The awakening of consciousness for the protection of all Kingdoms of Nature
Have you ever thought of adopting a dog? Turning stories of pain and abandonment into love stories? The pet industry’s animal trading brings complaints of several cruelties every year, such as female exhaustive breeding and offspring slaughtering for selective breed traits and mistreatment, aiming only at profits through lives. In order to balance these effects, adopting a pet not only enhances the awakening of a loving viewpoint, but also helps reduce the number of new cases of abandonment and crimes.
Elda, adopter of Zé Pequeno (or Cid, for the most intimate)
Having completed, in 2020, 10 years of service in this segment of aid, the Francisco de Assis Park – formerly the Animal Protection Association in Lavras – transformed an old animal slaughterhouse, with a property boundary next to a stream, into a real refuge for the recovering and transition of our four-paws brothers and sisters. In addition to the renovation of the physical structure, it also reforested the Permanent Protection Area, integrating several sustainable fronts into the project. The funding comes from spontaneous donations, an agreement with City Hall, raffles, bazaars, volunteer work, in addition to the sale of the book Viver o Amor aos Cães (Living the Love for Dogs, with free translation), written by Ana Regina Nogueira and inspired by the work done in the Francisco de Assis Park.
Stories of pain and suffering are transformed through love and care
The Project coordinators – Agulucia Amarante, Lenilce Gomide and Patrícia Arriel – share all the related tasks which became even more intense this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are badly in need of donations to keep up with the complex maintenance, and dog adoptions are crucial for the completion of the Park’s existence cycle. We must be a temporary place for recovering dogs, and not their ultimate home,” explains Patrícia.
The weekly adoption fair, which used to be held in the central square, has now become virtual. The volunteer responsible for the adoptions during the last 6 years, Elvira Alves Braz, has now put into practice a previous idea of creating the Adota Parque (Adoption Park) page in the social networks. Using language from the pet universe, all the dogs get affectionate names and become closer to those looking for a friend. Pictures and stories attract people from distant regions, broadening the work range.
The posts at Adota Parque website immediately increased adoptions, mainly from other states, in addition to being an amusing way to reveal the challenges and the day-to-day life of the shelter, it is raising more and more awareness and support for these projects as opposed to buying a pet.
Fun language on social media attracts adopters from all over Brazil
“When I get there in the park, they run away from me (laughs), because they know I’m going to take pictures and mess the whole place up. I take a bag full of costumes to create characters that tell what each one has gone through, always from the bright and funny side,” says Elvira. Every adoption has been inspired through this way since the website went live. “Through the page, an emotional connection is created between the interested parties, the decision to adopt happens more consciously, and not by impulse, as sometimes happened at the fair,” explains the volunteer.
Creiton posing, waiting for his adopter
Three months ago, the adoption of Zé Pequeno, baptized by the new family as Alcides (or Cid, for the most intimate), left everyone in the Park thrilled. While still a puppy, he came to the City Hall castration task team. He was limping, and despite all the treatment, the problem persisted. Then the vets did an x-ray and discovered pellet bullets lodged in the paw; severe injuries resulted in the need for amputation, which generated a special campaign to fund the surgery.
After the surgery Cid found the adopter Elda Bonilha, who immediately offered to keep him for the entire recovery process. Elda had also adopted other dogs with disabilities. “After so much pain, and having suffered the cruelty of human beings, he found a new home, full of friends adopted from the Park and in other shelters, such as Pingo and Lilica, in addition to Kiki who cannot walk. Elda’s house looks like a haven for war veterans,” jokes Elvira.
Cid survived human abuse and is now happy
The harmonious integration between all the Kingdoms of Nature is one of the primary works that the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation (FFHI) – has been supporting for more than 30 years a dedication to the awakening of selfless service and the birth of the New Humanity on Earth. “Transforming areas and situations of conflict into great schools of service and learning” was Trigueirinho’s wish, Patrícia recalls a comment from the dear instructor while visiting the Park, who always spoke to everyone about how important this service is.
