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Can a dog have an American Dream too? For street dogs from Cayo, a region of Belize without an animal shelter, the only hope of finding a good home is to be flown to the US. Here the government's method of handling strays is to periodically poison them, causing a slow and painful death. Street dogs also live under the constant stress of being attacked by other dogs, unable to find regular food and water, and falling ill.
We've teamed up with local volunteers to identify strays that would do well in homes, screen and treat them for medical issues, and then fly them to the US where the unthinkable will finally be possible, a loving forever home. |
Contact jennifer@coppersdream.org for more information or to sign up to foster or volunteer
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In memory of little momma Cara
Cara, the adult daughter of Una, was a 25 pound joyful spirit. She always greeted us with her long tail wagging so happily that her whole body would shake. She was as gentle and sweet as she was exuberant. When we crawled under the foundation of a house to remove her puppies so they could go to foster homes, she stood by nervously, trusting that we did not have bad intentions. And when one when frightened puppies cried, she anxiously ran over, whining from distress and licking him until he calmed down. Cara was such a protective and loyal mother that she figured out how to squeeze through a tiny gap between cement walls to gain entrance to the yard where two of her puppies were housed. This gap was so narrow that she would occasionally get stuck hanging in mid-air, but she would never cry for help and just tried to find a way out of her predicament herself. Luckily someone was usually home so she didn’t have to wait long to be rescued.
By the time her puppies all found homes, her owners wanted to euthanize her as they felt nobody in Belize wanted to adopt an adult street dog. But by then Cara had captured the hearts of volunteers who were able to work with Copper’s Dream to begin planning her transport to the US. During her medical exam, she was diagnosed with TVT, a major setback because treatment was costly and would delay her flight by at least a month. Still volunteers were hopeful because the vet assured them the TVT was in its early stages and the prognosis was good. After her treatment began, Cara began to act depressed, losing her appetite and energy. In response, one of her puppy’s adopters decided to foster her.
In her final days, Cara was surrounded by love and housed with two of the puppies she had devoted her life to protecting. On her last day, she laid in the sun, rolled in the grass, and enjoyed a long walk in the countryside. Though she was still underweight, we believed she was on the road to recovery and her death in the middle of the night shocked and saddened everyone. In the aftermath of her passing, it was discovered the local vet had used a very high dose of vincristine and perhaps her tiny body wasn’t able to handle it. The quality of vet care available in Belize continues to be a challenge for rescues who are forced to treat dogs there as dogs cannot fly until they are healthy.
Cara was buried on the property of her foster home. Now she continues to look over her puppies; a shadow in the trees, waiting for the day the rest of her family joins her.
By the time her puppies all found homes, her owners wanted to euthanize her as they felt nobody in Belize wanted to adopt an adult street dog. But by then Cara had captured the hearts of volunteers who were able to work with Copper’s Dream to begin planning her transport to the US. During her medical exam, she was diagnosed with TVT, a major setback because treatment was costly and would delay her flight by at least a month. Still volunteers were hopeful because the vet assured them the TVT was in its early stages and the prognosis was good. After her treatment began, Cara began to act depressed, losing her appetite and energy. In response, one of her puppy’s adopters decided to foster her.
In her final days, Cara was surrounded by love and housed with two of the puppies she had devoted her life to protecting. On her last day, she laid in the sun, rolled in the grass, and enjoyed a long walk in the countryside. Though she was still underweight, we believed she was on the road to recovery and her death in the middle of the night shocked and saddened everyone. In the aftermath of her passing, it was discovered the local vet had used a very high dose of vincristine and perhaps her tiny body wasn’t able to handle it. The quality of vet care available in Belize continues to be a challenge for rescues who are forced to treat dogs there as dogs cannot fly until they are healthy.
Cara was buried on the property of her foster home. Now she continues to look over her puppies; a shadow in the trees, waiting for the day the rest of her family joins her.