Take care of rescued street foster dogs and puppies in Chapala, Mexico

Details

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  Description

  Welcome! Are you looking to be in the beautiful Mexico sunshine and play with dogs? Well then this is the place for you! We are a non-profit organization that operates out of Chapala, Mexico and flies dogs to Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to help the street dogs here with free services (sterilization, food, grooming, medicine), and when necessary we will take in dogs and fly them to Oregon when they have been adopted. We do not have a full physical rescue with kennels, instead our dogs live at our ‘Headquarters’ or with a few fosters in the area. At our 'Headquarters' we have anywhere from 5-15 dogs living there at a time, and oftentimes litters of puppies.
  
  Please read this listing fully before messaging, as we are looking for a specific type of volunteer - thank you! :)
  
  Our owner, Angela, has owned her own small dog rescue for Pit Bulls since 2007, and three years ago opened a new branch in Mexico to help the thousands of street dogs there. She has been working in animal welfare for 15 years and will share all of her knowledge!
  
  There are no paid employees of the rescue, everyone who is a part of it does so on a complete volunteer basis. Angela is the owner of the rescue and she works with two local Spanish-speaking volunteer partners (Rome and Mita) who help with the food delivery, fostering, and the sterilization program. We have one unpaid virtual intern, some fosters in Oregon, and a few long-term volunteers in Portland who help with airport pick-ups and online work.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  This experience is not directed at a cultural or language exchange specifically. The owner, Angela, speaks fluent English and some Spanish. Our fosters/volunteers/veterinarians speak fluent Spanish and a varying amount of English. People in the Chapala area mainly speak Spanish, although some speak little or full English. The towns surrounding Chapala have residents living in extreme poverty and have very limited access to stores and other amenities. This is not a big American tourist location (there is one hotel and 2 inns, no resorts) and you will experience the ‘real’ Mexico here. You will learn about dog care, behavior, communication, personalities, training, diseases, and medical care. Angela is willing to teach you what she has learned while operating small dog rescues both in the US and Mexico.

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  Help

  Important: This experience is perfect for a specific type of person, and since we are a small rescue we can only accommodate this currently and cannot accept guests that do not fit that - although we wish we could take everyone!
  If you are someone who wants to soak up the sun, do hobbies at home (read, meditate, paint, yoga, garden, crochet, work online, etc), and enjoys a less fast-paced life - while taking care of dogs - then this is the spot for you! We are not only looking for young people, and this is an opportunity for those 40 and older too!
  AND if you are someone who really wants to learn about running a small non-profit (International) dog rescue then we can show you all that we know!
  This is not a good fit for someone who wants to sightsee, go out at night/party, practice/learn lots of Spanish, who needs to do activities outside of the home frequently, or needs a lot of guidance/assistance during their free time.
  We understand this is not for everyone, but for those who fit it will be a wonderful experience! Read the review from our recent volunteer to understand day-to-day routines and their experience with us.
  
  *We have a no alcohol and no smoking policy within our home where you will be staying. Smoking outside is permitted. Casual/light alcohol consumption is okay at a restaurant or outside of our home, although coming home drunk or incapacitated will not be tolerated, especially because we have a gated home with free roaming dogs on our property.*
  
  We are looking for a person who absolutely loves dogs and truly wants to help make their lives better. You should be: good at communicating, mature, willing to learn, experienced with dogs, friendly, compassionate, open- minded, self-sufficient, mature, flexible, clean, and respectful. We are requesting for the Workawayer to be able to speak English fluently or be at a high intermediate level to eliminate any chance of difficult or miscommunication about the care of our dogs. Someone who has an allergy or fear of dogs, is squeamish, doesn't want to get dirty, or is annoyed by all the things that come with owning many dogs (and puppies) would not be a good fit. Our owner, Angela, operates everything and the purpose of this volunteer is to take care of the dogs in the home so that Angela has time to do online work and can be gone from the house for longer. You should be in decent physical condition, and are able to bend and get on the ground easily. Be prepared for: dealing with abused/hurt/scared dogs, hot and humid weather, thunder storms, mosquitoes and big bugs, things break/leaking, power going off on occasion, and sometimes slow internet.
  
  Your main job and tasks listed are to care for the foster dogs living at our home, but if we do something that does not interfere with that (or is on your day off) you can join and see what we do for the street dogs. The daily schedule always changes, but typically Angela is gone in the late afternoon/evening. During this time she is picking up or dropping off dogs for sterilization, feeding street dogs, driving dogs to/from vet or groomers, giving dogs medicine, or rescuing a dog to bring into the program. Once or twice a month Angela will fly 5 dogs to Oregon to be adopted, typically she is gone over the weekend (Fri-Sun or Sat-Mon) and has a local vet/friend to stay at the home and take care of the dogs. We are hoping the Workawayer is comfortable staying in the home alone and taking care of the dogs for 2 or 3 days.
  
