About Canine Amigos from Ecuador

For such a small country, Ecuador packs a punch – from the humid jungle of the Amazonian rainforest to the snow clad peaks of its volcanoes – there are not many countries quite so distinct and alluring. Yet underneath the beauty of the countryside, Ecuador is still a third world country where dogs, cats and other animals are not only ignored and neglected, but the victims of some of the worst cases of animal cruelty, not to mention troubling government sponsored extermination.

Thanks to three courageous woman from Ecuador, Stray from the Heart learned about the misery of stray dogs in Ecuador. Their love for animals and humble devotion to the rescue and care of stray dogs, led them to create "Amigo Fiel" ("Loyal Friend"), a grass roots animal rescue group based in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

"Amigo Fiel" ("Loyal Friend") Founders
[Left to right]Dr. Linda Delpu, the saint who handles all the medical needs of the dogs as well as all the admistrative, financial requirements and coordinating with Stray from the Heart; Hertha Rauschenberb, the mother theresa of strays in ecuador is a retired school teacher who takes care of all the dogs; Silvia Castillo is a wonderful artist who handles the marketing and pr.
"Amigo Fiel" Volunteers
This group picture shows all the volunteers standing at a piece of land they just rented for $300 a month. They are now in the process of buying materials to fence the property and build kennels to keep the dogs.

In the meantime, the number of strays continued to grow. They have now rescued 135 dogs with little or no hope for permanent homes in Ecuador, a country where dogs are victims of cruelty and neglect. So, Amigo Fiel decided to pursue an adoption strategy that has worked well in other countries in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas where the stray dog population became a crisis in recent years.

In late 2003, Stray from the Heart began a pilot adoption program with Save a Sato. We agreed to list up to four dogs each month on our website, screen applicants and match each dog with the ideal home. Once approved, the family or individual would come with a SFTH representative to pick up the dog at the airport where the adoption is finalized. We then monitor the adoption for two weeks to make sure all is well, and to provide follow-up support as needed. This program has worked wonderfully — in fact, out of 60 adoptions only three did not work out, yet the family kept the dog until a new home was found.

The Ecuador project requires a more careful and detailed coordination because Ecuador is a foreign country with many bureacratic hurdles and airline restrictions. Toni Bodon, the tireless co-founder and Executive Director of Stray from the Heart has worked dilegently to this end and we are proud to announce that UPS has joined with Stray from the Heart on this Ecuador mission by offering to ship crates to Ecuador at no charge.

Even with our new found help from UPS, the cost for tranporting the dogs from Ecuador to NYC is a major challenge. On average, the transportation of each dog will cost slightly over $400, including the crate. However, each dog arrives spayed or neutered, dewormed, flea-dipped and fully vaccinated. For this reason, SFTH asks adopters for a $400 tax-deductible contribution to pay for the transportation — in return, we will waive the $185 adoption fee.

Here on the "Canine Amigos from Ecuador" site we will list the dogs, request donations and sponsors, as well as volunteers to help with the coordination and implementation of this two-year project. The immediate goal is to find homes for 50 dogs each year for the next two years. Once we have reduced the number of strays cared for by Amigo Fiel, we will continue the program at a much smaller scale — e.g., 12 dogs each year. More importantly, Stray from the Heart will continue to help reduce the overpopulation of homeless and abused dogs in Quito, Ecuador by raising funds to pay for the spaying/neutering and vaccination. But these goals cannot be achieved without the support and commitment of caring individuals — even if just a few.

Please join us in this humble, caring mission of hope on behalf of hundreds of innocent and silent voices in a nearby country. They have no one else, and really need our help.

Make a donation of a plane ticket or a crate to help get dogs like Canelita to the US.

I am in Ecuador and I found a dog (or cat) >> Find out more about Stray from the Heart.