Otilia Munizaga, the founder and sole operator of the Ayin Ruka animal shelter, is a brave old lady, but she is in poor health and will not be able to cope with her work with over 70 dogs for much longer. There is clearly danger ahead! FinnDomingo e.V. is therefore now launching a three-stage aid project that will enable Otilia to place some of the animals for adoption and also reduce her active involvement as soon as possible and hand the shelter over to younger hands in the medium term.
Step 1 (“Ayin Ruka 1.0”)
In November/December 2023, a German and a Chilean vet will spend ten days in the small southern Chilean town of Los Álamos examining all four-legged residents of the Ayin Ruka animal shelter and compiling a register.
Since, in addition to assessing the dogs’ health status, a behavioral assessment of the dogs is also essential, videos are made daily and then evaluated via online conference with the help of people who work professionally in dog training and behavioral therapy.
We are still looking for an experienced person to take the photos and videos. Please contact us!
Step 2 (“Ayin Ruka 2.0”)
In March/April 2024, the adoption campaign will start for those dogs for which the investigations from “Ayin Ruka 1.0” indicate that this makes sense. More on this later.
Step 3 (“Ayin Ruka 3.0”)
At the same time, the search for a new animal shelter manager must be intensified, whereby the decisive factor is whether a salary can be paid. In Chile, there is now a state funding program that offers the prospect of funds for such projects. The register from step 1 was mentioned to us by the head of the program as a prerequisite.
The volunteer service from FinnDomingo e.V. can therefore only be considered on a temporary basis, but has already been advertised again to provide Otilia with some relief in the meantime.
Do good and talk about it.
Reports, radio interviews and reports on social media as well as in German and Chilean media are planned. More on this later.
By the way: Ayin Ruka means “house of kindness” in Mapudungun (one of the indigenous languages of Chile). The Ayin Ruka animal shelter is located in the rural area of the small southern Chilean town of Los Álamos in the Bío Bío region and is one of the member organizations of the FinnDomingo network “Chilean Animal Welfare Association”.