On my recent visit Costa Rica, I came to discover that there are dogs everywhere! Some of the dogs had homes, some made their own homes on the street or restaurant/hotel patios, and some were working dogs. Surprisingly, nearly all seemed happy and healthy. It got me to thinking there must be a lot of good samaritans out there keeping an eye on these dogs.
While at dinner at the Lava Lounge in La Fortuna, we learned that the restaurant owners take care of a number of dogs in the area and help them find homes. You can even become a fan of their facebok page to see the dogs that are currently available for adoption.
Now, I am sure it is not all fun and games for the dogs of Costa Rica, but there are lots of people there looking out for them. Having the chance to make some new four legged friends and see them having fun made the trip extra special. Let me tell you about a few of them....
In Puerto Viejo, the dogs to ruled the beach, and most seemed to be from happy homes.
In Tortuguero, the resident hotel dog jumped to attention when our tables were cleared, as he knew that was where his dinner came from. The dogs of the town seemed ready to pose for tourist pictures against the colorful backdrop.
On the El Trapiche coffee plantation in Monteverde, this working dog seemed to be on his own program.
The dogs of La Fortuna followed me everywhere, they even waited outside of stores and would trot along with me to the next stop. This playful guy stole my trail map right off my lap while I was waiting outside of the laundromat....
The cattle dogs at Arenal Volcano loved to ham it up for the camera.
In Manuel Antonio, we came across a beautiful big-eared blue-eyed stray that decided to live on the patio of a local bakery, as he was there every morning.
The puppies on the beach in Manuel Antonio made my heart melt.
There were cats too. They were ok.
I was just in Costa Rica and had the same experience! So many dogs, hanging out, sleeping through the heat.
ReplyDeleteI adopted my dog from Taiwan, which has a really similar situation. The dogs don't have it quite as good, but there are a few good samaritans that feed them, but also take them in as fosters and get them adopted. That's how I got Mango, through an organization in San Francisco that partners with these foster parents.
I will definitely check out that group's FB page and like them. What a great thing they are doing for all these great animals.
I live here in La Fortuna and commend Scott at the Lava Lounge for taking such great care of the stray dogs. He spays & neuters them, takes them to the vet when they're sick, it's just fantastic! I live about 15 minutes outside of town (rural area) and we've sponsored several spay/neuter clinics for the dogs in our area. The locals don't think of their dogs as "family members" but with all the gringos that live here (and have moved here over the years) I think more and more do treat them better than before. Pura Vida!
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