06/07/2026
Hospital Administrator Annette is back from her work with Project Samana in the Dominican Republic. Her words...
It was a week to remember…. We spayed/neutered approximately 200 dogs, vaccinated and dewormed at least 200 more and medically treated at least 15 animals that would have otherwise had no care available.
The little girl below is a community favorite named “Una”. She was visiting us at the shop and then went down to the boardwalk. Someone uneducated in animal welfare got off his motorcycle and kicked her hard enough to break her pelvis. She is currently occupying my patio in hopes that she will recover enough to walk again.
The husky was released to fend for himself by a family that left the country (there are NO shelters in the DR, so people have nowhere to take their dogs for relinquishment, so they are simply turned loose). Severely underweight and beaten to crap by other dogs, we were able to snag him off the street.
We neutered him (almost lost him due to a severe bleed, but we saved him). He is currently residing in one of our volunteers' shops.
The two sisters visit every morning at 5:30 am for their breakfast, and they are two of the nicest dogs I've ever known. (Una is likely their sister).
Apparently, they told the 'hood where the good stuff is because the pack came for breakfast. The two young dogs are on our radar for TNR.
We are 100 percent donation-based. The cost for this week was approximately $15,000 for the organization for medications, supplies, and meals for the volunteers, plus $2,000 per person out of pocket for transportation and housing.
Our focus is on collaboration and education with an amazing team of local volunteers and veterinarians, Dominican and American veterinary students, as well as the animal welfare officers in the region. There is little to no government support or funding for these animals.
Please consider supporting us so that we can continue to help the most vulnerable in the community.
I'm exhausted, and there was a lot of laughter and many tears this week, but my heart is full.
