Shooman Family: November 2007

Sometimes the kids amaze me with the things they do and say.

This week, I was awoken one morning as Sela was singing Happy Birthday to Pop Pop at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, my father's birthday is not until April and he wasn't at the house to hear it.

Nathan told his teacher this week when saying goodbye at the end of the day, "Thank you for coming to school today". How sweet is that???

When asked what her name was today, Sela responded "I pretty". Now I have to teach her that although she is pretty, it is not her name!

Nathan has such a good heart that when he was saying his prayers one night before bed, he even included the hermit crabs at school!

It is such a pleasure and honor to watch these kids grow and develop each day!!

When we first arrived in Panajachel, our first stop was Sharon's house. Sharon is one of the co-founders of Mayan Families and was our very gracious host for our visit. Upon entering her home, we were greeted by one of her dogs. She had 16 in residence there on the day we arrived. I was overwhelmed just walking in the door and my heart filled with love for these beautiful creatures. I was in tears, actually sobbing and we hadn't even entered Sharon's home yet. This beautiful dog was friendly and captivated me from the moment I first laid eyes on her. She was so sweet and gave the most friendly hugs and kisses!

This dog was also in residence at Sharon's house. It was a doxie mix I believe, and recently had surgery to remove an eye. The other dogs did not like this dog and would pick on him, so he was isolated in a separate area of the house. If I could have been assured in some way that this dog could get along with others and not live in fear, I would have defintely brought him home with me.

I saw some of the most beautiful dogs I have ever seen on this trip. I wanted to take them all home, but I could hear my mom's voice telling me that I couldn't save the world, or all the dogs in it. It was so sad and a little piece of my heart broke each time I saw another dog on the streets.

Unfortunately, many of the dogs we saw had mange or some other skin issues. Some had been in fights or abused.

Some were very fearful of people and others approached cautiously looking for a handout.

To look into the eyes of these precious creatures, you could see the sadness in their lives. I wish I could show them all the love they so deserve.

Some dogs did have a home, such as this dog that belonged to the family of one of the children I sponsor. He had a nice bed and was relatively clean and appeared to be healthy.

Some did find shelter from the sun and were able to rest comfortably.

Sometimes I would see a dog and be reminded of one I know. This expression made me think of Onyx. I think I have a picture of her with this same yawn!

This beautiful dog laying by the side of the road reminded me of Mishi because of his coloring.

I saw this dog and immediately thought of Shadow with her white chest and one white paw.

This dog we saw in the market under one of the stalls reminded me also of Onyx, and was such a beautiful girl who, like Onyx was also a mixture of black and brown on her hind side.

I wanted to hug and hold each one of the dogs I saw, and had an opportunity to pet and show some love to many of them.

I regretted not bringing a ton of dog treats to feed them!

Mayan Families now has a HEALTHY PETS program. They work with a local vet who helps MF to spay and neuter dogs and get them caught up on vaccines. There are some very dedicated people working to help these poor animals and I was so excited to learn on my trip that they had raised enough money to purchase a new x-ray machine with the help of a group in the US who agreed to match all the funds that were collected. These wonderful people headed by Selaine work very hard to feed the street animals and get medical attention for those that need it.

The mission statement of the Healthy Pets Program is:

Under the auspices of Mayan Families, Mayan Families Healthy Pets envisions a time when indigenous pet owners can provide suitable nutrition, healthcare and accommodations for their companion animals through access to free and low-cost veterinary clinics and humane education programs. In addition, MF Healthy Pets provides rescue including emergency medical treatment, rehabilitation, adoption services and transportation for the many homeless animals around Lake Atitlan.

When my Mishu came home to me, she had a horrible case of demedex and had almost no hair on her and her skin was scabbed over. It took many months and lots of treatments for her to heal. I hope that the Healthy Pets Program of Mayan Families will be able to help the dogs like this one and eliviate their suffering.