volunteering at Animal aware
December 2022 is a month that Walter will never forget - ever. He and his wife spent one month volunteering at Animal AWARE's shelter in rural Guatemala. The shelter houses around 400 homeless animals with very limited resources (see video).
It was tough. Some of the tasks involved taking care of the injured animals at the clinic or walking the dogs at different times. And of course, we did a lot of "poop patrol". But the wholeness Walter felt every day was something new to him that sparked a desire to dedicate part of his life to helping animals in need.
Rescuing Chepito
While volunteering at the shelter in rural Guatemala, Walter and his wife saw this skinny dog at the side of a busy highway. The dog was so weak that he didn't resist rescue. He had magical eyes - thankful eyes.
They named him Chepito and they hid him in the hotel where they were staying until they took him to the vet the day after. Chepito healed and was adopted by a loving family in Alaska where he spent most of his life. As Walter likes to say, "Chepito went from the cold streets of Guatemala to a warm home in Alaska”.
Adopting Sancho
Walter also had experienced how his life was better with animals at his side. Especially when he adopted Sancho – a cute young troublemaker who barely beat death row. Sancho was abandoned twice. First, because he was biting and then because he was too "needy".
This little one was a handful. A bit of discipline and lots of love turned Sancho into the most loving and loyal pup. Sancho is a miracle dog who has enriched Walter's life for over a decade.