  The street dogs here are 95% very friendly and love people, the ones who aren't will just stand and bark at you from a distance. The most common issues we see with dogs are: fleas, ticks, mange, distemper, TVT, and injuries from cars. Whenever we handle a street dog we wash our hands, but are typically not worried about contracting anything from them. In cases of distemper, we wear gloves and change clothes when getting home. Be prepared that you may hear stories or see instances of animal neglect, abuse, or death. Although this part may be hard for some, you will be helping to make it a better place for the other animals and help some find new and much better lives.
  
  Below is a description of what it takes to care for the dogs each day. The work is not hard or demanding physical labor (besides bending over or squatting down) and is comparable to taking care of your personal dog - there's just a few more! The Workawayer taking care of the dogs will allow Angela to be gone for longer chunks of time and when home have more time for important online work (and sitting down and eating!). By taking care of the dog tasks, you will be saving her from waking up earlier/going to bed later, rushing home, and having things to do immediately after coming home from a long day of helping the street dogs.
  
  Live-in Home and Dog Caretaker Responsibilities:
  * Spend time with dogs and puppies *
  -Entertain dogs with enrichment games/toys and playtime
  -Take note and get to know individual dogs personalities and differences
  -Help desensitize dogs with novel sounds/music, textures, objects, etc
  -Evaluate and help dogs become comfortable with collars/harnesses, walking on leash, being in crate, riding in car, etc
  -If applicable, alternate which dogs are outside and get dogs inside/crated when needed
  * Adoption assistance *
  -Take photos and videos of dogs to be used in advertising or sent to potential fosters/adopters
  -Send media and information about individual dogs personalities to Angela or remote intern
  * Cleaning *
  -Pick up stool and mop urine puddles quickly so dogs don't step in it
  -3 to 5 times a day fully mop indoor puppy pens and change puppy pads
  -Change blankets or beds when needed
  -Sweep/clean up messes that dogs make with toys, bones, etc
  -Wash dog blankets, beds, and towels in laundry machines
  -Wash dog food and water bowls
  * Dog care *
  -Bathe or brush dogs when needed
  -Monitor for any changes in appetite, stool/urine, demeanor, body
  * Manage feedings with dogs *
  -Prep soaked kibble in morning for day
  -Feed all dogs twice a day (morning and evening)
  -Ensure adult dogs don't steal food from puppies
  -Keep water bowls full at all times
  * Special tasks for individual dogs *
  -Administer any medications and keep track of time
  -Collect samples (stool, saliva, etc)
  -Give medicated baths
  -Keep quarantine dogs separate
  
  We will give $250 pesos a week for groceries. If you love to cook and would be open to making some meals for the both of us I will happily pay for all the groceries! I am so busy that I usually have no time to cook myself a full meal.
  
  Note: We keep our home very clean and organized and you will be responsible for tidying up your items/messes in the shared areas (kitchen, living room).

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  You will live in our home, it is brand new and fully fenced with an electric gate entrance. You will have your own room upstairs with a bed, TV, black-out curtains, closet, large balcony, sink/mirror, toilet, and shower. Our home does not currently have air conditioning, but we have many portable and ceiling fans to use; depending on the time of year it is typically not a big issue or too hot. You will have access to the entire house (minus another bedroom), including the full kitchen and laundry machines. Occasionally there are minor leaks in the hallways during rainstorms. Most nights you can hear dogs barking in the distance, and if our dogs are scared they will wake up and bark too. We are currently only hosting one Work-awayer because the tasks are not enough for two people, and we like to keep very clean!
  
  Our home is located off of a busy street, and we have no neighbors. On the property there is a smaller house, where an expat (and dog lover, occasional volunteer) lives who runs a Facebook group that helps other Americans in the area. Our home and yard are gated in and there is one entrance by car, we have free roaming dogs outside so discussion about when you are coming and going is very important. We are two minutes driving from a large grocery store, 8 minutes from the downtown/tourist area and lake. There are some American tourists here, but more are in Ajijic. The bigger restaurants have English menus and English speaking employees. This area is not a big city and has no nightlife.

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  What else ...

  The Chapala area is home to thousands of Canadian and American Snowbirds escaping the winters in the far north. There are many things to see and many restaurants that serve great food. Crime in the area is low. We have room in our gated yard if you have a car or van, otherwise if you wish to walk or bike there are many things close by. The grocery store is 2 minutes away, across a busy road so walking would be slightly difficult. On evenings the 'downtown' area is a great place to walk, shop, and eat. Communication about when leaving the property is very important.
  This is best for someone who wants to stay on the property and relax: take a nap, meditate sit in the hammock, read, soak up the sun, do some art, tend to some of the garden, watch the hummingbirds and nature, do yoga, work online, or other similar activities.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We have our own wifi connection but it goes in and out with storms and cant always be 100% reliable.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Yes! We have a large yard that is fully gated and private. Our neighbor has a school bus parked inside too that is being fixed for a live in bus.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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