street dog

A stray dog from Rivadavia, Argentina, found her forever home with an elderly couple who took her in when she was in need. She was pregnant and malnourished, and after being nursed back to health and helped delivering her pups, the dog and her babies were placed in new loving homes. However the stray wanted to stay with the Good Samaritans who initially took her in, and the pet walked 161 kilometers (about 100 miles) to get back to the house she determined was her forever home.

Just a year ago, Shelton, a young mutt from Resistencia, Argentina, showed up to the surrounding area of the Normal Sarmiento school. No one knew who he belonged to and most people didn’t care about the homeless puppy. He scavenged for food and searched for a safe place to spend at night, but without him knowing it, a group of students, school librarians and other locals who fell in love with the dog took it upon themselves to help him survive.

For ten years, a stray dog named Niño Andrade, roamed the streets of Las Colinas neighborhood, in Sincelejo, Colombia. During all this time, the dog became the neighborhood’s favorite pet. Even though he had no home or specific owner, he belonged to everyone and everyone loved him. On April 20, 2015, Niño Andrade crossed the rainbow bridge and the community came together to honor him.

In La Paz, El Salvador, a stray dog named Oso who lives around the Santa Maria Ostuma police station, saved all on-duty officers from a gang attack, when the dog fought off gang members forcing them to flee.

We believe that all stray dogs dream of finding loving owners and loving homes, but sadly most of them don’t even get a second look by the thousands of people who walk by them every day. In Lima, Peru, a stray dog received an unexpected gift – a bath – from two men who wanted to do something nice for the dog.

There is no reason to abuse animals, but somehow animal abuse happens daily. In Cartagena, Colombia, two stray dogs were rescued by neighbors and transported to a local animal organization after the pets were found in excruciating pain.

The first dog was doused in hot water and sustained third-degree burns on his torso and front, right leg. The stray was also beaten with an unknown object, and the beating left him with a broken leg (same leg that sustained most of the burns).

Margarita Suárez, a humble woman from Mérida, Mexico, did not run a shelter or work with a registered animal organization.  She was not rich and only earned enough money to get by, however, she never hesitated to help animals in need. Suarez fed over 20 stray cats that came to her door every morning, and whenever she went out, she carried food to feed the stray dogs she met on the streets.