained his degree, and learned that a low cost, small incision program can be successful to both his practice and the animals.
While doing great work with this and other groups, something was troubling Selaine. A tugging at her spirit that she felt needed to be followed. For six months she meditated on what was troubling her. She discovered it was a calling, a call for help- Ayuda! Her true path in life. Although there were various groups already running successful programs in Guatemala, these were organizations helping animals with homes or in a shelter. Not enough was being done to help the homeless, the one left on the streets.
Between the fall of 2008 and the spring of 2009, Selaine went back to hands-on basics. Always with her backpack filled with dog food and treatments for worms and fleas, she became a familiar face on Panajachel’s streets, indigenous neighborhoods, and mercado, areas overwhelmed with homeless dogs and cats
Selaine was warned that her work wouldn’t be welcomed as the people of Guatemala wouldn’t help without pay and the cruel practice of culling is common in the region. Selaine didn’t let this negativity sway her cause. Her belief that leading by example, others will follow has paid off. Today Ayuda has a volunteer staff of 17! Ten of these volunteers are indigenous peoples. Rosa, a dedicated volunteer, has adopted seven street dogs and continues feeding seven more from her home. Her niece Isabel is now a volunteer in another barrio, proving this good work is contagious. The town is also becoming receptive to Ayuda and if a volunteer sees a curious resident they use this opportunity to educate them about the program. Explaining to them the pills given to a dog is not a poison but in fact pills for worms. They are here to help not hurt the animals. Through the support and encouragement of residents, in June of 2009, Ayuda applied for formal non-profit status in Guatemala.
Currently Ayuda has 6 feeding stations set up to provide food for 24 dogs. This is a fraction of the hundreds of homeless dogs believed to be in the area. Through the use of the feeding stations over time, Ayuda volunteers gain the dogs trust which allows them to get them healthy, dewormed, and eventually sterilized.
Selaine believes partnering with other animal organizations is vital. “We may not agree on everything but we can learn from each other. We can’t do it alone, but with lots of resources and knowledge, we can get it done. We are all working for the common cause, animal welfare.”
She has built strong relationships with Best Friends and WSPA (World Society for Protection of Animals) in Costa Rica. Understanding that education is the key and through her ties with WSPA, Selaine is bringing a humane education curriculum into the school system. Currently Ayuda is looking to partner with veterinarians, veterinary schools, and Vets without Borders, to further build their program.
photos courtesy of Selaine D' Ambrosi
posted by Marla Browne