By Enti Bracamonte
Posted: September 17, 2022
My street dogs
All it takes is a little food, a little medicine, and a whole lot of love. They all recover well, if you care for them—even in the streets. You don’t even have to take them home, if you don’t want to, just be kind to as many street dogs as you can, as often as you can.
-Quincho-
Before
After
Quincho took a while to win over.
It was only after I saw him for the third time that I realized it might actually be possible to treat him in the street.
On the advice of my sister—the only veterinarian I know I can blindly trust to be as loving and caring as I am of all living creatures—I estimated his weight and went and bought a dose of Revolution for dogs.
The only problem was that I needed to get close enough to apply the medication directly on his skin, and I did not want to use force; I wanted him to trust me.
Because he did not have a single strand of fur left on him, I would not even have to touch him at that point. All I had to do was to land a few drops of medication on the back of his neck and shoulders where he would not be able to lick himself, but…
Quincho is quite an intimidating pooch. His long, thick fangs command instant respect every time he flashes his angry smile (not necessarily at you), and he is very distrustful. He is not a wild animal, but, then, he is not what you would call a domesticated dog either.
I started slow with him. I would pull over, every time I saw him, and offered something to eat. He never came close to me at first. He would just watch me attentively and would quickly retreat if I stepped towards him. I had to place his food on the ground in a paper bag and then step back. I never did this if other dogs were around, I was always very careful not to cause a fight. I would then collect the empty paper bag, when he was finished, and just sit on the curb as close to him as he would let me. Eventually, he trusted me enough that he would sit right next to me when he was done eating—nothing special, we would just hang out for a bit.
Then I started putting the food on my hand and letting him take it. At some point, I put the bag of food between my shoes and held the tube of Revolution over the back of his neck as he started eating. I then squeezed the tube to let the medication drip onto the back of his neck. He did flinch a little when he felt the liquid touch his skin, the first few times, and he did look up at me a couple of times, but I guess, by then, he figured I wasn’t going to cause him any harm. We repeated the process every month for about six months after that—maybe a little longer. By the time his fur grew back, we were pals already, so he was ok with me parting his fur and applying the medication, life was good.
Then, Quincho disappeared for about two or three months, and when I saw him again, he was back to square one. I talked to my sister again, and she suggested I tried NexGard, so I did.
NexGard is a chewable product that most dogs will eat like its a treat, but my boy, Quincho, is too street-savvy and didn’t like the looks of it, so I cut the tablet in quarters, mixed it with his food, and—voilà—problem solved. I gave him NexGard for three or four months and then Quincho disappeared, again, for like another six months. When I next saw him again, he was magnificent: he was walking proud, like the proper alpha he is, with his tail high up in the air and not between his legs; he looked confident like never before. Then he disappeared again before I moved, but I am sure, his mange was gone for good. I last saw Quincho in late 2021. I took the “before” picture, above, on July 30, 2018.
My wife has always been exceptionally patient and supportive about my love for animals, and she has always been there with me, in every step of the way, so…
A BIG “THANK YOU” TO YOU, MARISÚ!
-Lego-
Before
Before
After
Lego showed up on a late weekend evening, when I was feeding a bunch of strays and trying to spot Quincho, in the lonely streets of San José Villanueva.
Lego was a heartbreaking sight. He wasn’t evidently ill, but he did look terribly starved. He timidly and silently approached me, softly wagging his tail, head down and eyes looking up straight at me. He was in very bad shape. He was clearly in utter defeat. Life had delivered punch after punch, and he had this resigned look like he was just counting down to his end, almost.
I knelt in front of him, took out a paper bag, and served him a scoop of dog food. He waited patiently for his meal. He was just standing there gently wagging his tail and looking at me with his sweet, sad eyes. I was looking out for other dogs while he ate; I did not want anything to disturb this moment of safe, quiet peace he was enjoying, while savoring what was probably the only food he had eaten in days. I felt tempted to give him another serving, when he was done, but I was also afraid a second serving might prove unhealthy or that he might just vomit the whole thing moments later. I resisted the impulse. I thought I’d come back the next evening to try and find him.
Despite my worries, Lego was surprisingly easy to find after that first evening. I fed him almost every day and scheduled alerts, for his tick and flea treatments, on my phone. He also needed eye drops for some time, but he wasn’t a handful about it, he would just let it all happen—as if he knew it was all for his own good.
Like every other dog I have adopted in the streets, he would spot my car from a mile away and would come out and stand where I could see him, always gently swinging his tail with the calm of the wise survivor he has become. He made a full recovery, as you can see in the pictures.
I never go cheap on dog food for strays. I always get the best I can afford because every meal I serve may be the last sound meal in days for the dog in question. Feeding cheap food to strays is pointless. You want to nurture them. You want to make every serving count.
-Casio-
Before
Before
After
I saw Casio almost every day, for about a month, before I finally decided to befriend him. It was always plain to me he needed help, but it also looked to me like he had an owner. He always seemed to be covered in some kind of new remedy, every time I saw him. That made me think he had an owner, so I kept my distance. Fortunately, I never saw Casio covered in motor oil, which some people swear is the cure for the mange (it is also very dangerous for the dog and, needless to say, very uncomfortable).
I asked around town, but no one really knew who the owner was or wether he actually had one. It turned out that different neighbors had been trying different remedies on Casio during that time. Though I was deeply touched by their desire to help my four-legged, soon-to-be friend, it was time for a more effective approach…
————
Some people are very protective of their animals, even if their animals are clearly suffering. I once fed cookies to a dog in the street and his owner quickly came out of nowhere and started asking me questions about what I was doing. He wasn’t angry or aggressive in any way, but that did make me realize I was trespassing—although with every good intention in mind. I became more mindful and cautious after that.
————————
I started treating Casio with NexGard and he grew his lush coat back after little more than a month. I kept giving him NexGard for two or three months and then stopped, but Casio remained healthy after that, even without the medicine.
Please know that these and every other dog I have encountered and helped, so far, have been supervised by my sister who is an authorized veterinarian. Please always consult with a professional.
And this sweet, inquisitive, joyful little fellow is Rocky. There was nothing wrong with Rocky. He was young and healthy. He had everything going for himself, and I loved his company. He was almost too much fun to be around. I always smile when I think of him. I loved this little guy. I think he was actually the best part of the drive home after work. I would have taken him in, in a split second, had he not had an owner.
