History of the Animal Rescue Project

The project of saving abused and abandoned animals began in 1985 in Letica, Colombia, a small town located on the bank of the Amazon River. There, many animals of all kinds, domestic and wild, were helped. At that time there were no veterinarians available and it was a learning experience from the first step. Luckily the head of the local hospital, Dr. Jaun Silva Haad, was a good friend and was the advisor for several years until the first veterinarian came to town. Even with the veterinarian the hospital was a critical part of the project as the veterinarian was only trained in farm animals. Dr. Silva continued assisting and did surgery on a variety of animals starting in our office on the desk as it was across the street from the hospital and eventually saying why not and started surgery in the surgery room at the Regional Hospital. The experience was extensive as it was first hand and learn as you go. The major part of the animals helped were simply sick due to worm and mite infestation and several baths with a complete cleanout of the worms and parasites proved successful for the majority. The unluckier ones with broken bones and other injuries were also helped. The first case of a broken leg on a dog was an eye opener as we had nothing but a Black and Decker drill in the office to drill the holes in the bone to but in a pin, but it worked. The anesthesia was done by a hospital nurse giving a dosage to the animals as if they were a baby or young child of the same weight and it worked. From there, the business was moved to Iquitos, Peru, due to the severe economic and political problems in Colombia at the time, making business practically impossible and thus difficult to finance the help needed by the animals . Once in Peru the project has been expanded to include all types of wild and domestic animals, except wild cats and jaguars etc, as we have no facilities available to securely maintain them and the potential danger makes it unfeasible to help them without secure facilities. Others such as sloth’s, parrots, monkeys, ant eaters, turtles etc. have been helped in quantity and the majority released as safe havens are found. This project has helped a lot of animals but is never sufficient as a thriving illegal animal trade exists and the majority of our patients are very young that are orphaned when hunters kill the mothers for food and hides and bring the young to town to sell. There are simply more animals than the Peruvian Department of Natural Resources can handle and they have little or no funding. There is no legal zoo in the area to maintain the animals. We work with Dr. Marcial Aviles Yepes the Deacon . of Veterinary Medicine in our State of Loreto  trained in Germany and Peru. He does not have what a veterinarian in the States would have to work with  but is an excellent surgeon and general practitioner. Marcial also has a jungle lodge out of town where many of the animals are released where they have food and shelter until they gradually find their way . We do our best always to release the animals in pairs as they adjust much faster to the natural way of life together than when released alone.  Dr. Aviles , ourselves and another group from California called Zoo Peru have recently started working together to help the Department of Natural Resources with their rescue center of confiscated animals, this is our newest project. The rescue center was in a horrible state when we all stepped in to help.  Dr. Aviles is providing the medical assistance , Patricia King of Amazon Reserve and Resort is providing the food for about 400 animals of all types and Zoo Peru is providing materials and labor to build new cages and facilities.  Recently a non profit company was formed by Dr. Aviles and approved by all the required authorities here. All efforts by all parties will be channeled thru this entity  and we hope to be able to enlarge our works and efforts as the black market trade in animals is out of control and the Government simply does not have the resources necessary for the work required.