Aunt Helene sent us this story last night. It's a sad story with a happy ending. Aunt Helene does wonderful things for the animals. Please vote for her in this challenge!!

Early this year a lady from Canada called me and asked me to pick up a dog she has seen on her vacation. She told me, "We made a boat trip in Los Chiles and as we started up the river, a dog started to run along the path at a tremendous rate. The person driving the boat said the dog's owner abandoned him in the town and took a boat to Nicaragua and the dog has raced up and down the waterway every day for three months - sometimes four times a day - looking in every boat that went by, every single one looking for the horrible human being that abandoned him -  running twenty miles a day. He jumped over creeks, swam over canals (and there are crocodiles) and kept looking at us  "Are you there?"  "Where are you?" ... a couple of us started to cry. When we got back I bought food and fed him. He is a sweetheart! Then he disappeared to the river to find the person that broke his little heart."

I wrote her back that I am willing to help and two days later I traveled to Los Chiles and picked the dog up. Los Chiles is on the border to Nicaragua – from where I live a 4 ½ hour trip (one way). I found the dog exactly where she told me he always is before the boat starts, brought him home, named him Amor and here he is waiting for a wonderful home he deserves. He is very attached to humans, is beautiful and loves attention. You can see photos of him in my website http://meetyourdog.com/DOGS_THEY_FOUND_US_2012.html

I was very happy that I found him and the lady from Canada is happy to know him safe.

All my dogs are sending greetings and are very grateful. Please keep voting for us. Many hugs Helene

PLEASE help us to help Aunt Helene win this challenge.

When we found out we weren't allowed to win the challenge this time me and Mom spent hours researching all the international shelters to see which one to help. If you remember, in a previous post, we mentioned that every shelter we researched has outside funding and that some are sending plane loads of dogs to the US shelters. Here's a recent news story about one. http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/iteam/I-Team-Atlanta-Humane-Society-Animal-Origins

Aunt Helene is like us. She works out of her own pocket and on what few donations she can get. And she doesn't send plane loads of dogs to the US where they ALREADY have way too many street dogs.

We REALLY REALLY want to help her since we aren't allowed to win two in a row.

We're attaching a pic of Amor. Maybe one of you will decide he's make a wonderful new family member!! How can a human just abandon a cute furkid like this? Don't they even CARE????
I'm sure glad there are people like Mom, Aunt Helene and YOU FOLKS who DO care and are willing to help us.

All of us furkids and featherkids say THANK YOU!!!!!

Tailwags!!!

BudBud

A visit to Aunt Helenes Shelter 4/28/12

Hola Y'all!! Below is another letter from Aunt Helene. Mom and Aunt Shirley had a GOOD time visiting with all the dogs on Sunday and all the dogs seemed to enjoy the attention!! Mom took treats of course and every dog got one.

Aunt Helenes letter says they start giving baths this week. Can you imagine bathing 180 dogs!!??!! 

You can see Aunt Helenes dogs at her web site http://meetyourdog.com/Costa_Rica_Dog_Adoption.html

Or at 

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CR01.html

Here's some pics of that visit!! 

Dear friends of Frances!

Thank you for voting for us. Please we need every day your vote. All my dogs are sending greetings.

My dogs and I had a wonderful weekend with the visit of our big friend Frances. She is such a loving person and all my dogs got very excited being touched from her and getting some cookies. You saw the photos!!!!

I hope so much Frances will visit soon again. I think she likes Dogland!!!!

On Sunday my dogs Violetta and Alfonso had a great day. Their sponsor Gabriella and husband Jorge were visiting us. It was so touching to see my two dogs so happy about all the attention they got.

Today we have two surgeries and we will start this week to give all the dogs a bath again. This will need many, many days.

Please keep voting for us. I thank you from all my heart.

Many hugs Helene

Today at Lighthouse

Hola Y'all!!!

Aunt Helene is helping with a book sale!! It's hard to get books in English here so y'all come see what they've got!! Sometimes when they have these sales the proceeds go to help Aunt Helenes shelter. This time it's going to help the nursing home and the museum!! 

OH!!! One of our friends saw a special furkid on Aunt Helenes Petfinder site and GUESS WHAT!!! The fuzzbutt got adopted!! 

WHOOOO HOOOO!!!!!!!

A home of her very own!!!

Here's Aunt Helenes letter for today.

 

Dear friends of Frances!

Thank you for voting for us. Please we need every day your vote. All my dogs are sending greetings:

Please go to the page “Our beloved dogs” in www.meetyourdog.com and you see the photos to each name (only some photos of the last dogs they found us are missing). I will update the website this weekend.

