Volunteering At A Peru Dog Rescue: My Time With Casa Viva Shelter
Casa Viva is a local Peru dog rescue shelter located in the Áncash region of the Peruvian Andes. Although it doesn’t see the same crowds as Machu Picchu or Cusco, the area appeals to travelers seeking trekking, nature, and a more authentic Andean experience. It’s a stunning area, rolling valley hills turn into snow capped mountains and glaciers in the distance. I was excited to do some trekking and honestly wasn’t thinking about the fact that we would also be helping take care of almost 100 dogs.
It didn’t take long for the narrative to switch. Even while surrounded by incredible natural beauty on a trek, I still found myself thinking about the dogs and wondering how they were doing that day. It wasn’t glamorous work. The long days were filled with nonstop barking and more dog waste than I’d ever seen in my life. However I would do it all again and probably will eventually, it’s hard to beat receiving the love of 92 dogs daily and I left the shelter feeling like I really made a difference in their lives. Outside of the dogs, I met some wonderful people, all of them animal lovers of course. It turns out the people willing to spend their vacation picking up dog waste are usually the very best kind.
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Welcome to Casa Viva, a Peru dog rescue
Casa Viva is a leading Peru dog rescue shelter, caring for dogs in the Ancash region of Peru. The shelter was established in 2021 and is one of the biggest in the country. There are plenty of stray dogs all across Peru and they’re honestly a part of everyday life. Seeing this reality and realizing that something needed to change, the founders Jessica and Kishor decided to act. They believe that every animal deserves a chance and are doing incredible things at Casa Viva. The shelter sits in the town of Acopampa, a beautiful town nestled in the mountains. Space to run and play, fenced enclosures, and fresh mountain air, a dogs dream.
Dogs would come from the nearby town of Carhuaz and the city Huaraz through cooperation with the municipality and community. A few dogs quickly turned into many, and after a few years the shelter was looking after dozens of dogs at a time. One dog can be a lot of work, let alone dozens. Eventually the shelter welcomed volunteers to help with the workload. Today the shelter actively takes care of almost 100 dogs and receives 300-400 volunteers yearly. It’s a lot of work with a lot of moving parts but all worth it when you see a dog get it’s second chance at life.
Arriving in Ancash
After a grueling 12 hour night bus from Lima, we arrived in Carhuaz. A bigger town just down the road from Acopampa. The sun was starting to clear the distant mountains and we could make out the landscape around us for the first time. They call this region the “Peruvian Switzerland,” and it’s easy to see why. Glaciers and mountains towered around the valley, the crisp air felt thinner to breathe in. I’ll take a mountain town where life slows down over a big, crowded city any day. After taking it all in we walked to the shelter in Acopampa. We didn’t actually start until the next day so I was eager to drop our bags and explore. Although we didn’t have an address we knew what road the shelter was on and from there we just followed the barking.
The big metal gate swung open, and Pia, the head volunteer, greeted us. Kishor and Jessica were both out of town so she was running the show. She gave us a tour of the shelter and it was apparent that a lot of thought went into the design. Although there were nearly 100 dogs it never felt crowded, the dogs had plenty of space to move. Pia also sent us a PDF with a picture of every dog and their names. She legitimately knew every dog by name at that shelter. Wildly impressive, I think I memorized 8. We spent the rest of the day wandering around Acopampa and Carhuaz. It was an early night, we had the morning shift the next day and 92 dogs get pretty eager for breakfast.
A Day in the Life at a Peru Dog Rescue
Days helping out at a Peru dog rescue are busy and start early. The dogs are eager to stretch their legs and have convinced themselves they’re minutes away from starving. They definitely aren’t afraid to let you know it’s time to eat. For breakfast the dogs eat a soup made up of rice, sweet potato and chicken feet, they honestly eat very well. The day consists of two shifts, with the morning shift starting at 8am and going to 1:15pm. All of the dogs are fed and then let out to run around. While they run you clean the kennels, some aren’t so bad and some are an absolute warzone, just the luck of the draw. Once the dogs are fed and kennels are clean you get to the fun part of the day and the dogs favorite, going for walks.
Now it’s time to start walking as many of the 92 dogs as possible. The property includes some nice trails that wind through the trees. The dogs love it and want to stop to smell everything in sight. They also have a fenced off leash dog park in the forest as well with lots of opportunities for the dogs to enjoy the outdoors. Walking every dog is possible, it just takes coordination and enough volunteers. You’ll spend the remainder of the morning shift walking dogs up until lunch.
Afternoon shift
The afternoon shift starts at 11:30 and works alongside the morning team to walk all the dogs. Sometimes a fantastic lunch is supplied to the volunteers, going from 1:15pm to 1:45pm everyone eats together. After this the morning shift is finished and the afternoon shift volunteers continue on until 5pm. There are pros and cons to both shifts, however the afternoon shift has drastically less dog waste to deal with. After the volunteer lunch the afternoon shift begins feeding lunch to all the dogs, this time bowls of nutrient filled kibble instead of soup. Once the dogs are all fed its all about personal time with the dogs. Your job is to try to socialize with every dog you can so they can all have human quality time.
