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Hello again,
I'm Arturo, and this is the second message I'm sending to this blog, hoping you have enjoyed the first one. Previously, I've written about my feelings concerning this really interesting experienvcee I'm having here in Iquitos as a volunteer for Amazon Cares.
Now Molly, the founder and director of this project, is asking me to drop a couple of lines more and tell you about my daily duties at the centre.
As a volunteer, my first and main task is - obviously - taking care of the dogs. As I said already in my previous entry, most of the dogs rescued by Amazon Cares come straight from the street, where they usually have spent lots of time. Consequently, they are all more or less traumatized, even afraid of just being approached. It takes a lot of loving care and patience in order to gain their confidence back, but then it's rewarding to watch every little step they take ahead in that direction.
Usually, I stay with the dogs from 9 am until about 1 pm; then, in the afternoon, from 3 to 7 ca.
I try to spend time with them having some fun together. Mostly, I like to walk them out, since dogs love to be in the outdoor: so I take them for a stroll downtown, or in the park. they enjoy it, even though sometimes the temperature reaches such extremes over here that one has to be cautious and try avoiding the hottest hours of the day, looking for shady spots.
When I'm not out, I spend some time with them in a room or in the clininc's patio, sometimes trying to teach them a few obedience skills, sometimes just playing with them, having them entertained.
I think the job carried out by Amazon Cares with stray dogs here in Iquitos is truly remarkable: instead than letting them be euthanized, or simply abandoned to a miserable fate, Molly's organization works actively to rescue all these defenseless animals, bringing them back to life, basically.
Not all the dogs at the centre come from the street; recently, for instance, somebody brought us a newborn puppy, who's now growing at the speed of light. Molly decided to call him simply "Mo", and he is incredibly cuddly and sweet, just like a baby child. He almost looks like a little panda, and he's gonna be 3 months old next week. He's willing to play all the time, and it's a real blessing to have him around with us: sometimes I wish he would never grow up... But that's life, after all!