On Saturday there will be in San Ramón the big Book Sale (around 4.000 (!) used books). Gran Venta de Libros UsaDOS - Come one…come all!                                    

After months of soliciting, collecting, sorting and organizing we are pleased to announce the opening of the doors for our Gran Venta de Libros taking place on Saturday, April 28 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Regional Museum in central San Ramón.  This edition of our book sale will feature a collection of over 6,000 used books, CDs, DVDs, and other educational materials.  We are expecting literally thousands of people to attend the book sale to take advantage of one of the best selections of used books in Costa Rica at great prices: most books will be priced between €1,000 to €2,000 (admission is free).  This will be a true community event and will also include various activities and food and beverage from the Museum’s 1930 Café.  One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale will be distributed to two beneficiaries: El Museo Regional and the Hogar para Ancianos.  We have the books…now all we need is YOU!

What:                                    Used books, CDs, DVDs, Magazines and Jewelry/Crafts

English AND Spanish!!!

Day/Date:                           Saturday, April 28

Time:                                    9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location:                             Museo Regional de San Ramón

Prices:                                  Used Books:       €1,000 (paperbacks); €2,000 (hardbound)

Discounts for ALL students

Beneficiaries:                    100% of the proceeds will benefit:

El Museo Regional de San Ramón

                                                Hogar para Ancianos de San Ramón (Senior Center)

Refreshments:                  Coffee and pastries will be sold at the Museo’s Café 1930 (all proceeds will benefit the Museo)

Information:                      Website:             www.actionalliancecr.com

                                                English:                Louisa Wittman: 8.997.9903; reesemickie@gmail.com

                                                Spanish:               José Esquivel: 8.702.8479; jesquivelg@hp.com

Frances and I will be there around 11 a.m. Please come and visit this wonderful event and when you want you can meet Frances and me.

Thank you again for voting. Please vote every day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs and love. Helene

Aunt Helenes Letter 4-26-12

Dear friends of Frances!

Thank you so much for all your support. I really need your vote – every day until 17^th of June.

Our two new dogs – Kevin and Johana – are doing well. Please pray for us that we will have tomorrow another wonderful adoption. 

We built two new yards and have nearly always dogs with us while their owners are on vacations. We are offering boarding your dog.

My workers and I are dog lovers and we take really good care of the dog during his stay with us. We have many dog owners they bring us their dog and are very content how we treat the dogs and they love the environment for the dogs.

You can see pictures of our Dogland at www.meetyourdog.com -  page “Photos Dogland”. If your dog needs some medicine we are giving him the medicine exactly how he needs it. First of all we give him his own house with bed inside, attention and love and we provide vet service if he would need some.

We are looking for somebody who makes a trip with Condor to Frankfurt/Germany. Our beloved Roy is adopted and his family in Germany is waiting for him but the airline don´t allow that he makes the trip alone. There would be a trip over Atlanta with Delta and Roy could fly alone but the costs for the flight are $ 2.240 (!!!!). I couldn´t believe it. So forget is. Hopefully soon somebody will fly to Germany and takes Roy with him.

We have very windy weather and I am always worried about all the dogs on the street or with bad owners.

We are still leading the challenge but the second shelter is coming closer. Please vote every day for us and help us to win.

All the 180 dogs are sending greetings. Love and hugs Helene

4-25-12 From the Lighthouse

Aunt Helene's shelter is still in 1st place thanks to you folks!!
The others are gaining on her though so we gotta VOTE VOTE VOTE to keep her in the lead!!
We REALLY want to help her win this one. Her dogs deserve our best try!! Ask your friends to help too please!!

Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
and click on the vertical tab "shelter challenge." Then click on Costa Rica for the country and click search and l ook for "Asociacion Elena - Perros que ME encontraron" 
Click on that and click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote!!!! The next time you go to the vote site there should be a little thing at the bottom of the vote thing that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." All ya gotta do is click VOTE!! Ya don't even have to do a search!
GUESS WHAT!! Jaime got released yesterday!! Mom video'd it and you can see it here!!
http://youtu.be/iRfGXhyyVKEHe sure looked like he was having a good time exploring that tree!! We'll feed him for about two weeks. By then he should be able to fend for himself!! You GO Jaime!!

Aunt Helene has been REALLY busy at her shelter so we don't have a letter from her today. Mom and Aunt Shirley are going to visit her on Saturday and Mom promises to take LOTS of pics to show you!!

