Miles of smiles
Peruvians give new meaning to walking the dog.
By Rich Crook, Best Friends Rapid Response Manager
A common theme with the animals here is they all seem to be very happy; they come to our clinics in all shapes and sizes, wearing collars, harnesses, scarves and smiles.
Peruvians tend to have a different way in which they transport their animals. Some come in walking their dogs with both front paws in one hand; others come in with a person on each side with a paw in each hand. Still others come in with a dog under each arm, similar to how some folks in the states would carry a child.
I’ve been surprised by the amount of pure breeds I’ve seen – many boxers, rotties, poodles, terriers and shepherds. Most all the animals come in without aggression issues, capable of being around other pets and people. Occasionally we see a dog that could use a bit of schooling but most are well behaved.
Some receive their shots without noticing, while others have a bit more to say about it – again, similar to children; it’s very cute.
On Friday, it was crazy busy. Folks were lined up before we made it to the clinic and the team went full throttle, ending the day with 204 vaccinations and 20 sterilizations.
Pam (Crook) received a couple of rough bites from a dog. She went to the clinic, got her shots and antibiotics, and was back to work in short order. One of the vet techs also was bitten, but not to the degree Pam was.
We decided to spend an extra day in La Esperanze. We were scheduled for two days in La Esperanza but had so many people who wanted their dogs sterilized that we felt another day was warranted.
Television and radio coverage continues with help from ADEPA, a local animal welfare group.