Junquillal Loves Animals!

Anyone hoping to buy property in Costa Rica should pay special attention to the community surrounding their potential investment. We are proud to be part of the community of Playa Junquillal, where many members dedicate their lives to helping animals.

There are many stray dogs and cats in Costa Rica. It’s a very sad part of reality in this region of the world, which takes a lot of effort and dedication to confront.

Thankfully we live in a community where there are well-organized efforts to rescue, castrate and find loving homes for stray dogs and cats, led by Hope 4 A Street Dog, a local non-profit. The organization was founded by a Tierra Pacifica resident, Kim, with the help of locals and other expats who foster and care for many of the rescues.

Many community members volunteer at castration clinics, which take place every few months. The clinics are essential to keeping the population of dogs and cats under control, and has made a noticeable difference in recent years. Populations can get out of control very quickly, and there are not enough resources or loving homes for the amount of dogs or cats, especially in rural areas. Spaying and neutering prevents animals from suffering, starving and dying.

Hope 4 a Street dog has spayed over 300 local dogs and cats in the last couple years, making a huge difference in the Junquillal area. If all those animals were able to reproduce, there might be thousands more puppies and kittens in need of adequate food, medicine and homes.

Volunteers working at one of the spay and neuter clinics here in Junquillal.

One local Costa Rican woman who works with Hope 4 a Street dog, Berta, has taken this mission to another level with her passion and dedication to rescuing animals. She has personally fostered countless dogs in her home, giving them the love and medical attention they need to recover from the common conditions that street dogs are found with,
from tick fever and bacterial skin infections to malnutrition and abuse. Berta is the local “dog whisperer”, and such an inspiration and amazing role model in the community. Our local yoga instructor Jessica also dedicates so much of her time and energy to helping heal, nurture and find homes for dogs and cats, even flying with them to the United States when they have found forever homes there!

Berta and Jessica with some of the rescue dogs and cats.

The Tierra Pacifica community thanks you Kim, Berta, Jessica and all the other local volunteers who have made such a difference for our local dogs and cats. If you would like to support these efforts and find more information on how to volunteer, donate or adopt, please follow Hope 4 a Street Dog’s Facebook page, here!

Just a few of the many local dogs that Hope 4 a Street Dog has rescued.

As if rescuing dogs wasn’t enough of a mission, Berta also works for the local turtle rescue organization, Asociación Vida Verdiazul. The Junquillal turtle conservation project strives to promote conservation and repopulation of turtle species native to the Pacific coastline. The conservation project began with a focus on the Leatherback species
(Baula) but now encompasses all local species including the Olive Riddley (Lora) and Black turtles (Negra).

The organization hosts volunteers from around the world who come to spend time learning about the turtles and helping to protect, hatch and release babies. These efforts are essential to preserving the population of these sea turtle species, since in Costa Rican culture, it was once common to take eggs from sea turtle nests to sell or eat them.

Sea turtle hatchlings face the dangers of predation from stray dogs, fly larvae, sea birds, among other threats.

Climate change is also affecting the sea turtle population by influencing the percentage of males and females that hatch every season. When sand temperatures rise above 29 degrees Celsius, a greater percentage of females will hatch. (Source: Asociación Vida Verdiazul Facebook Page) This distorts the reproductive balance of all sea turtle species. Vida Verdiazul helps to combat all these destructive forces and release as many sea turtles as they can, while
reforesting along critical beach nesting grounds to provide shade and regulate sand temperature.

If you are interested in volunteering or donating to their organization, check out their Facebook page, here.

Volunteers at Vida Verdiazul helping to hatch and release local sea turtles at Playa Junquillal.