Fur The Love of Fostering

In the world of animal rescue, going above and beyond is second nature, giving until it hurts is normal, foregoing fun vacations for rescue road trips to transport fur babies nationwide is priority and sleep is considered a precious commodity. So when I was asked to assist in an international independent dog rescue mission in Iquitos, Peru, to bring back four dogs, you know it was gonna happen. Did I struggle with the idea that there are so many here in the US already that needed help? Absolutely. Was I going to let that stop me from helping another, even not in my country? No. All animals are deserving, regardless of location, breed or owner. This is the first time I would travel internationally (except for the typical resort trip to Mexico once in my life and England as a tiny human that I don’t remember). Nervous was an understatement of how I was feeling when leaving to go to Iquitos and I can confidently say I am changed forever now that I’ve come back.

Being a frugal person, I utilized my airline points that I had been saving for a hopeful vacation with my husband (sorry hubs!) for my airline ticket from Omaha to Lima with a layover in Panama City, Panama where I would meet up with my fellow rescuer, Dana Stahl. From Lima we would both travel on a smaller flight into Iquitos. My journey to get there started May 27, 2023 at 5:13 pm and ended May 28, 2023 at 8:32 pm after being dropped off by an SUV driver while moto taxies I swear that learned how to drive through playing Mario Kart whipped and zoomed around, in between and next to each other and us. Literally, hilarious to watch and had me laughing almost non stop. Talk about an adrenaline push! Wowzers was I so ready for bed when we arrived at our destination BUT…. there is no rest for the wicke….errr.. those that rescue 🙂 Our hostess and local rescuer contact in Iquitos, Monica, was eager to show us some of the dogs she has been helping and off we went to go see them.

While walking to one of the local police stations where three dogs were provided sanctuary from the streets, Monica would point out to us where certain strays lived that she was caring for, telling us their names, current medical conditions if any and how long she had known them. She continued to do this for entire the duration of our visit everywhere we went while all the animals would rush up to her with joy and she would reach into her magical mary poppins purse that held two plastic bags, one with cat food, the other with dog food and a variety of meds to provide to all she saw with need. The food type is very low grade, mostly corn based but when it comes down to it, it fills the belly and that is all that matters and more than they would have had without it. She would pet them and speak kindly to them while they ate and tell them she loved them, how wonderful they were, each one was a good boy or good girl. This is where I could see the true sustenance for their survival was being obtained, her love.

Walking to and from the local police station that night, I first noticed there was trash. Everywhere. And by everywhere, I mean scattered in the streets, on the sidewalks and heaped in piles in random places. It was everywhere. Throughout my stay, it was common to see dogs, cats and sometimes people going through the heaped piles looking for food. The only place I ever saw a public waste bin was at the cemetery when I got to meet one of the dogs we were to bring back, Rose. Dana saw the confusion on my face and informed me that although Iquitos had hundreds of thousands of people in this metro area alone, they are land locked, accessible only by plane or a two week boat ride down the amazing and do not have a trash or recycling system in place which is why it is spread throughout the city. Her explanation made sense but not and the start of my brain feeling like it was “breaking” into a higher understanding of Iquitos slowly initiated.

Often when I am watching videos, mindlessly scrolling and scrolling I wonder how people have their camera at the ready just in time to catch content. Like, was it staged, did you really have your camera ready? Little did we know, there would be a surprise waiting for us when we got back from our first night there and this was my moment! As we were walking back from seeing some of the dogs our very first night shortly after arriving, there was a shoe box outside Monica’s door that could be seen from where we were down the street. Like a trained camera pro, I whipped out my cell and was on it. This was my chance to be a true American! We approached the box and lifted the lid. Looking back now, I really should have used a stick because there are snakes there among many other things. But… When In Iquitos!….I lifted the lid and there was a single kitten in the shoe box sitting on top of a red child’s shirt instantly meowing its head off in hunger at the sight of me. As if planned but a poorly executed ambush, another kitten hopped out from the left brush area, making it two. Rescue mode initiated, immediately I started sweeping the area up and down the street, looking and then walking to see if any others were left but strayed from the box. Dana was already on the other side of the street doing the same. They were clearly barely a month old and left with hope that Monica would take them in. She was already caring for 11 cats, 1 kitten and 6 dogs in her direct care and uncountable cats, kittens, dogs and puppies outside of her direct care with slowed customer traffic to her business since COVID while trying to make ends meet as it was. It is hard not to judge when someone does this. I want to call this mystery kitten ditcher a coward among many other things but in the end that will not solve anything, help my soul or provide solution for these kittens. So, I pick them both up to inspect them and so what was needed.

