Animal Welfare Volunteering (2 programs)

Veterinary Hospital and Animal Rescue Centre “Amigos Fieles”

About the institution

“Amigos Fieles” started to work in 2005 as a common veterinary hospital, but soon realized how lacking or non existent are Ecuador’s laws regarding animal protection, and how little, people really care about animals and the responsibility involved in having a pet.
The scene in some cases is horrendous, dogs and other animals, chained in their houses with no chance to move at all, in most cases suffering from serious diseases and their owners don’t seem to care.
This motivated the owner of “Amigos Fieles”, María Espinoza to do something about these abuses. So she, along with friends who love animals started rescuing those that were either abandoned or in bad conditions. Unfortunately they can’t confiscate animals that are chained or kept irresponsibly in houses, since they are not backed up by the law or authority to confiscate the pets, the only thing that’s left to do is trying to convince the owner to let go of the pet, so that they find it a better, healthier place for them to live.
Once in the shelter, the animals receive medical help if needed, they get a bath and decent food (at last!!), in some extreme cases it’s like the animals are bought back to life after a whole life of being chained and hurt.
Although the project only involved dogs and cats at the beginning, later the shelter accepted also endangered species like monkeys and other exotic animals that people kept illegally and brought voluntarily to the centre after realizing they won’t be able to take proper care of them, later, the centre tries to find those monkeys and other animals a better place too.

Probably the best thing the centre does is raising awareness about controlling pet’s population by sterilizing them, actually, the doctors go to the communities and try to convince as many people as they can about having their pets sterilized, since it’s for free, most people understand the reasons and agree, which is a great way to avoid more pets without a home.

Although the centre was just founded on 2005, they’ve had more than 1000 succesful adoptions, and their policy is sterilizing every single animal that gets into the shelter, so their contribution towards preventing animals in the street has been enormous.

Description of the work
At “Amigos Fieles” you’ll have the chance to feed, bathe and walk the animals, improve their living conditions, or in case you have veterinary experience, diagnose and cure ill animals. By taking the pets for a walk and giving them affection, they will improve their behaviour and health.