The previous AKI Blog post from Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras (April 6) was written at the start of the covid-19 lock down. Here we are, 4 months later, many deaths and recoveries later (as of today in Honduras: Confirmed cases-48,657; Recovered-6,945; Deaths-1,533), and for HHHH, things haven't changed much. Pilar is still quarantined for much of the week. Gabriel and Jose are still helping out at the Sanctuary. Dogs and cats are still being dumped in record numbers.
From Pilar, here's what's going on at the Nereida Montes de Oca Sanctuary (the HHHH Sanctuary).
Since the pandemic and then lock down started on March 15th, I have been helping with lots of veterinary questions by phone or on Messenger or WhatsApp. Many of these are geared toward preventing owners from giving up on their pets and dumping them by offering them inexpensive and safe alternatives to visiting a vet's office. In some cases, people are very frantic to help their pets these days, but afraid to leave home.
Sweetie was living on the street with a broken femur when I rescued her. The vet put a pin in. She was adopted about 8 years ago. The adopters called me a few weeks ago because she had a bad infection on her tail. I went over there to check it out-it was a huge hot spot, bloody and itchy. I treated it for several days, then gave the family instructions on how to treat her and she's now recovered. (Below: Sweetie, the infection on her tail has healed.)
Maya, the bulldog, was adopted by Katia, a friend of my vet's sister. Maya had pyometra and her family wanted to have her euthanized because they didn't want to spend more money on her. I convinced them to give Maya to me instead. The vet treated her for pyometra and she was spayed. It was a long recovery and she was with me for 4 months. Now she's been with Katia for 3 months, and they are very happy together (picture below).
The current count at the Sanctuary is 12 birds (11 in cages and Gray, who eats and sleeps here, but is free to fly), 3 female cats, and 19 dogs.
Thor (below), as of July 29th, he has been here 4 years! Sweet as molasses and strong as an ox. His family was set to euthanize him at just 6 months old due to a congenital problem with his back legs. After consulting my vet and friend Becky's sister (vet Sally), my vet neutered him (thanks so much AKI) and he came to live here. He is still going strong.
Odie arrived here in 2015. He had a horrible growth on his leg-maybe he was thrown out of his home because of that. He's 12 years old and blind now, but he's happy.
Manchas and Pecas-means Freckles (pictures below) were, 2 of 4 kittens rescued about 8 years ago, when they were found in a box by a University employee who brought them to me. They were about 2 weeks old as their eyes were just opening. The male died in a couple of days from respiratory problems and weakness. I bottle-fed the 3 females every 2 hours for over a month. One almost died at 2 weeks from an infection, but with antibiotics, she pulled through and was later adopted by Ana Maria (3rd picture below).
With the covid-19 pandemic and the lock down, we are all missing the volunteers who used to come by to walk and play with the dogs and pet the cats-the students and many from the US Embassy. I'm responding to many rescue calls, giving advice, asking that people foster as long as possible. We hope this is a temporary situation and that we can again welcome volunteers to the Nereida Montes de Oca Sanctuary and go out freely again so that we can more actively rescue dogs and cats in need.
Thank you Animal-Kind International for all your support of Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras throughout the years. All the dogs and cats at the Nereida Montes de Oca Animal Shelter say "Woof and Meow."