A VISIT AT THE FUNDACIÓN ANIMALOVE, COLOMBIA

In 2019, I traveled to Bogotá, Colombia, to visit the Fundación Animalove. A few months prior to my visit, the Foundation had been evicted from their property when the government had decided to rezone the land they were standing on. Although quite stressful, this unexpected twist allowed the Foundation to recreate itself entirely, thanks to the generosity of two of their supporters. The couple bought a land for the Foundation near the town of Zipaquirá, about an hour away from the capital. And in just a couple of months, the Foundation achieved the impossible: building a new shelter organized in huge outdoor runs, moving 320 dogs and starting new.

Now, hidden in an emerald nest, the Foundation cares for their 320 dogs, 150 of whom are seniors. Many of these seniors were rescued from euthanasia back in 2014, when another shelter had to close due to lack of funding. The other residents of the Foundation were rescued from the streets, injured, ill, or abandoned. The adoption culture in Colombia is still quite weak, and for many of these dogs, the Foundation will be their forever home.

Standing in the middle of these dogs, I was overcome with emotion. To the outsider, this place is a dream come true, a safe haven for dogs who have gone through so much and who would have otherwise died in horrific conditions. But I couldn’t help and observe the Sisyphean task at hand for the Foundation (food alone, costs them $3,000 per month!), and the fact that, although they strive to be a shelter and want to get dogs into homes, they are more and more turning into a sanctuary. And I also couldn’t help but feel for the many doggies who craved connection and followed me around, whining and shoving their heads in my hands, begging for one-on-one attention. For those, life in this piece of heaven might still not be enough.

In 2019, I raised $8,500 for the Foundation. The money arrived just in time, before civil unrest blocked Bogota and jeopardized the Foundation’s fundraising efforts for the holidays. The money was used to buy food to see the dogs through the next two months, and to buy much-needed vet equipment.

in 2020, with a T-shirt campaign called “Senior is the New Puppy”, I raised another $21,000 for the Foundation, as they were running out of food for their dogs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To support the work of the Foundation, consider donating via their website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.