Hope 4 a Street Dog is a non-profit organization that was formed over the years in a collaborative and organic way in the Playa Junquillal area. The mission has always been to help the lives of homeless and neglected street dogs and to educate pet owners, even prior to it being an official statement.
These efforts began long before the name Hope 4 A Street Dog, when it was just a few local animals lovers doing their best to help solve a problem in the community. Berta Reyes Gomez, who was always known as the local animal lover, began organizing spay and neuter campaigns, volunteering her time and care in response to an out of control pack of dogs on the beach. The story goes like this: Erica, an expat from Germany who rode her horses on the beach was beginning to lose her patience with the packs of dogs that chased and barked at her during every ride. Frustrated and at her wit’s end, she said to Berta that those dogs had to go! Berta replied that they could not just make those dogs disappear, but they could start to do something. Berta called ANPA (La Asociación Nacional Protectora de Animales) to see if they could offer any help. They suggested a campaña de castracion, to help control the population, and offered to send a veterinarian, Dr. Francisco Arroyo Murillo. So with the help of Erica, Berta and ANPA, the first spay and neuter campaign was held in 2005.
The spay and neuter campaigns continued, and Berta received help and support from neighbors and friends like Flávia, and other animal rights groups like Diana Holder of SASY! The clinics were hard work and there were many challenges, from getting funding to educating pet owners on the importance of castration.
For years Berta and Flávia continued these campaigns, with more and more animals attending each one. In 2014, a new neighbor in Playa Junquillal joined the efforts and gave the organization its name. Kim Frigault is the co-founder and director of Long Trail Canine Rescue and VT Barks and Recreation in Vermont, and brought years of experience and knowledge to the Hope 4 A Street Dog community. Kim is a certified vet technician and long time volunteer at various shelters and organizations, with experience fundraising, fostering and finding dogs forever homes. Also in 2014, Jessica Mundo began volunteering and taking on many rescue cases, working hard to rehabilitate and find homes for many dogs with heartbreaking cases of neglect and abuse.
Today we have many dedicated volunteers working to organize clinics, raise money, rescue and foster animals, and find them forever homes. Each person brings something different to the organization, but we all share the same passion and love for animals. Berta continues to lead the organization and inspire the community with her compassion, hard work and caring heart.
Read more about Berta, our local dog whisperer, here.
