Amazon woman
Former Alabaman leaves behind her business career to start no-kill shelter in Peru.
By Rich Crook, Best Friends rapid response manager
The Best Friends team flew into Iquitos, Peru, Sept. 13 to visit Molly Mednikow, founder and director of Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education & Safety.
AmazonCARES has been instrumental in the animal welfare work done in the earthquake-stricken areas of Ica, Pisco and Chinca. Within five days of the quake, it had sent a team of two vets and two vet techs to help injured animals.
On the ground, the team did what it could with what it had, according to Molly. It was difficult without electricity, so they focused on providing food and water while taking care of what trauma cases they could. When power was restored they were able to handle more traumas and begin sterilizing and vaccinations.
Prior to the quake, AmazonCARES and the Canadian Animal Assistance Team had planned to get together in Iquitos where CAAT would help with mobile clinics and similar projects for the better part of a couple weeks. But suddenly it made more sense for the Canadians to meet the AmazonCARES team on the ground to deal with the disaster.
They were joined in Ica and Pisco by the Peruvian Association for the Protection of Animals (ASPPA), Animal Rescue New Orleans, and Shari Artadi, a former ASPPA volunteer.
AmazonCARES provided funds for food, housing and many of the essentials that would keep the operation up and running for the better part of three weeks.
The Best Friends team – photographer Molly Wald, former Peruvian vet Aldo Wilson and me – traveled to Iquitos to report on AmazonCARES and establish a relationship with the organization. Molly Mednikow has agreed to provide volunteer vets and logistical support to Best Friends as we continue our work in Peru.
We were impressed with all the organization has accomplished since she founded it in July 2003. Molly had been living in Alabama and traveled often to the area on business. She saw an opportunity to help the animals of this community by providing rescue and a no-kill shelter, mobile veterinary services, trap/neuter/return, community outreach, humane education, internships, adoption/foster and special needs program.
The shelter sits on two-and-a-half acres next to a tributary of the Amazon River. It’s a beautiful site filled with Tiki-style buildings and no shortage of native plants and trees.
AmazonCARES focuses primarily on dogs, which account for the highest pet population in Iquitos. The shelter currently has 38 dogs who are housed in an area adjacent to the main meeting building. They have plenty of common area to get out and play, and sufficient resting/sleeping areas. Most are allowed to play with one another until feeding time, when they are separated to avoid trouble.
While the organization doesn’t shelter cats, it does offer a foster program to help place them.
Molly lives on-site in the main house, which is where our team spent the night.
AmazonCARES has eight staff members, most of whom are full-time, including the veterinary clinic in town. They were very polite to us and showed plenty of affection to the animals. They all have their own specialties and are talented people.
Most of the dogs are in good health, although Molly recently took in a couple of dogs in very poor condition, needing medical care and rehabilitation. Diana (pictured left), a beautiful little black doxie mix, had mange and conjunctivitis, and was severely emaciated. But despite the fact she’s been at the shelter only a short time, she is well on her way to recovery.
I was impressed with how active they are with their programs. Molly is particularly proud of her spay/neuter program, which she estimates has reached close to 80 percent of the street animals in Iquitos.
I was particularly fond of her special needs program; if they bring in an animal that ends up unadoptable for any reason, it will have a home for life at the shelter.
Molly and the staff of AmazonCARES are doing a wonderful job. I was impressed with all aspects of her operation. She has a solid veterinary service in town, a beautiful shelter in the Amazon forest, a dedicated staff to help care for the animals, and was able to donate a month of their time to help the animals affected by the earthquake.
To get the latest on AmazonCARES and its work in Peru, as well as pictures from the earthquake, go to
http://www.amazoncares.upcsites.org/EarthquakePics.html.