What we have
Land. A veterinarian on the ground. Local people who arrive every morning to feed, clean and hold them, whether or not anybody is watching. Straw the dogs sleep in and on. Food that comes in sacks and goes out by hand.
What we do not have
Walls. A roof over all of them. Heating in winter. Shade in summer.
That is the whole problem, stated plainly. It is not a failure of love and it is not a failure of effort. It is a building that does not exist yet. What we call the shelter is not a shelter; it is built out of boxes.
Why straw is not enough
Straw holds a little warmth, and it is what we can carry. It does not stop wind. It does not stop rain. It does not stop the cold that arrives after dark and stays until morning. A dog can be fed, treated, vaccinated and loved, and still be spending the night outdoors.
The animals most at risk are the ones with the least of themselves to burn: the puppies, the very thin, the ones still recovering from something. Those are exactly the dogs a winter finds first.
What we are asking for
Three things, in this order.
A shelter. Walls, a roof, warmth in winter and shade in summer, big enough that two thousand dogs can survive long enough to be adopted.
Food. Every day, for all of them. It is not glamorous and it does not get cheaper.
Medicine and veterinary supplies. The vet is already there. It is the supplies that run out.
There are no salaries in this foundation, no offices and no fundraising overhead, because there are none to pay. Here is exactly where the money goes.
