(Courtesy Good Deeds Day)
Animals whether they are wild or domesticated, are part of our ecosystem and, as such, perform vital functions to maintain its balance. Currently, many animal species are in danger of extinction and different NGOs and government institutions carry out projects to increase the populations of species at risk of disappearing.
In the case of domestic animals, the lack of care and the high reproduction rate means that thousands of them are found abandoned and wandering the streets. These strays suffer from a lack of food and care and they create unsanitary conditions. But kindhearted people worldwide volunteered to take care of these abandoned animals and made a positive impact on their lives and their communities on Good Deeds Day 2022.
What is Good Deeds Day and why does it make a difference? Good Deeds Day, a peak event of year-round doing good activities, was initiated by businesswoman and philanthropist Shari Arison in 2007. On this special day, millions of people take part in 109 countries across the globe.
Here we six Good Deeds Day projects in Latin America that focused on the protection and caring of animals.
Caring for Animals in Argentina
The Salta organization Sumando Voluntades and the Fundación Pacha Uywa decided to help animals that had suffered from the heavy rains and floods that hit Salta a few weeks before the celebration of Good Deeds Day.
The volunteers collected and distributed donations of dog food, leashes, and diapers. In addition, they organized a group of volunteers to walk the dogs and clean up and rebuild an animal shelter. The volunteers also promoted responsible adoption through a campaign on social networks and in person at a public square. The Municipalidad de Salta joined the volunteers and collaborated with the initiative by providing vaccines for rabies and fleas.
Caring for Animals in Mexico
International Baccalaureate students from Colegio La Paz de Chiapas, AC have been coordinating Good Deeds Day in their state for more than five years. For the 2022 event, they planned and carried out activities over three weeks. Among them were activities focused on caring for animals including a family canine parade and a food donation campaign for dogs and cats. All proceeds were given to different animal shelters in the state.
Caring for Animals in Nicaragua
High school students from the Valle Bilingüe College belonging to the Universidad del Valle joined the Good Deeds Day celebration. Each group of volunteers chose which cause to contribute to and planned their activity, and four different projects focused on protecting and caring for animals.
The projects included a dog and cat food donation drive and delivered the donations to the Casa Hogar Scott animal shelter, and donating their time to clean up a shelter that cares for seventeen abandoned and mistreated equines. Other students helped clean the Nicaraguan National Zoo and donated utensils, cleaning and hygiene products, and fruits and vegetables to care for the zoo animals. The last group of volunteers organized an awareness workshop on the protection and caring of animals with the idea of ​​promoting and supporting foundations that work in this field.
Caring for Animals in Panama
Since 2014, Fundación JUPA has been the national coordinator of Good Deeds Day in Panama. For 2022, in addition to mobilizing individuals, groups, schools, and businesses around Panama to join the movement, they held a Good Deeds Fair in the Panama Pacific area. Several NGOs set up stands presenting their work which focused on ecology, caring for animals (pets), health and education. The stand also promoted animal adoption and collected pet food donations.
Caring for Animals in Paraguay
On Good Deeds Day, the Asunción San Alfonso Lions Club held a day of veterinary care in vulnerable neighborhoods of the city where it operates. Many animals received vaccinations and deworming, which contributes to improving the quality of life for pets and their owners.
Caring for Animals in Peru
In Peru, the Misicha Peru organization’s main objective is to promote respect for animals in general, and in particular abandoned pets. Misicha carried out the Adopt an Adult Michi Friend project for Good Deeds Day. The activity consisted of a campaign on social networks where they uploaded videos of their volunteers presenting adult cats, telling their rescue stories, and describing their personalities with the aim of promoting their responsible adoption.
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Good Deeds Day, an annual global day of doing good, is the pinnacle of doing good year-round. Initiated in 2007 by business woman and philanthropist Shari Arison, Good Deeds Day has grown to 110 countries with millions of participants. Good Deeds Day 2023 is on April 16.
