The group of volunteers enrolled in the 41st Missionary Practice, which took place between February 9 and 13, visited the Francis of Assisi Park, also known as the Kennel of Lavras. Located in Minas Gerais, Brazil, its mission is the welcoming of dogs in a situation of abandonment, disease, or mistreatment.
The Missionary Practice is a monthly initiative of Fraternidade – International Humanitarian Federation (FIHF), as a field workshop about a missionary experience. The event has been taking place since 2014 for people of any age and from anywhere in Brazil or the world.
There are two fronts of relevance in this visit. One of them is the work conducted by FIHF in the Francis of Assisi Park, a facility that shelters more than 400 dogs, either abandoned or retrieved in inhospitable conditions. In the park, these animals receive veterinarian attendance and adequate food, are kept in safety and have permanent care of the volunteers.
The Missionary Practice is organized every month by FIHF for people who want to do some missionary or voluntary work, but who do not know where to begin, or for those who want a new experience of donation for their fellow beings. So, the visit of these people who were part of the practice for attendance to the welcomed dogs is an example of the value of both initiatives, the maintenance of the park and the participants in the Missionary Practice.
The visit took place during the whole Sunday, February 10. “We receive these volunteers with a lot of gratitude because in our daily routine we have more tasks than arms to attend the demands of the park. When these volunteers join the mission, our gratitude and satisfaction increase considerably, as our purpose here is fulfilled with even greater results”, comments Lenilce Rezende, the coordinator of the park.
The volunteer group service dedicated itself to routine activities, such as feeding the dogs distributed in the stalls, care to the sick dogs, the cleaning of all precincts. “But especially, the interaction with the animals is the most important activity in my opinion, as it is at this moment that we conduct one of our greatest missions: respect and love for the Animal Kingdom”, complements Lenilce.
For additional information, visit
www.parquefranciscodeassis.com.br