Playing fetch with groups of dogs in their enclosures, letting them try to be lap dogs no matter their size, taking some special dogs out to the dog park, essentially we did everything we could to make their days better. It’s an incredible feeling knowing that you made so many days brighter, and they honestly reciprocate the love you give them. At 4:30 after a fun day of hanging out with dogs it’s time to put them all into their kennels for bed. The sun sets early in the Ancash region, by 5pm the dogs are all in bed and the sun starts to set below the mountains.
That’s the day, rinse and repeat everyday. The rest of the evening is free time, eating and hanging out with other volunteers or visiting Carhuaz for some shopping. Repetitive but simple and small acts of care for the dogs daily. You’ll be dirty, tired, and possibly sunburnt. Yet strangely enough you’ll genuinely wake up wanting to do it all over again.
My First Day Volunteering at the Shelter
My first shift at the Casa Visa Peru dog rescue was a morning shift, we woke up early and enjoyed a breakfast of fresh mango and eggs while breathing in the morning mountain air. Francis, another volunteer and really cool guy from Ireland was going to show me the ropes on my first day. We started with the dog soup breakfast, buckets and buckets of soup to feed all the dogs. The dogs absolutely loved the chicken feet in the soup, however were a lot less keen on eating sweet potato. If you don’t grab and squeeze the sweet potato and just leave them whole, the dogs will ignore them. First job of the day is getting elbow deep in dog soup and breaking down potatoes. Dogs getting there choice of baked or mashed potato, not too shabby.
With the soup ready to go we were off to the enclosures, and after the dogs all ate in their kennels it was time to let them out. The dogs get excited everyday but more so when there’s a new face and smell. I definitely got tackled by almost every dog at least once, I loved seeing their energy and how happy they were to meet someone new. With breakfast out of the way it was time to clean, buckets of food means buckets of dog waste. Francis showed me some tricks but at the end of the day there’s no getting around it, you’re getting your hands dirty. A couple hours and full buckets later we finished, Francis said the worst was over.
Finishing the Day
With the messy part finished it was time to walk 92 dogs. They get more excited for this than breakfast. You’ll feel like a cowboy while trying to slip a leash over a bouncing dog. We all spilt up and walked dogs from different enclosures so get as many walked as possible. Time honestly went by faster then I wanted it to, next thing I knew it was lunch and our shift was over. By the end of it all with the afternoon shifts help we managed to walk almost all the dogs, they took the dogs we missed to the dog park after lunch. It was a great day for everyone.
After lunch we took a much needed shower and decided to spend some more time in Carhuaz. Acopampa is a very small town, aside from a few general stores and restaurants there isn’t much to do. Carhuaz down the road is still small but has a big main square, market, and plenty of shops to visit. With more time today we wondered through the streets and sat at the main square, taking in the sunshine and watching life slowly go by in the small mountain town. I felt really good about where we were and what we were doing. My time at Casa Viva is still a major highlight for me on my travels.
After spending the afternoon exploring we grabbed dinner and by the time we left for Acopampa it was already dark. Back at the shelter we visited with everyone else, there were 8 volunteers in total from all around the world. We weren’t up late with everyone as we had the morning shift again the next day so we opted to rest and get ready to spend another day with all the dogs.
The Good, The Bad, and The Paw Prints
That was our life for two weeks, rotating through the morning shifts with the cleaning and afternoon shifts with the quality time. Those moments turned into some of the highlights of my time in Peru. The dogs that immediately loved people were a blast, you can tell they’ve never had a bad experience with anyone. One of the dogs I connected with most was Mandy. A huge mixed breed that had puppy energy, she didn’t realize her own strength. Taking her for walks didn’t happen until she got a good game of “tug of war” in with the leash first. The good is easy and shows up fast, everyday feels like you’ve given the dogs the best day of their lives.
The bad is slower and harder to talk about but it’s always there. The dogs that occasionally lash out at one another, the injuries and infections that need attention, the ones that still haven’t learned to trust humans due to bad past experiences. The odd dog wouldn’t approach me during my stay, it was difficult to accept that nothing I could do would convince them that I was a friend. It’s tough to think about the terrible experiences that some dogs have had with humans to make them the way they are. I suppose all you can do is try make everyday for them a good one and hopefully something in their life will shift.
Everything Else
The paw prints are everything that happens in between, a blend of happy, bad, funny moments of life at the Peru dog rescue. Stained clothes you take off everyday because the dogs got excited and jumped on you. The dog that was unsure of you at first but afterwhile is the first to greet you in the morning. When you finish cleaning out a kennel and every dog in it decides it’s the perfect time to use the bathroom. It’s the moments that despite the ups and downs that stick with you when you leave the shelter, like paw prints following you home.
Outside of everything dog it’s an absolute pleasure to meet other animal lovers from the around the world. Pia spent so much time helping out at the shelter that an enclosure was named after here. Francis arrived before us and left after us, his plan was to go to Chile and help at another shelter. We met some fellow Canadians, one of which decided to adopt two dogs and bring them back to Canada with her. Fantastic people all around, perfect company to go to the bar and try local food with. Friends that I still keep in touch with, almost like a trail of paw prints connecting us around the world.