When I took the kittens in my hands and looked at her I could see the anguish behind Monica’s eyes. I knew that look very well. We who rescue all do. Its the look of internal fighting when you know you are beyond your already bursting capacity, you cannot take on more but you cannot bring yourself to make the “other” decision. No one ever wants to talk about the “other” decision because in the US that means “humanely euthanize” and in Iquitos I now know that means to walk away, just leave it there and let nature take care of it. Iquitos isn’t like here in the US. There isn’t a humane society, foster homes with back yard full of grass (there isn’t much grass at all actually in the city), animal control to help with strays, donations given for the animals, spay/neuter/shots clinics for affordable costs and most people I observed viewed the animals as simply that, animals. They had no role outside of their own existence, they were not pets, family or friends. They were just animals. It was very foreign to me. Yes, there were times I did see someone who had a dog on a harness and leash that looked well cared for or a plump cat in a window but I could put those on one hand the times I saw that while I was there. Monica was in a position with these two kittens that many of us have had to face and here in the US we call out for help at which resources line up to transport, vet, foster and adopt. Iquitos doesn’t have that. It was at that moment while I had two kittens squirming in my hands mewing for food, I decided we were going to be adding the kittens to our adventure to take home. My co-rescuer’s face had the same decision. We hadn’t planned for this curve ball, didn’t really know if it was going to be possible financially or logistically but we were going to sure try.

The day starts early in Iquitos with the sun rising slightly before 6 am and sounds of motorcycles zipping around mototaxies while their drivers honk horns at each other with the occasional shout. I was already up and at it with Monica on the back of her motorcycle seeking out dogs and cats that needed feeding, simple medication or more serious care. Some children were on their way to school in uniforms and others stood on the sides of the streets peddling items. It was already very warm but I refused to not wear my long sports leggings and long sleeved sun shirts because I know the fragility of my skin and although it was sweltering for me once the sun was in full rise, my skin thanked me for it at the end of the day. Except my face. No matter how much SPF I used, my face hated me. Very little of the city had actual earth or vegetation, it was mostly concrete or stone which I expected to see with it being a city. I did not expect to see the number of stray dogs and cats nor the condition many of them were in. Some as simple as hunger, ticks, fleas and mange while others more serious of severe emaciation, open festering wounds, freshly broken limbs from being hit, stab punctures and ones discarded in the street either dead or eventually to die and become someone else’s concern to remove. There are many images that will never leave my mind from that trip. So many of immense beauty but others of absolute despair. It is enough to make a person feel they might be manic to walk around a day in Iquitos.

Although this was my first time here, it wasn’t my co-rescuer’s and she knew that although I was resilient, after my initial exposure that I would need a large dose of happiness to offset the deflation of helplessness I would feel. And what could make me more happy than getting to see and support other fellow rescuers? She took me on an adventure that required a moto taxi ride, two rather questionable boats on the Amazon River and venturing into the Amazon Jungle to get to a place called Monkey Island which is a sanctuary and rescue for monkeys that have been victims of illegal animal trafficking. Just one little catch, I am absolutely terrified of monkeys. There are animals I am afraid of because I don’t understand how to communicate properly with them and then there are animals I am fearful of because I am afraid they would hurt me regardless of being able to communicate with them, monkeys being my most feared. Well, When In Iquitos!, we don’t say no to anything that can help and you better believe I didn’t tell her I was terrified until we actually got there and could no longer hide it! I thought if I stayed tough minded that I could just fake my way through it. Nope! I almost peed myself upon having to walk by the first one up the wooden ramp planks to the jungle while it stared at me like it was going to toast my soul and eat it with butter. Thankfully the caretakers were very experienced with the monkeys, their needs, educating others and helped make it a very enjoyable experience where I was eventually carting a monkey around on my shoulders through the jungle while observing leaf cutter ants and learning about using termites as natural mosquitos repellant by placing my hand on their nest and then slowly smashing them between my two hands (sorry termites!) which I proceeded to rub all over my face and neck.

It was here in the Jungle where I started to see true beauty that will forever be defining of the word for me. The clouds looking like whip cream dollops perfectly plopped in the sky that if you could just reach out and snatch a handful you could eat it with fresh strawberries. I’ve never seen so many shades of green in my life as I did in the Jungle and now I understand why people who’s favorite color is green are obsessed with it. The vastness and power of the Amazon River. And ok, ok…….. monkeys are actually very cute, curious and creative creatures.