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR AUNT HELENE!!!
Tailwags!!!
BudBud

Aunt Helenes story Tuesday 4-24-12

Hola Y'all!! 

It feels really good to be back to blogging on a regular basis. Mom says I talk too much but I can't help it. I've just got a lot to say!!

Delilah is back on a diet!! In my opinion Lluvia needs to go on a diet too. She's sorta...ummmmm...pudgy.

 WHOOOO HOOOO!!!! You folks are FANTASTIC!!!! You're still keeping Aunt Helene in the lead!! She's AMAZED!!! Mom explained to her that it's REAL important to get as many good friends voting as possible so she's working really hard to get all her friends to vote!!

Here's her letter for Tuesday.

 

Dear friends of Frances!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am aunt Helene but I think you already know this. :-) 

I am the lucky one Frances is supporting. She knows that I have many dogs – in the moment 181 – and I am very delicate with adoptions. I love every single dog and I cannot let him go if I am not sure the new home offers him a better life than I can give him. We have large doggie yards of 3-6 dogs and they sleep in small houses. In each yard with concrete on where they can run around and play there is a big table with benches and above the table there is a metal umbrella. They love to be on the table above this umbrella when there is a lot of sun or when it is lightly raining. It looks so relaxing.

I have to buy their food, to pay the Vet bill, medicine, to pay people that are helping me and much more. Not much left for me but when  they are happy I am happy too. But there is for sure a limit I cannot go over – space and money are not endless.

We had this year – for us – many adoptions:

Esmeralda (Belén – her name now is Esme), Josue (San Juan de San Ramón – his name is now Cukie), Daniel (Tres Rios – his name now is Rem), Maricella and Tatjana (together in San Ramón), Anabella (Alajuela), Cindarella and Ronny (sister and brother, together adopted in Playa Tamarindo) and Lina (Vancouver,Canada) – 10 until now and we have not even 4 months into the year.

I wish I could find many good places for my dogs – one is more beautiful than the other. What is the reason to buy a dog when you have the possibility to get one of these amazing and unique dogs?

You can see the photos of nearly all the dogs in www.meetyourdog.com – on the page “Our beloved dogs”. Please take  a look and I hope you like the photos.

I am telling this all to you to let you know about the place you are supporting with your votes. Frances explains, we have to be careful not to lose ground and we should get as many votes we can.

Thank you for voting for me and my beloved dogs. I send you my best wishes and all my love. Helene

Aunt Helenes Monday Story

Hola Y'all!! 

It's starting to be rainy season here in Costa Rica and SOME of us enjoy it more than others!! Delilah thinks it's GREAT!!!

Here's Aunt Helenes' Monday letter!! 

Dear Frances!
I worked today in facebook to get as many votes as I can. Also we got two new dogs and so please my letter is short today. Also on Sunday I am nearly alone and this is not funny. Monday will be better.
Thank you for all what you do for me. Love Helene

My dear friends!

Please keep voting for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have two new dogs. A baby dog which arrived on Saturday – 2 months old and on Sunday they brought me a female dog after an accident. She is recovering. For luck there is nothing broken. I suppose she is two years old. We named him Kevin and her Johana. My friend Coco says it is a very typical Austrian name. I think she is right. I already love them both but my time is even more limited. For luck today it was not raining so much and so all is a lot easier to handle. Sergio is out of danger. Jayro needs a leg surgery, Dragi has cancer, Sara has arthritis, Benji has big skin problems, Louise has Sarna etc. etc. But with so many dogs there are still more than 170 dogs really fine!! Good looking and healthy!

 I cannot believe that the new week already starts. Time is running so fast.

I want to thank you all for voting for us. It is really exciting and to see how many good friends my dogs and I have this makes me very happy. Thank you for liking my try to help.

Send you all my best wishes. 

Love Helene

  Be sure to vote for her shelter in the shelter challenge!! Us Lighthouse kids want to help her win this one!!!!!!
Just go to www.theanimalrescuesite.com
and click on the vertical tab "shelter challenge." Then click on Costa Rica for the country and click search and look for "Asociacion Elena - Perros que ME encontraron" 
Click on that and click VOTE and then type in the letters/numbers that appear to confirm your vote!!!! The next time you go to the vote site there should be a little thing at the bottom of the vote thing that says, "This is the shelter you voted for during your last visit." All ya gotta do is click VOTE!! Ya don't even have to do a search anymore.

Let's help her win this challenge!!!

Tailwags!!!

BudBud