07/08/2026
To all my dog-loving friends, here in Ecuador and abroad — I’m asking for a little help for the dogs of Barrio Las Palmeras. ❤️🐾
Here in Barrio Las Palmeras, Olón, on the coast of Ecuador, August through October can be difficult months for many local families. Tourism slows dramatically, fishing income can be uncertain, the children are back in school with all the expenses that brings, and household budgets get stretched very thin.
And when there is less food for the family, there is also less left over for the dogs.
Many of the dogs in my neighborhood are family dogs who are loved, but who traditionally eat a combination of household food and table scraps. During the lean months, even leftover rice gets stretched further. So each year I try to help bridge the gap by supplementing their food and making sure the neighborhood dogs stay as healthy as possible until the tourism season begins picking up again in November.
This year my goal is $380.
That will provide:
• Two 25-kilo bags of Procan dog food — $100 total
That is 50 kilos, or about 110 pounds, of supplemental food to share among neighborhood families.
• Five Bravecto flea-and-tick tablets — $280 total
I can buy them locally for $56 each. Divided appropriately according to each dog’s weight, they will provide approximately 15 neighborhood dogs — around 500 pounds of dog altogether! — with flea-and-tick protection for the next three months.
So the entire project is very concrete:
$380 = 110 pounds of supplemental dog food + three months of flea-and-tick protection for about 15 dogs.
Every contribution helps. Ten dollars helps buy food. Twenty dollars helps buy more. Fifty-six dollars covers an entire Bravecto tablet. A number of small donations can take care of this whole neighborhood project.
These dogs are part of my everyday life. I see them in the streets and at their homes. I help make sure there is food when a family is struggling, that water is available, and that someone can step in when an animal needs additional care.
This is very much helping Barrio Las Palmeras take care of its own animals during a difficult season, rather than running a traditional shelter. The goal is to help families keep the dogs they love fed, healthy, and protected until household income improves again.
If you would like to help, please message me privately.
The easiest method is usually a direct transfer to my Bank of America account in the United States, and I can provide that information privately. I can also accept PayPal. Funds can also be sent to Ecuador through Remitly for bank deposit or cash transfer.
Services such as Venmo and Zelle are not practical for me here in Ecuador, so just let me know what method works best for you and we can arrange it privately.
I don’t post banking information publicly or even in semi-public Facebook groups, but I am always happy to send it directly.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me care for these animals over the years — and thank you from a whole lot of wagging tails here in Barrio Las Palmeras. ❤️🐕🐾🇪🇨
