Animals in Costa Rica – I am not alone… Guardians of mercy are out there

I have been in Nuevo Arenal since 2000 working with animals in distress both domestic and wild. Having no veterinarian located in our little pueblo, I answer emergency calls all the time.

Increasingly I am getting calls from concerned people who have happened upon an abandoned animal in various stages of compromised health. These are people who sincerely want to help the animal back to health.

It isn’t just people wanting to call me to take the animal and care for it. Knowing I am spread pretty thin with many animals, they want to help the animal themselves but really don’t know what to do.

Some of the little orphans are starving, some with mange, some with injuries, but all needing some type of help. I find myself giving the same advice again and again. So that I feel it warrants a paper with instructions to help these caring people to help the little charges.

Being able to accept and care for a diverse assortment of animals takes a lifetime of experience and I don’t really expect people to be able to know how to care for baby monkeys, sloths, or anteaters and iguanas.

But the great majority of animals encountered along the streets are domestic pets who have been abandoned. This thankfully narrows the spectrum to dogs and cats. When only talking about two species, the instructions are not as overwhelming.

Hence the inspiration of the paper on Basic animal care. What I have always believed “Each one teach one” goes a long way to really advancing in any endeavour.

In fact, over here in Arenal, I have formed a group of people who want to help abandoned animals on a regular basis and so our group has taken the name of “Guardians of Saint Francis”, but for the macho folks out there we are simply called “The Guards”.

So, whether you and your friends want to actively seek and help abandoned animals or if you would just like the information on file “just in case” you do happen upon a sick animal in the street some dark and lonely night and desperately need information to save their lives, perhaps my “how to” sheet will help.

This instruction sheet can also be applied to any of your pets that become ill or debilitated until you can seek the advice of a veterinarian. And in keeping with my “each one teach one” philosophy, print it out the animal care sheet for yourself and forward it to all of your animal friends and together we can all ease a lot of suffering.

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Written by Gloria Dempsey. Zoologist in Arenal, Costa Rica. April 2008

If you would to contribute to the rescue and care of wildlife in Costa Rica and maybe help with the cost of a new portable X-ray machine, please send a US cashier’s cheque to our Zoologist friend in Arenal Gloria Dempsey:

Gloria Dempsey
5717-28 Nuevo Arenal – Tilaran
Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Or you can email Gloria Dempsey at zoologist@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.