Improving lives of dogs, cats… and protecting marine turtles!

Barra de Parismina is located at the mouth of the Parismina River, Atlantic Ocean, Costa Rica. It´s an islet, surrounded by water and accessible only by boat or plane.  There are some neighboring towns, but the inhabitants live very isolated from each other. There is a presence of drug trafficking where sadly some families benefit from. 

The local turtle protection association, ASTOP, has reported thousands of eggs and freshly emerging neonates, being killed, and eaten by roaming dogs.  Most homes own at least one dog, and owners usually feed them with little leftovers, so they are forced to find food elsewhere.  One of our main goals for this project is that owners learn about basic needs of their animals, this will strengthen the bond between pet and owner, or in other cases it will at least create a bond that was completely inexistent.  Once the pet owner understands the animal needs, this will automatically help reduce turtle nest hatchlings.  How? Owners will understand that dogs need certain amount of food, in some cases they need to make sure their animals do not leave the property unattended, that they need to have a safe place to live, receive veterinary care and make sure no animal is kept permanently in a chain.

We will offer 1 mass low-cost spay and neuter clinics for 130 dogs and cats, representing a 34% of the total population.  This will directly impact population control and reduce dog and cat population in Barra de Parismina.  Pet owners will receive partial or total sponsorship, according to their payment capacity and number of animals.  In many cases, families own 2 or 3 animals, which makes it impossible for them to pay for the full fee.  Along with this intervention, we will educate pet owners during the clinic, with workshops on how to become a responsible owner and how to protect wildlife.  Participants will receive printed information as well as lectures on different topics related to wildlife protection and how to take care of their pets.

Thanks to Lush Charity Pot for this grant.   Our project will addresses the problem at the root cause: reducing the number of unwanted animals plus educating owners on specific animal welfare scopes.