In Memory of Kitty "Jaguar"

Written by Lisa W.

I would like to honor the life of a little kitten, who did not make it and will stay forever in my heart.

I met this kitten while I was in Iquitos in the Amazon CARES clinic. Someone rescued a whole litter of kittens.  One of them was a deformed, funny looking little one who I immediately named ''Jaguar''.

This special kitten and I had an instant connection.  My compassion for Jaguar reached a very high level due to my awareness that the adoption of a health-challenged kitten was unlikely, especially in the Peruvian community.

Why Amazon CARES Must Survive

I am overwhelmed at the response I received after pouring my heart out in my last blog.  I have tried to thank each and every donor personally for contributing to our #FloodFund.  We have raised funds that will get us through July.  

Obviously, there is still much need, as we continue to repair the damage from the worst flooding since the 1970's.  

We are proud of our new shelter (above), but it houses less than half the animals we usually shelter.

Today I want to remind people of why Amazon CARES exists, and why we must continue....

Amazon Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety is the ONLY domestic animal welfare charity in the Loreto region.

The Saddest Blog I've Ever Written

Our animal shelter where we cared for 50+ dogs has been completely destroyed. See video:

We relocated all animals into a treatment building that is built on stilts.   It was a very trying 2 months as the dogs were forced to live in a very crowded space.  Healthy, sick, small, large, puppies...all were forced to live together.  We always have promoted adoption, but it is not ingrained in the culture of Iquitos.  However, the flooding provided an added impetus to get the word out.  

We had a record number of adoptions in April and May, and now we are caring for just over 20 dogs.  Incidentally, we shelter cats as well, but at another facility, in-town at our Vet Clinic.  Our dog shelter is 30 minutes away by boat or land (currently only by boat, of course) from our in-town clinic.  We got an emergency grant of $4000  from the Fundación 30 Millions d'amis (30 Million Friends) of France , and our supporters stepped up also, helping us raise an additional $1200.

Fighting Myths about Motherhood & Cats

Happy Mother's Day!  Whether you have children or are a pet-parent, today is a day to celebrate your hard work!


Today I am sharing some humane educational materials (translated from Spanish) that we use in Peru regarding myths surrounding cat ownership and pregnancy.

Many members of all the medical community, including gynecologists continue to spread false information about cats and pregnancy.  Having a healthy cat should not present a risk to your health and/or your baby. On the contrary, their presence prevents the proliferation of rodents, which are highly dangerous and carry contagious infections.   Continue reading below....

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Abandoned to Adopted!

I am thrilled to share some happy news!  On February 23, 2012 we arrived at the Amazon CARES Veterinary Clinic in Iquitos, Peru and encountered three dogs abandoned at our door.  The two black dogs were both missing an eye.  Two dogs were secured, and their former owner left a sheet behind for them to rest on.  The dog at the forefront of the picture was not tied to anything.  He remained with his friends on his own.  This dog was later named "Pilato."

June Vet Trip to the Amazon includes Visits to Canada and Ireland?

Despite recent setbacks due to flooding, we are thrilled to announce that our June Veterinary Volunteer trip is on!  We pushed the dates back a bit.  The cost of the trip is a very reasonable $650.  For more information, see our Trips page at amazoncares.org.


See this video to get an idea of A Day at a Mobile Veterinary Clinic!





This trip features a week working in Iquitos and surrounding areas, and a week staying in a jungle lodge, working in small villages, including the villages of Canadá y Irlanda, which are too small to find on a map (we tried)!  People have shown much interest in this trip, so if you are interested you should apply soon!


See Itinerary Below(Subject to Change)

Post-Flood, New Kennels Take Shape

Many thanks to the generous donors that are supporting Amazon CARES recovery efforts following heavy rains and flooding that destroyed our animal shelter.  Read more about this...


As one can see in the photographs, we have built a new shelter on higher ground.  Kennels are on the left.  There is only enough room to house 10 dogs properly.  The most expensive component of the kennels are the iron doors.  We do not have a front entry gate, nor have we been able to complete 10 more kennels on the right side of the shelter.