Outside Casa Viva
Helping out at Casa Viva Peru dog rescue and shelter was the highlight in the area for me. However as I mentioned the Ancash region has a lot to offer for trekkers and nature lovers. Huarez, the major city you pass through on the way to Acopampa is a gateway for trekking and mountaineering. The tallest mountain in Peru, Nevado Huascaran, and the towering peaks around it are all accessed from Huarez. I love high mountain trekking and on a day off from volunteering we fully took advantage of the opportunities nearby. Trekking here reminded me of trekking in Canada with the beautiful turquoise glacial lakes surrounded by high mountain peaks, it felt like a taste of home.
Casa Viva also handles all of the logistics for any trek the volunteers want to do. It couldn’t be easier, they want you to experience what this part of Peru has to offer. Francis highly recommend that we hike to Laguna 69, a picturesque mountain lake. Turns out it is one of the most photographed and visited day hikes in all the Peruvian Andes. The trek starts at 3800m and gets up to 4600m, it’s about 6km one way so you get some decent elevation gain and steep sections. It’s not the easiest trek out there, however if you stop for a break anywhere you look will be a beautiful view up in the pass. The views walking up are just as good if not better than the Laguna itself. It honestly reminded me a lot of hiking back home in Canada.
Trekking in the Andes
The trailhead for Laguna 69 is under two hours away from Carhuaz, when the bus arrived at 6am we were the last people to board, everyone else was coming from Huarez and had already been on the bus for over an hour. I was thankful I wasn’t about to endure a 6 hour roundtrip bus ride with a trek in the middle like everyone else. The bus ride up to the trailhead was like any typically Peruvian mountain bus ride, half normal highway and half sketchy one way mountain roads with a sheer drop on one side. Edge seat? Don’t look down.
We got to the trailhead and began the climb. We were lucky with weather, bright blue sky with blazing hot sunshine. The UV level when you’re up that high is no joke, I had my raincoat on simply to block the sun. The trail led us past waterfalls, abandoned Indigenous houses, and plenty of cows. The panoramic mountain view around us took our breath away just as much as the steep incline did. It took us about 2.5 hours to reach the lake, it honestly lives up to the hype. At this point the weather took a turn so it wasn’t a perfect view but we could still make out the glaciers feeding the lake from up high among the peaks.
A quick picnic by the lake and then the trek back. Clouds were rolling in so there wasn’t as much see on the way down. Since Peru’s rainy season runs from late November to early April, we expected the rain and were happy to have even a half day of good weather. They dropped us back in Carhuaz with time to share dinner and prepare for the next day with the dogs, who I honestly already missed.
Supporting Casa Viva and Planning Your Own Visit
It’s easy for me to say “you have to go help at the Peru dog rescue” I get that’s not realistic for everyone. However if you find yourself even remotely close by, I promise you won’t regret helping out at Casa Viva. They want volunteers to stay at least 10 days to learn the ropes and get acquainted with the dogs. You’ll meet some awesome people from around the world and get to spend time giving dozens of dogs a second chance at life. Who knows, maybe you’ll bring one home? It’s easier then you think just check out “Workaway” or “Worldpackers” for opportunies to help out at Casa Viva in person.
If you don’t think you’ll be in Peru anytime soon you can still help in other ways. On their website Casaviva they have a list of adoptable dogs, opportunities to learn more about the shelter, and donate monetarily online. They truly are doing some great things and a little money goes a long way in Peru. I assure you if you decided to donate anything it would help many dogs more then you think. I believe that greater change comes from action not money wires hence 42Forward, however some help is better then none at all. Please take a look at their site to learn more.
Peru Dog Rescue FAQs
What is Casa Viva?
Casa Viva is a dog shelter located in the Ancash region of Peru.
What do volunteers do at the shelter?
Daily tasks include feeding and walking the dogs, cleaning kennels, socializing with the dogs, and putting them to bed.
Do I need experience with animals?
No experience is needed, just a love for animals and a positive attitude.
How long should I volunteer at Casa Viva
Minimum 10 days is required, however there is a good chance you will extend. The easiest way to get started is through Workaway or Worldpackers.
What does it cost to volunteer at Casa Viva?
It’s free, you’ll need to provide your own breakfast, dinner, and occasionally lunch.
How hard is the adoption process?
It will vary depending on the country, some are easier than others. However Casa Viva have been doing this for awhile, they’ve got it dialed in.
Peru Dog Rescue Final Thoughts
In the beginning truthfully I was more excited to trek and explore a new part of Peru than to hang out with a bunch of dogs. It didn’t take long for that narrative to flip, it’s hard not to fall in love with the dogs as they give it out so freely. Honestly with that way of thinking the world would be a much better place. Between the dogs and the great people I met, my stay at Casa Viva became a top highlight for me in South America. So much so that I decided to run a 42Forward marathon for the shelter. It felt like the perfect way to end my stay at a place that gave me so much. Truly if you are looking for a place to take a trip and volunteer then Casa Viva should be on that list. I loved it so much that I ran a 42Forward marathon in Peru for the shelter.
