As an initiative of Yara Araujo Silva, one of the 21 members of the Network-of-Light of Salto, a city in the hinterlands of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, abandoned dogs are received in a space adapted in her own home. The work has taken place since 1999, when the adaptations in the yard began, and now has become a definitive home for 15 dogs.

Network-of-Light group

Coordinated by Dirce Junko, the group is formed by 21 people who meet weekly to pray and to follow the work guidelines of the Network-of-Light. Three times a week, the collaborators take turns to support the routine activities of the kennel. Those who can, support in person the daily cleaning activities and the cares with the animals, such as welcoming and hygiene. The rhythm of work is intense and demands discipline and a lot of effort to follow the timetable of feeding, sanitation, and special cares, such as the ministration of substances to eliminate intestinal worms (deworming), of supplements of vitamins and anti-parasitic medicines.  Other collaborators support with financial resources, animal feed and medicines. The team also counts with the help of a volunteer that is animal trainer, who gives advice when it is necessary to introduce new members to both groups of dogs that are formed there.

According to the collaborators of this work, the dogs Interact well with them and are extremely loving and obedient. Some “talk” emitting sound, as if they were communicating.

Yara admits that upon entering her home, the dogs are already considered family members, they receive a name and already begin to receive the necessary cares. “With the cares and love received, they quickly become light, pure light in our environment, contributing with their energy and their joy, and showing how beautiful and smart they are. We love and make friends at the same time and, suddenly, a new flower is born in our garden”.

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A little hotel

The dogs stay in the porch of the house of the tutor, which has been adapted for that. In contrast with the facilities of most kennels, the place that was built reminds a little hotel, with area for sunbathing and leisure. There, they are always invited to accompany the activities that the family does in the vegetable garden and in the worm farm.

Victims of abandonment and hunger, most dogs, when they arrive, what they wish is the presence of a tutor, in spite of the fact that they are receiving cares.
“We are for them what Jesus is for us! They need us very much, this is why we make a point of being always visible to them, if we cannot touch them, call them by their names… Once I picked a little female dog, with both white eyes. I began to take care of it, in that time I had no money, I did my best, and I soon dreamed that someone in white was looking after her eyes, and one morning I perceived that her eyes were not white anymore and she was able to see again”.

Asked about how her heart feels being able to do something for this Kingdom that is so much exploited by humanity, Yara answers: “I feel very, very happy with all of them! But despite my happiness, nearly every day my heart suffers and cries. It is very, very hard to know, see and feel that the whole Kingdom suffers an acute pain caused by human beings. And the worst is that this is far from ending, or perhaps will never end… I will soon be going and I am sure that I will reach God without any shame because I do what I can”.

The greatest challenge in this task is the lack of money to supply all the needs, including the one hundred kilos spent every month of animal feed and the one hundred kilos of home food that is prepared to complement the nutrition.

Rescues

Victims of abandonment and hunger, some of the would-be residents come to them, appear at their door, and others are rescued. One of the happy rescued dogs was a very sick pregnant female dog. She gave birth to five puppies: four males and one female. The female is half blind and has a secure place on the bed of the collaborator.

What motivates the group to continue with this activity is the love they feel for the animals, and the conclusion that it is impossible to be happy without making the animals happy.
“To me, there is no difference between human and animal”, states Yara. “All should be treated in the same way, with respect and dignity. If I could, I would do much more, but at the moment I cannot. But I can do of my life a prayer, my heart vibrates every day for my brothers and sisters of the Animal Kingdom. I am mother of all the animals here of the farm. I think that I came to learn and exercise love between the species”.

“There is a lesson of Saint Francis of Assisi that I admire a lot, she concludes. All lives of Creation are children of the Father and brothers or sisters of humanity… God wants us to help the animals in need. Every creature in disgrace has the same right to be protected”.

Information: 

redeluzsaopaulo@fraterinternacional.org