Dog Shelter Caretaker

The stray dog overpopulation is a growing problem in Peru as free-roaming dogs (these are dogs with owners that are often left to their own devices) roam freely throughout the day mating with the homeless strays and increasing the number of strays on the streets of Peru.

Cusco, the location of our all our community projects in Peru, is one of the biggest hotspots of stray dogs across the whole of Peru. A tourist hotspot, authorities in Cusco typically have a pessimistic outlook that the stray dogs bring illness and can be aggressive to the tourist population that brings a lot to the city. They have traditionally adopted a more brutal approach to managing the strays dog population through culling mechanisms. Previously there had been no centralised government programme in Peru to control the stray dog overpopulation so that the management process of controlling stray dog numbers was often left up to each local administration divisions.

Naturally, many disagreed with the authorities tough approach line and protests were a regular occurrence in Cusco’s main square. November 2015 represented huge progress for animal welfare workers across Peru as the Peruvian Congress approved the Animal Protection and Welfare Law. This law classifies animals as sentient beings and punishes those found guilty of animal cruelty with three to five years in prison.

These days, dog lovers within the Cusco community take more humane approaches to save Peru’s street dogs. Examples of this include mobile clinics, educational outreach campaigns in local schools and setting up dog shelters. PMGY have teamed up with a dog shelter in Cusco that takes care of dogs that have been rescued from the streets. The shelter is home to approximately 125 dogs that receive food and care on a daily basis. There are two staff members that work at the shelter on a daily basis who will be the local support for volunteers when at the project.

Dog shelters across Peru typically receive little to no government funding or assistance. Therefore volunteer support and contributions are a big help to the project that otherwise can receive limited help. Not only will your time and physical efforts at the project go a long way, but included within the programme fees is a donation that goes directly to the project that further supports the general upkeep of the day to day costs the project incurs.

So if you have a love for dogs and a willingness to get a little bit dirty, then this project is definitely for you! We have availability from 1 week upwards on the project and you will volunteer typically across the morning periods Monday to Friday. Older clothing for the project is recommended as are shoes that you do not mind getting dirty!

Our dog shelter project allows volunteers to experience their love of animals during their time in Peru. Working at the centre of the project, your daily tasks will make a positive contribution to the care and wellbeing these rescued dogs receive. Here is a selection of some of the main things you can expect to get involved in during the week:

– Assisting the local staff with the care of the animals
– Feeding the dogs
– Playing and enrichment activities with select dogs
– Cleaning the shelter
– Helping with general maintenance
– Local support campaigns within Cusco
– Assisting with marketing and communications for the dog shelter association to help fundraising opportunities
– Showing off your creative side to dynamically raise awareness about animal issues in Cusco.
– For those involved in veterinary work or have relevant experience, depending on availability it may be possible to assist in the rehabilitation of dogs with severe trauma