With all the beauty of my reprieve, once we came back into the city, we were faced with yet again, the challenging side of Iquitos but I was recharged and ready to keep going. Was I prepared to finish the day out holding onto a 45 pound dog while riding on the back of a motorcycle in rush hour traffic with no helmet and narrowly avoiding a motorcycle collision TWICE to ensure it was returned to the proper place of town where it’s owners were, no. No, I was not. BUT, When In Iquitos! And now, I can confidently say, if I ever needed to do it again, I could. But I sure hope I don’t have to do it again.

Each day continued on that same routine of being up early, going around on the back of Monica’s motorcycle, giving food, providing first aid where needed, learning about the animals she cared for, watching Monica feed someone’s dog as she tries to educate owners that they need to provide food for their animals, meeting people she collaborates with (some homeless, some not) to ensure the animals are as safe from harm or have been sighted still in the same area if not present during feedings. It is common cruel practice for people to take the animals and relocate them to another part of the city far away from the originating spot so that the animals cannot sense how to return. Many times we would see a dog frantically running around with a lost look on its face, weaving in and out of traffic, avidly searching for something familiar and we knew that it was most likely a victim of this cruel practice. When this happens, in between working, Monica will go out for hours searching the city areas, looking for those missing she has been caring for and trying to win over the obviously displaced animals she comes across. Sometimes she is able to find them or win them over, sometimes not and sometimes she finds them, but they are seriously injured or no longer alive. For those seriously injured she takes to a local veterinarian who will try their best to provide the care needed but if it fails, as it did while I was there for one very beautiful pup while I was there, Monica goes in to reclaim the body. She cried softly while whispering to the pup that it was a good pup and it deserved better and she was so sorry she couldn’t help it sooner. The veterinarian staff helped Monica by holding open a trash bag while she gently placed the pup inside and then they both folded the pup, curling it up as tight as they could while closing the trash bag. The vet staff then would in turn with Monica turn the animal and continue to push out any air in the bag so it was a mere lump inside the bag. I didn’t know it at the time, but there are no proper disposal methods (cremation) in Iquitos where she is at so she has to take the pup and find a spot to bury it late at night deep enough where it hopefully wont get dug up and eaten. I finally understood why I was seeing so many dead carcasses around and my brain broke just a little but more.

When the morning routine would be done, we would liven up our spirits again with an activity of joy to brighten our spirits in leading us into the evening routine which consisted of the same tasks as the morning routine. Not all our mental health distractions were as awe inspiring as seeing the rescue work of others like at Monkey Island, sometimes it was just going to find somewhere local to eat and have some good conversation. But there was this one day we went to a beautiful resort where we got to boat across the Amazon River and into part of the Nile River, which yes I did poke my finger into so I could check that off my bucket list but don’t think I was gonna put my whole hand in there. I’ve seen Indiana Jones people! No way, nuh-uh! Don’t care that we weren’t near Egypt, wasn’t happening. The resort was lovely with huge palm trees, colorful parrots, multiple depth pools, a rope swing, delicious drinks and we finished out with amazing food where we got to feed a pregnant stray cat some of the fish from my ceviche and meat from other dishes while the waiter wasn’t looking so he wouldn’t shoo her away. How a cat was even out there is beyond my understanding.

After The first couple of nights at the end of our day, I would go into my room and sit with my journal and pen in hand and try to write down as much as I could remember. After the second night though, I started to struggle to be able to verbalize a lot of the content and it has taken me almost three months to finally find the words to finish while even now still not having all the content accounted for. Besides living in the moment and experience, I wanted to save others from seeing some of the things I saw, so I didn’t take those pictures or include those moments here. The last night before our journey home, my feelings were very conflicted. Did I make a difference here? What impact long term would my actions have on the needs for the existing animals? Was coming here and spending all this money on these animals justifiable when it could have rescues four time the number back home? After three months being back and all the animals adopted, I can finally confidently say that it did make a difference while I was there and each and every one of you showed me that with your daily encouragement, kindness and contributing when I was not able to. While it is a short term impact only for many of those dogs and cats there, it is everything for the 6 lives that were brought back and the families I now see them with. Not only has it saved them, but it has given me an unbreakable confidence in what I did by being a spoke in the wheel of their process. I cannot thank each and every one of you enough or even properly for how much you did to ensure this could happen. A thank you card? A tag in a post? A heartfelt hug and beer? Nothing I can do can show you how thankful I am but please know, I am so very thankful. YOU helped save these lives. Thank you. ♥