DEAF DOG

Still in Guatemala City, laying on my CouchSurfer bed and just waiting for Maria Andrea as I agreed to help her set up an online blog for her dog shelter.

The shelter is also listed as a non-profit organization but no major corporate have come forth to donate dog food or even out-of-date stuff.

Thus, I suggested setting up a blog with anecdotes and photos, so people and corporates alike, could see that Maria’s shelter is the real deal and not just another ghost organization. Maria said that she would get here early today but I’ve learned that Guatemalan women never arrive on time…there’s a lesson here.

Same as yesterday like: Yesterday (17^th July), Maria said she would pick me up at 9am to visit her dog shelter, but she was taking her time to get here. At 9:30 am, I heard someone honking their car horn so I ran outside but no one was there.

It was a scorching hot day with a really nice breeze, so I locked the front door, walk across the street to a square with trees, birds and three women in their tracksuits doing Tai-Chi to some Asian movie soundtrack.

Sat on a bench enjoying the heat, the breeze and the music, thinking “If those ladies stop their Tai-Chi before Maria gets here I’ll ask them for the name of their CD. Is really good.”, but shortly afterwards Maria arrived with her chauffer.

Maria introduced me to her driver and he left a really good impression on me. His life motto is: “Politeness, Respect and decency”.

After a short drive and a quick car swop, Maria, girlfriends (Alejandra and Pilar) and I were on our way towards “Villa Concepcion”.

Maria explained that her Colombian girlfriend, a painter and a canine lover, would pick up stranded and abandoned dogs on the streets, take them to her huge ranch up in the mountains, feed and cure them, then try to get people to adopt them.

As Maria is veterinary student, it wasn’t long before the two girls decided to join forces and that’s how the Dog Shelter non-profit Organization became a reality.

Arriving at the gates of Villa Concepcion ranch I noticed the sign “Beware of The Dog”. The ranch was, in fact, a huge place perfectly located up in a mount surrounded by other mountains and volcanoes covered with lots of different shades of green vegetation.

In the property itself, we saw the main house, a few log cabins scattered around the property, a basketball field surrounded by very tall pine trees and all sorts of vegetation and…DOGS.

We didn’t see “The Dog” that the gate sign warned us about, but a stampede of 115 canine specimens, barking loudly and running towards us. Crazy sight but let’s assure you that no people or dogs were harmed. They were barking and they were running but they just wanted someone to play with. Some of the dogs were normal, others were so skinny and sick looking, one had a leg missing, another had an upside-down paw, one had one eye missing and another was completely blind, all victims of careless drivers and mean owners.

The Villa also counted with 3 helpers that look after the dogs and the land itself. I noticed a small agricultural field, and was told by one of the helpers that they have lettuces, tomatoes and other vegs.

It is a lot of work for the owner and the 3 helpers so they desperately need volunteers. If any of my readers loves dogs and wants to help out, do come forth.

Maria girlfriend’s, also vet students came here to treat 6 dogs that had Mange disease so they bathed them with dog shampoo then with the prescribed skin solution.

The girls had a bit of trouble opening the solution bottle, which reminded me of a funny British comedian, Jimmy Carr: “Men are becoming obsolete, as scientists can recreate sperm in laboratories. But women still need men because the lab sperm comes in jam jars.” Funny stuff.

The girls were washing this deaf white boxer named “Simon” that Pilar was taking for adoption. One of the girls asked the epic question: “What is the point in giving a name to a deaf dog?” Hmmm.

Ciao 4 now

~ Paulo ~