When man’s best friend needs help, a volunteer from Collares Rojos will come to the rescue! Collares Rojos is the only animal shelter based in Bayahibe.
Collares Rojos is an animal shelter that fights against animal cruelty and longs to provide a safe home for stray animals, although mostly cats and dogs. With only 8 volunteers running the shelter, all the little furry fellows need your help; whether it is by volunteering, making a donation or by simply letting them know that there is an animal in danger!
We have interviewed Emily White, a dedicated volunteer at Collares Rojos, so we can get to know Collares Rojos better.
@cdcliving: When and how did Collares Rojos start?
Collares Rojos was founded in September 2009 because of the overpopulation of cats and dogs in the area, and started as a sterilization campaign.
@cdcliving: Who started this movement?
Yanela Hoyo, Alessandra Vavala, and Susana Witting.
@cdcliving: What specifically does Collares Rojos do?
We regulate the overpopulation of dogs and cats in our area through our sterilization campaigns, which helps us to reduce the numbers of poisonings and cases of abuse of these homeless animals.
Collares Rojos receives information about victims of animal cruelty or abandoned animals in disturbing conditions. We then take these animals to our veterinary practice in Bayahibe where they are restored to good health and later put up for adoption. At the present moment we have limited space due to the great number of dogs we have at our shelter, this prevents us from rescuing more injured animals off the streets.
@cdcliving: Why do you think it is important that people are aware of this cause?
When the general public is more familiar with our cause we will be made aware of more cases of animal cruelty and injured street animals, allowing us to save and improve more lives.
We will have the ability to expand our horizons to other areas of the country. With more input of ideas and donations we will be able to finish the construction of our new refuge and provide cleaner and healthier living environment for the animals until we can find them new homes.
@cdcliving: How many animals have you helped since you started?
Collares Rojos has sterilized 4,000 cat and dogs, as well as rescued about 400 victims of abuse and illnesses.
@cdcliving: Do you let other people adopt the animals?
We try to put all the animals up for adoption; however there are some cases where the animal has become too scared of human contact, this makes it a lot harder for people to want to adopt. We try to ensure that those animals are adopted by people with previous experiences and who can dedicate most of their time to special training.
@cdcliving: How many volunteers do you have?
We have 8 volunteers who cover both the veterinary and shelter runs. They are: Yanela Hoyo, Alessandra Vavala, Erika Pabst, Brenda Chevallier, Jose Malaret, Diana Dipris, Lisa White (my mother) and me.
@cdcliving: Tell us a story about an animal you have helped.
Flaqui was rescued in a state of extreme slenderness. After a few blood tests she was diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis, a disease caused by ticks that almost killed her… She has been adopted twice already, but unfortunately she is with us again because of irresponsible owners. She is healthy now, and awaiting for a new home and a new family.
@cdcliving: Do you only help animals from the Bayahibe area?
No. We have rescued multiple animals throughout the country, these areas mostly include: Santo Domingo, Benerito, Punta Cana, Veron and Bavaro.
@cdcliving: How has Collares Rojos impacted the town of Bayahibe?
Collares Rojos has managed to neuter 90% of the dogs and cats of the Bayahibe area, reducing the overpopulation of animals and thus decreasing the levels of poisonings and cases of cruelty. We have also helped to take some of the dogs off the streets by finding them abuse free forever homes.
@cdcliving: How can people help?
Collares Rojos receives its donations mostly from tourists and frequent volunteers who donate through our PayPal or Banco Popular accounts. Everybody is welcome to donate, and there are so many different ways in which to do so. Many donate merchandise such as: food, collars, leads, medical supplies and money. We understand that not everybody can afford to donate, but they can still help by donating their time to helping us to walk the dogs and care for those without a forever home.
People may choose to sponsor an individual or donate to the animals in general, the construction of the new refuge or pet supplies such as food and medical bills. We encourage that the individual specifies how they want their donation to be used.
About Collares Rojos
Collares Rojos is a non-profit organization that aims to help the abused, injured and neglected victims of animal cruelty in the Dominican Republic. It was initially founded by a group of friends which aimed to take the animals off the streets, restore them to proper health and finally find them a caring and loving forever home. We focus mostly on the region of La Altagracia with our shelter and veterinary practice located in Bayahibe. We currently have 11 dogs at our shelter which are fed and walked by our local volunteers who dedicate their lives to loving and caring for them.
Our organization receives its funds through donations from tourists and locals who provide us with money or merchandise such as food, toys and collars.The money we receive is used to buy food, medical supplies and to construct our new shelter.
To learn more about what we do and our future plans to improve the lives of animals of this country, please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages.
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