How was Puerto Viejo?

Wed, 10/26/2022 - 16:58 - 
Iris

Puerto Viejo has grown in recent years, despite the fact that the travel industry stood still in other places. New buildings, hotels, and the like, have popped up …However, Puerto has fortunately managed to keep its relaxed, typical atmosphere. It is still a great melting pot of all kinds of people living together peacefully in an admirable Pura Vida way and surrounded by the most beautiful fauna and flora.

I rented a bike to go see my favorite beach, took a tuktuk to visit different hotels, the bus to Cahuita NP, went to visit the Bribri, enjoyed nature and the enchanting sunsets, admired the Afro-Caribbean parade and tasted the most delicious, fresh food. However, my main purpose for this part of my trip was to help Maria and Puerto Viejo Dogs. Before departure I wrote a blog Help me support Puerto Viejo Dogs.

Thanks to several donations from various customers and friends, I was able to make a difference. Let me thank you with some images and stories of the dogs that I encountered while there. Special thanks also to Isabelle and Tristan who set up their own campaign to collect leashes for PV Dogs in their community. Soon I will travel back to Puerto Viejo and I will personally hand over these donations. You can also follow Puerto Viejo Dogs directly on Facebook, if you like.

Anyways, it turned out that Puerto Viejo is still that magical place, where you can relax, people are super friendly and you instantly feel happy when walking or biking around. A big thank you also to Maria, Puerto Viejo Dogs, Maria José, Marlies, Zoë, Estafania and above all, the dogs of Puerto Viejo, for making this once again a memorable journey. I present to you my new friends:

Graucho

Let's start with the success story of Graucho, who I did not get to spend a lot of time with because...he has found the most perfect home with a lovely lady in Puerto Viejo. Graucho has been happily adopted while I was there.

Berta

And then there was amazing Berta. Berta, who lived on a short chain before being rescued but is now having the time of her life. Every morning she is the happiest dog you can imagine because…there is no more chain! She plays gently with kittens and puppies and also stays close to you when you go for a walk, even without a leash. She is the perfect dog and if nobody adopts her soon, I will.

Doki

Doki, a dog whose aggressive look was made even worse when a machete cut part of his nose. This is a strong case of how deceiving looks can be because he is actually the biggest baby of them all. And, he is very smart.  Without wanting to teach him anything, he understood quickly when I told him to go to the garden or that he should not bark when watching the children play because then I would need to put him back inside Yes, Doki loves children and likes nothing more than to lay in the garden and watch the neighbor’s kids play all day. And, he knows how to do it so quietly that you almost forget he is outside.

Canelo

Canelo, also known as “leave me all alone, I wish I was an only child” ;-). Bustle, play, excitement,… it's not for Canelo. He prefers to take it easy. This handsome man of the house has been through a lot. A machete cut off half of his face. You can see pictures of him in those bad times in my previous blog Help me support PV Dogs. Many operations later, he now lives happily with Maria. He's a very lucky man!

Hans and Drake

This is Hans, a much too small kitten with severe diarrhea. Deadly even. And that's because people give kittens cow's milk when they find a litter without a mother. Very well intended of course but unfortunately, all of Hans's brothers and sisters died because kittens cannot tolerate cow's milk. Hans is the only survivor, thanks to the good care of Maria and the vet. When you find a kitten, never give it milk. Call your vet, consult somebody who knows, cook some chicken,…but don't give it cows' milk.

Drake

Drake weighed barely a kilo when he was found (see picture above) and could not stand well on his feet. At first we were afraid it wasn't just malnutrition, but possibly a neurological disease which was causing him to be unstable on the paws. Meanwhile, in just two months' time, he has grown into a sturdy, active puppy who stands his ground between all other dogs and cats in the house. We named him Drake because of the stain around his one eye. It reminded me of a pirate and so he is named after the famous pirate Sir Francis Drake who came on land in Drake Bay, Costa Rica. 

Tuira

Tuira is always asking for belly rubs and attention, in a cute, persistent way…Despite the amputation of one hind leg, she has fully and above all happily adapted to a life on three legs. She is the cutest, most inspirational dog but...Trying to work with Tuira nearby? No way ;-)!

Gato Mono

Gato Mono scared us when he disappeared for three days and didn't come home. The jungle can be a dangerous place for cats. But luckily, he came back, very thirsty though ;-). He loves to climb on you when you are standing up, using his nails, never jumping. He does not realize those nails hurt your soft skin ;-).

 

Alma and La Rubia

La Rubia (the cat) always came to sleep with me in the middle of the night when she got home.  And Alma is the sweet grandmother of all of them. She is so patient with all dogs and cats that come and go in this house and so happy when everyone is home. The younger ones also seem to have a great respect for her.

Kira

And last but definitely not least, I present to you…..Miss Kiraaa! The one I will adopt. Kira had distemper, skin disease and was extremely skinny when rescued. Distemper is a dog disease many do not survive. Kira has managed to do so and apart from some red legs and a nose on which not much hair grows anymore after the skin disease, she now looks round, pretty and healthy. Some even dare to say she is too round, but don't let that be said about my dog ​​;-)!

These dogs have not been bred to meet certain beauty standards or characteristics. Each of them has had a terribly difficult start in life but in the end, they are all so beautiful and gentle, thanks to the good care of Maria and PV Dogs. It inspires me to see that even the most neglected and abused animals have the potential to become the most forgiving, gentle, faithful friends. The flexibility these creatures show after all they've been through is remarkable. It's something I think about every day.

If you want to make a difference yourself, know that you can still donate or even bring donations yourself. Puerto Viejo dogs is always in need of the following items:

  • Dog food
  • Collars, H-shaped, long leashes
  • Blankets, sheets and towels
  • Bravecto tablets and medical shampoos
  • Probiotics, vitamins and omegas
  • Bowls for food and water
  • Doxycycline to treat bacterial infections
  • De-wormers to treat internal and external parasites
  • Antifungal creams
  • Postoperative shirts or pet cones
  • Dog toys
  • Rilexine, ketoconazole and cephalexin
  • Meloxicam, otiflex and prednisolone

A big thank you to everyone for helping to make this place even more beautiful than it already is ;-)!

Pura vida!

Iris

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