10 days, 10 vets: 1300 Animals Attended, 2300 Persons Attended

In July of 2009 Project Coordinator, Bruno Antoine, pulled off the monumental task of getting multiple government agencies to sign a formal agreement between the Provincial City of Mariscal Ramon Castilla and Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety to improve the health of people and their animals, the two being closely related. 

Following more months of discussion, a similar partnership with the City of Bethlehem district was confirmed on October 5, 2009. The objective of these agreements are to resolve in a humanitarian and efficient manner the deplorable living conditions of stray animals and the danger that these animals pose to the human population.  The agreements also provided free treatments and spay/neuter surgery for owned pets.

Amazon CARES, in collaboration with the Worldwide Veterinary Service, obtained the professional services of eight Veterinary volunteers to work alongside the two staff Veterinarians of CARES.  These volunteers arrived from Australia, Italy, Holland and the United Kingdom.  The Brigitte Bardot Foundation of France generously donated funds to pay for all required medicines for the project.   These international contacts helped CARES comply with the agreement to benefit the public and animal health as well as the city's image.

We undertook our campaign in Caballo Cocha from the 23-30 of October.  It is worth noting that the authorities provided all the facilities to the veterinary team (10 doctors and a coordinator), with rapid transport by speedboat, lodging, meals and surgery sites. The population turned out en masse with their pets.  On many days more than 100 people brought animals.  This was an enormous amount of work for the team, especially considering the rustic work conditions and extreme heat.  The Vets reported that they were thrilled to see the enthusiasm of the community.  There is no healthcare provider in Caballo Cocha. 

In total, the following were provided to dogs, cats, birds, monkeys, rabbits and guinea pigs:

156 spay / neuter surgeries
306 consultations
462 de-wormings
156 vaccines against Rabies
376 anti-flea treatments

Additonally CARES conducted educational talks in the schools and provided technical training to agricultural students.  The campaign, "For a Healthy City, Look After Your Pet." extended to CARES' distribution of anti-parasite medicine (Albendazole 400 mg) to more than 2300 people of the Province Mariscal Ramon Castilla, and our donating over 1700 doses to be distributed later by the respective authorities.

Unfortunately, the hardworking veterinary volunteers did not achieve the same success and collaboration in the City of Bethlehem district, despite signing the agreement and multiple contracts regarding the schedule, location, publicity in order for Amazon CARES to develop an initiative to help families and their pets in low income areas. On the planned date, the facilities provided were unsuitable.  The site lacked light, electricity and running water.  Additionally, authorities had not performed their role in publicizing the campaign to the local residents.  The responsible party from the district ignored the situation and simply turned off his cell phone.

Faced with the urgency of the situation, CARES Project Coordinator Bruno Antoint asked his contacts to arrange for a new location and what little publicity could be provided at the last moment.  Thus, the following two days enabled CARES to spay or neuter 38 animals and provide treatments to 23 other animals. 

Good coordination between public and private institutions is beneficial for all.  These events demonstrate that the authorities of Peru are capable of the best and the worst. 

Amazon CARES is struggling to continue in the face of a severe lack of funding.  Despite our appearance on the web, we employ eight Peruvians and all other staffers, including the US based Director, are volunteers.  Please support us today at http://ihcenter.org/groups/amazoncares.  Thank you very much.

Rest in Peace, Sabrina. We Did Our Best.

Yanamono:  We spent yet another night docked in the sweltering heat and humidity.  Today I have been in the dining area keeping watch over Sabrina.  The Veterinarians do the majority of work as regards Sabrina, who is struggling to recover from her surgery.  She receives frequent shots of antibiotics and pain medicine.  If I´m alone with her I clean up her vomit and diarrea.  She is overheated, like all of us, but the vets have decided not to give her any food or water because her stomach must be raw.  She has been on IV fluids constantly.  All I can do is comfort her and rub cold water on her ears.  We had a small fan on her as well.  I sat in the dining area with Sabrina.  Danilo, the talented chef on the voyage, joined me.  I made a terrible mistake that I will surely regret for the rest of my life.  Having been ill myself, I could not take any more heat, and I left Sabrina with Danilo.  I went to my cabin for 10 minutes to lie down with my own small fan cooling me.  I heard the generator shut off and wondered why, and worried about Sabrina.  The crew did not turn the generator off.  It had run out of fuel and needed to be re-fueled.  I was not smart in assuming Danilo had the time to sit with Sabrina.  Sabrina died alone.  I do not know why Danilo didn´t come get me immediately.  Marc the Producer returned accompanied by the other vets.  She had died during the short time she was alone and the motor turned off. 

She never fully regained consciousness following the dramatic surgery that could have kept her alive.  All the vets agree they would have performed the same surgery on their own pets.  Yet surgery in these conditions is different.  I will always remain with questions, and everybody felt guilty and there was more than enough blame being passed around.  The whole incident begs the eternal question "When do you let a creature die with dignity?  How far should one go to save a life, despite dramatic, high risks?" 

I NEEDED Sabrina to survive.  I NEEDED her to represent the animals that did not survive.  Despite these feelings, I allowed my personal comfort to take over.  I had a fever and was ill and overheated.  But I was in no danger of dying.  I feel deeply that Luke blames me.  Yet all admit that she was dying, and it could not have been prevented.

Any animal lover and pet owner understands my feelings of regret and pain.  And this, despite only knowing Sabrina a few days.  Rest in Peace Sabrina.

Genuine Amazon "FireWater" - Better than Antibiotics?

On the day we traveled to the Manatee Rescue Center (sort of a pre-filming re-con mission) the dust and wind kicked up the motorized rickshaws proved too much for me.  I began to develop cold symptons of congestion, coughing, laryngitis (many were thankful for that I believe!) and a really sore throat.  My symptons were bad enough for me to consider skipping the boat trip with the film crew!

Luckily, Marc the Producer provided me with proper medications augmented by a special jungle rememdy we encountered in our first port of call, Yanamono.  Reuniting with friend Nancy Dunn also helped me feel better.  Dr. Nancy Dunn is the Founder of the The Centro de Conocimiento Compartido, which is a library project dedicated to serving schools and communities along the Amazon River in Peru.

We were meeting at the local rum factory, and somebody suggested that a strong drink of Aguardiente," a 100% proof jungle beverage with a bit of ginger, would cure any illness, and make me forget any cold symptons.  Dare I say I forgot almost everything.  After one cup of what tasted like kerosene Annie was already having to help me downstairs to the boat, where I slept it off!   Annie took good care of me and brought a bland meal to my room at dinnertime. 

The following day the film crew would be  vaccinating cows and water buffalo.  That was quite an adventure, and I will blog about it tomorrow!